System and method for consolidation of user directories

• US 20040117665A1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ong, Peng T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatic user authentication are described. A plurality of applications accessible by a user are identified by examining authentication credential container of the user. A view of the plurality of applications accessible by the user is generated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a plurality of applications accessible by a user by examining authentication credential container of the user; and

generating a view of the plurality of applications accessible by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the view is a consolidated directory of the plurality of the applications.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing access to an application from the plurality of the applications by utilizing the view of the plurality of the applications accessible by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

creating a user account for a new application to be accessible by the user utilizing the generated view; and

injecting authentication information of the user account into the authentication credential container of the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the authentication credential container is stored at a server.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the removing is performed automatically.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the creating the user account is performed automatically.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the creating the user account is performed manually by an administrator.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the authentication information is injected into a hardware device of the user.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising removing individual user directories for each application of the plurality of the applications accessible by the user.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an identifier module to identify a plurality of applications accessible by a user by examining authentication credential container of the user; and

a view generator to generate a view of the plurality of applications accessible by the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the view is a consolidated directory of the plurality of the applications.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an interface to assist in removing access to an application from the plurality of the applications by utilizing the view of the plurality of the applications accessible by the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an interface to assist in creating a user account for a new application to be accessible by the user utilizing the generated view and injecting authentication information of the user account into the authentication credential container of the user.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of applications accessible by a user by examining authentication credential container of the user; and

means for generating a view of the plurality of applications accessible by the user.