Accessing data based on user identity

• US 20040215672A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Pfitzner, Ingo
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A redirection service directs, based on a received reference address and user identity information, a user to an appropriate version of a document or an application program. When the user is an author of the document, the user is directed to a version of the document that is undergoing revision. When the user is not an author of the document, the user is directed to a version of the document that is not undergoing revision. Similarly, when the user is a software developer, the user is directed to a version of an application program that is being developed; otherwise, the user is directed to a production version of the application program.

Claims

1. A method for redirecting a request for access to a document for which there exists multiple different versions of the document, the method comprising:

receiving a request for access to the document, the request including a reference address associated with the document and user identity information associated with the user requesting access to the document; and

translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested document to a second reference address associated with a version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the multiple different versions of the document comprise multiple different versions of the document stored in different electronic storage locations, and

the second reference address comprises a second reference address associated with an electronic storage location corresponding to a version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the received reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing the version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing author identity information that is associated with the document; and

determining whether the received user identity information corresponds to the accessed author identity information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the received user identity information corresponds to the accessed author information, and

translating the received reference address comprises translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested document to a second reference address associated with a version of the document that is under revision.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the received user identity information does not correspond to the accessed author information, and

translating the received reference address comprises translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested document to a second reference address associated with a version of the document that is not under revision.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple different versions of the document comprise multiple different versions of the document, at least one version of the document being stored on a different computer than a computer storing at least another version of the document.

10. A method for redirecting a request for access to a document for which there exists multiple different versions of the document, the method comprising:

receiving a request for access to the document, the request including a reference address associated with the document and user identity information associated with the user requesting access to the document;

accessing author identity information that is associated with the document;

determining whether the received user identity information corresponds to the accessed author identity information;

when received user identity information corresponds to the accessed author information, translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested document to a second reference address associated with a version of the document that is under revision; and

when received user identity information does not correspond to the accessed author information, translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested document to a third reference address associated with a version of the document that is not under revision.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the received reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the second reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the third reference address comprises a uniform

14. A method for redirecting a request to access a document stored on a computer, the method comprising:

receiving a reference address and user identity information for a user of a computer seeking access to the document identified by the received reference address wherein;

the document is stored in either an operational location or an archival location, each storage location being identified by a reference address, and

the user identity information indicates whether the user is permitted access to an archival location; and

translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address to a second reference address that identifies the storage location of an appropriate version of the document.

15. A method for redirecting a request for access to an application program for which there exists multiple different versions of the application program, the method comprising:

receiving a request for access to the application program, the request including a reference address associated with the application program and user identity information associated with the user requesting access to the application program; and

translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested application program to a second reference address associated with a version of the application program that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the application program.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

accessing software developer identity information that is associated with the application program; and

determining whether the received user identity information corresponds to the accessed software developer identity information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the received user identity information corresponds to the accessed software developer identity information, and

translating the received reference address comprises translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested application program to a second reference address associated with a version of the application program that is not a production version.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the received user identity information does not correspond to the accessed software developer identity information, and

translating the received reference address comprises translating, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested application program to a second reference address associated with a production version of the application program.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the received reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the second reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

21. A computer-readable medium or propagated signal having embodied thereon a computer program configured to redirect a request for access to a document for which there exists multiple different versions of the document, the medium or signal comprising one or more code segments configured to:

receive a request for access to the document, the request including a reference address associated with the document and user identity information associated with the user requesting access to the document; and

translate, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested document to a second reference address associated with a version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

22. The medium or signal of claim 21 wherein:

the multiple different versions of the document comprise multiple different versions of the document stored in different electronic storage locations, and

the second reference address comprises a second reference address associated with an electronic storage location corresponding to a version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

23. The medium or signal of claim 21 wherein the received reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

24. The medium or signal of claim 21 wherein the second reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

25. The medium or signal of claim 21 further comprising accessing the version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

26. A system for redirecting a request for access to a document for which there exists multiple different versions of the document, the system comprising a processor connected to a storage device and one or more input/output devices, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a request for access to the document, the request including a reference address associated with the document and user identity information associated with the user requesting access to the document; and

translate, based on the received user identity information, the received reference address associated with the requested document to a second reference address associated with a version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein:

the multiple different versions of the document comprise multiple different versions of the document stored in different electronic storage locations, and

the second reference address comprises a second reference address associated with an electronic storage location corresponding to a version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the received reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the second reference address comprises a uniform resource locator.

30. The system of claim 26 further comprising accessing the version of the document that is appropriate for the user requesting access to the document.