Methods, systems, and computer program products for user authorization levels in aggregated systems

• US 20060059564A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tan, Yih-Shin, Wang, Shouhui
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

Services may be provided in a networked applications services environment by authorizing access to different services from different service providers included in an aggregated system of service providers based on different aggregated authorization levels associated with users. Related systems and computer program products are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing services in a networked applications services environment, comprising:

authorizing access to different services from different service providers included in an aggregated system of service providers based on different aggregated authorization levels associated with users.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing further comprises:

allowing access to a first service from a server and preventing access to a second service from the server based on a first level of authorization; and

allowing access to the second service from the server based on a second level of authorization.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the first level of authorization comprises an aggregated system authorization level in the aggregated system mapped from a local system authorization level.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein the first service comprises a first application accessible to the user based on a first authorization level and the second service comprises a second application accessible to the user based on a second authorization level.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing further comprises:

allowing read-only access to a service from a server based on a first level of authorization; and

allowing read/write access to the service from the server based on a second level of authorization.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the different services comprise different applications accessible to users based on authorization levels associated therewith.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing is performed prior to access.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein authorizing comprises providing an authorization level for access to services in the system to an interface of the aggregated system with an authentication responsive to an access by a user via the interface.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein providing the authorization level and the authentication are provided to the interface responsive to a single request for authentification from the interface.

10. A method according to claim 1 carried out by a computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium.

11. A method according to claim 1 carried out by a system comprising:

a means for authorizing the access to the different services from different service providers included in the aggregated system of service providers based on different authorization levels associated with the user.

12. A method of providing services in a networked applications services environment, comprising:

receiving a request for authentification of a user from an interface to an aggregated system of service providers;

determining a level of authorization associated with the user to access services in the aggregated system; and

providing a user authentification for the user and the level of authorization associated therewith to the interface.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the level of authorization comprises a first level of authorization for a first application available via a first service provider in the aggregate system and a second level of authorization for a second application available via a second provider in the aggregate system.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the first level of authorization comprises read-only access to the first application and the second level of authorization comprises read/write access to the second application.

15. A method of providing services in a networked applications services environment, comprising:

registering service providers in an aggregated system of service providers including services available from the service providers;

receiving a request from a user for access to the aggregated system of service providers at the interface to the aggregated system;

requesting an authentification for the user from a service provider included in the aggregated system having a profile associated with the user; and

receiving an authentification for the user and an authorization level associated therewith.

16. A method according to claim 15 further comprising:

determining the authorization level for the user at the service provider to indicate which services in the aggregated system are accessible to the user based on a subscription of the user associated with the service provider; and

allowing access to the services via the interface according to the authorization level.

17. A method according to claim 15 further comprising:

determining the authorization level for the user at the service provider to indicate which services in the aggregated system are accessible to the user based on a subscription of the user associated with the service provider; and

allowing access to the services via the interface according to the authorization level.

18. A method according to claim 15 further comprising:

providing different levels of authorization available in the aggregated system from the interface to the service providers; and

determining which the different levels of authorization is applicable to the user at the service provider to indicate which services in the aggregated system are accessible to the user based.

19. A system for providing services in a networked applications services environment, comprising:

means for registering service providers in an aggregated system of service providers including services available from the service providers;

means for receiving a request from a user for access to the aggregated system of service providers at the interface to the aggregated system;

means for requesting an authentification for the user from a service provider included in the aggregated system having a profile associated with the user; and

means for receiving an authentification for the user and an authorization level associated therewith.

20. A computer program product for providing services in a networked applications services environment, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program product comprising;

computer readable program code configured to register service providers in an aggregated system of service providers including services available from the service providers;

computer readable program code configured to receive a request from a user for access to the aggregated system of service providers at the interface to the aggregated system;

computer readable program code configured to request an authentification for the user from a service provider included in the aggregated system having a profile associated with the user; and

computer readable program code configured to receive an authentification for the user and an authorization level associated therewith.