Non-invasive method and system for automated administration of diverse security constrained servers

• US 20060184649A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chakravarty, Srinath S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, method of automatically administering a plurality of servers includes automatically transmitting commands to at least one of the plurality of servers. Administrator level access is non-invasively obtained on the at least one of the plurality of the servers utilizing the automatically transmitted commands. The at least one of the plurality of the servers is administered using the administrator level access and the automatically transmitted commands.

Claims

1. A method of automatically administering a plurality of servers:

automatically transmitting a first set of commands to at least one of the plurality of servers;

non-invasively obtaining administrator level access on the at least one of the plurality of the servers using the first set of automatically transmitted commands;

automatically transmitting a second set of commands to at least one of the plurality of servers; and

administering the at least one of the plurality of the servers using the administrator level access and the second set of automatically transmitted commands.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the administrator level access is a root level access.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the administering the at least one of the plurality of the servers includes changing a root level password.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a secure access management database for information relating to the plurality of servers, wherein a resultant list obtained from the querying at least partially determines the first set of commands that will be automatically transmitted to the at least one of the plurality of servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of automatically transmitted commands include access commands, and the second set of automatically transmitted commands include entry commands and action commands, further comprising:

utilizing the access commands to gain access to the at least one of the plurality of servers;

utilizing the entry commands to gain administrator level access to the at least one of the plurality of servers; and

utilizing the action commands to intrusively administer the at least one of the plurality of servers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein for the transmittal of each of the access commands, entry commands, and action commands the method further comprises:

receiving a response from the at least one of the plurality of servers;

searching the response for at least one keyword;

cross-referencing the at least one keyword with an empirical table; and

determining the next command to transmit to the at least one of the plurality of servers based at least partially upon an entry cross-referenced with the at least one keyword.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein for the transmittal of each of the access commands, entry commands, and action commands the method further comprises:

receiving a response from the at least one of the plurality of servers;

searching the response for at least one keyword;

cross-referencing the at least one keyword with an empirical table; and

determining the next command to transmit to the at least one of the plurality of servers based at least partially upon an entry cross-referenced with the at least one keyword and state and event awareness information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-invasively obtaining administrator level access on the at least one of the plurality of the servers includes:

receiving a response from the at least one of the plurality of servers;

searching the response for at least one keyword;

cross-referencing the at least one keyword with an empirical table; and

determining the next command to transmit to the at least one of the plurality of servers based at least partially upon an entry cross-referenced with the at least one keyword.

9. A computer network administration system, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

software stored on the computer readable storage medium and operable to;

automatically transmit a first set of commands to at least one of the plurality of servers;

non-invasively obtain administrator level access on the at least one of the plurality of the servers using the first set of automatically transmitted commands;

automatically transmit a second set of commands to at least one of the plurality of servers; and

administer the at least one of the plurality of the servers using the administrator level access and the second set of automatically transmitted commands.

10. The computer network administration system of claim 9, wherein the administrator level access is a root level access.

11. The computer network administration system of claim 9, wherein the software in administering the at least one of the plurality of the servers is operable to change a root level password.

12. The computer network administration system of claim 9, wherein the software is further operable to:

query a secure access management database for information relating to the plurality of servers, wherein a resultant list obtained from the querying at least partially determines the first set of commands that will be automatically transmitted to the at least one of the plurality of servers.

13. The computer network administration system of claim 9, wherein the first set of automatically transmitted commands include access commands, and the second set of automatically transmitted commands include entry commands and action commands, and the software is further operable to:

utilize the access commands to gain access to the at least one of the plurality of servers;

utilize the entry commands to gain administrator level access to the at least one of the plurality of servers; and

utilize the action commands to intrusively administer the at least one of the plurality of servers.

14. The computer network administration system of claim 13, wherein the software in the transmittal of each of the access commands, entry commands, and action commands is further operable to:

receive a response from the at least one of the plurality of servers;

search the response for at least one keyword;

cross-reference the at least one keyword with an empirical table; and

determine the next command to transmit to the at least one of the plurality of servers based at least partially upon an entry cross-referenced with the at least one keyword.

15. The computer network administration system of claim 13, wherein the software in the transmittal of each of the access commands, entry commands, and action commands is further operable to:

receive a response from the at least one of the plurality of servers;

search the response for at least one keyword;

cross-reference the at least one keyword with an empirical table; and

determine the next command to transmit to the at least one of the plurality of servers based at least partially upon an entry cross-referenced with the at least one keyword and state and event awareness information.

16. The computer network administration system of claim 9, wherein the software in the non-invasively obtaining administrator level access on the at least one of the plurality of the servers is further operable to:

receive a response from the at least one of the plurality of servers;

search the response for at least one keyword;

cross-reference the at least one keyword with an empirical table; and

determine the next command to transmit to the at least one of the plurality of servers based at least partially upon an entry cross-referenced with the at least one keyword.

17. A method of automatically administering a plurality of servers:

automatically transmitting commands to at least one of the plurality of servers wherein the automatically transmitted commands include access commands, entry commands, and action commands, and wherein for the transmittal of each of the access commands, entry commands, and action commands the method further comprises;

receiving a response from the at least one of the plurality of servers,

searching the response for at least one keyword,

cross-referencing the at least one keyword with an empirical table, and

determining the next command to transmit to the at least one of the plurality of servers based at least partially upon an entry cross-referenced with the at least one keyword;

querying a secure access management database for information relating to the plurality of servers, wherein a resultant list obtained from the querying at least partially determines the commands that will be automatically transmitted to each of the plurality of servers;

utilizing the access commands to gain access to the at least one of the plurality of servers;

utilizing the entry commands to gain administrator level access to the at least one of the plurality of servers; and

utilizing the action commands to intrusively administer the at least one of the plurality of servers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the administrator level access is a root level access.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the plurality of the servers is a UNIX server.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the administering the at least one of the plurality of the servers includes changing a root level password.