Method and system for interacting with a virtual content repository

• US 20070073671A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Xiaojiang, Posner, Brad, Saarva, Tanya, Patadia, Jalpesh, Roth, Steven, McVeigh, Ryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing content management security to federated content repositories in a content management system and for interacting with a virtual content repository. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide secure access to repositories based upon policies defined at a federated repository level and to secure repository access at the federated level based upon policies defined for differing classes of users. These abilities of embodiments can enable users to create services and applications by integrating content from unsecured repositories.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with a virtual content repository in a content management system, the method comprising:

receiving, via a common Application Programming Interface (API), a request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories, wherein each one of the plurality of content repositories is integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR);

determining whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request; and

providing access to content in the VCR when the request satisfies the selected security policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, via a common Application Programming Interface (API), a request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories, wherein each one of the plurality of content repositories is integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR) includes:

receiving, the request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories from at least one of an administrator and a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request includes:

determining based upon the classification of the request that the request is an administrative request; and

selecting a security policy to apply to the administrative request;

wherein the security policy to apply to the administrative request is based upon a default administrative security policy that bars access to content within the VCR except for explicitly stated exceptions permitting access to specific content in the VCR.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request includes:

determining based upon the classification of the request that the request is a user request; and

selecting a security policy to apply to the user request;

wherein the security policy to apply to the user request is based upon a default user security policy that permits access to content within the VCR except for explicitly stated exceptions baring access to specific content in the VCR.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to content in the VCR when the request satisfies the selected security policy includes:

enabling at least one of navigation, CRUD operations (create, read, update, delete), versioning, workflows, and searching operations to operate on a plurality of repositories as though the plurality of repositories were one repository.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

redacting content received from the VCR prior to providing the content responsive to the request when the request does not satisfy the selected security policy.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

redacting the request prior to accessing content in the VCR when the request does not satisfy the selected security policy.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

blocking the request altogether when the request does not satisfy the selected security policy.

9. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for interacting with a virtual content repository in a content management system, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving, via a common Application Programming Interface (API), a request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories, wherein each one of the plurality of content repositories is integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR);

determining whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request; and

providing access to content in the VCR when the request satisfies the selected security policy.

10. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of receiving, via a common Application Programming Interface (API), a request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories, wherein each one of the plurality of content repositories is integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR) include instructions for carrying out the step of:

receiving, the request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories from at least one of an administrator and a user.

11. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of determining whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request include instructions for carrying out the step of:

determining based upon the classification of the request that the request is an administrative request; and

selecting a security policy to apply to the administrative request;

wherein the security policy to apply to the administrative request is based upon a default administrative security policy that bars access to content within the VCR except for explicitly stated exceptions permitting access to specific content in the VCR.

12. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of determining whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request include instructions for carrying out the step of:

determining based upon the classification of the request that the request is a user request; and

selecting a security policy to apply to the user request;

wherein the security policy to apply to the user request is based upon a default user security policy that permits access to content within the VCR except for explicitly stated exceptions baring access to specific content in the VCR.

13. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions for carrying out the step of providing access to content in the VCR when the request satisfies the selected security policy include instructions for carrying out the step of:

enabling at least one of navigation, CRUD operations (create, read, update, delete), versioning, workflows, and searching operations to operate on a plurality of repositories as though the plurality of repositories were one repository.

14. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

redacting content received from the VCR prior to providing the content responsive to the request when the request does not satisfy the selected security policy.

15. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

redacting the request prior to accessing content in the VCR when the request does not satisfy the selected security policy.

16. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising instructions for carrying out the step of:

blocking the request altogether when the request does not satisfy the selected security policy.

17. An apparatus for interacting with a virtual content repository in a content management system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving, via a common Application Programming Interface (API), a request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories, wherein each one of the plurality of content repositories is integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR);

determining whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request; and

providing access to content in the VCR when the request satisfies the selected security policy.

18. A method for transmitting code on a transmission medium, comprising:

transmitting code to receive, via a common Application Programming Interface (API), a request to access content stored in at least one of a plurality of content repositories, wherein each one of the plurality of content repositories is integrated into a virtual content repository (VCR);

transmitting code to determine whether the request will be permitted by selecting a security policy to apply to the request based upon a classification of the request into at least one of an administrative request and a user request and applying the selected security policy to the request; and

transmitting code to provide access to content in the VCR when the request satisfies the selected security policy.