Performing a Prohibited Task

• US 20070198934A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Koh, Jerry, Brezak, John, Sheldon, Michael, Averett, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/276,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198934A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6281 at program execution time, where the protection is within the operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control

Abstract

System(s), method(s), and/or technique(s) (“tools”) are described that perform a prohibited task without requiring that the user request the prohibited task more than once; perform a prohibited task without requiring that a user logoff or back on; and/or perform a permitted task requested as part of a set of tasks where some of the tasks are prohibited, even if the permitted task is queued for execution after a prohibited task, and without requiring that the user elevate his or her rights.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computing device comprising:

receiving a first request to perform one or more tasks in a first rights context that are not permitted in the first rights context;

elevating from the first rights context to a second rights context in which the one or more tasks are permitted; and

performing the one or more tasks in the second rights context without requiring a second request to perform the one or more tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is responsive to one or more actions from a user and the act of performing performs the one or more tasks based on the first request and without requiring, after the act of elevating is performed, additional actions from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request further comprises a permitted task permitted in the first rights context and further comprising performing the permitted task.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the act of performing the permitted task performs the permitted task prior to the act of elevating from the first rights context to the second rights context.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving receives the first request from a user logged in to a rights-based system with a first account granting the first rights context and wherein the act of elevating logs the user or another user in to the rights-based system with a second account granting the second rights context, and further comprising logging the second account off of the rights-based system responsive to the act of performing.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining the login of the first account while the second account is logged in to the rights-based system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving receives the first request from a user logged in to a rights-based system with a multi-tiered account at a first tier granting the first rights context but not the second rights context and wherein the act of elevating elevates from the first tier to a second tier, the second tier granting the second rights context.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving the first request intercepts a failure indication generated responsive to the one or more tasks being attempted and denied based on the first rights context not permitting the one or more tasks.

9. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform acts comprising:

receiving a request in a rights context to perform an ordered set of tasks having one or more permitted tasks that are permitted in the rights context and one or more prohibited tasks that are not permitted in the rights context; and

performing, without user interaction, all of the permitted tasks regardless of the order of the permitted tasks and prohibited tasks in the ordered set of tasks.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein at least one of the permitted tasks is ordered for performance prior to at least one of the prohibited tasks and at least one other of the permitted tasks is ordered for performance after at least one of the prohibited tasks.

11. The media of claim 9, further comprising performing the prohibited tasks after performing the permitted tasks and without requiring receipt of another request to perform the prohibited tasks.

12. The media of claim 9, further comprising building a second ordered set of tasks comprising the prohibited tasks, elevating from the rights context to a second rights context in which at least one of the prohibited tasks in the second ordered set of tasks is permitted to provide a now-permitted task, and performing the now-permitted task.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the act of performing the now-permitted task is performed without requiring an act of receiving a second request from a user.

14. The media of claim 12, wherein the acts of receiving, performing all of the permitted tasks, building, elevating, and performing the now-permitted task are performed without user interaction other than receiving a selection sufficient to elevate to the second rights context.

15. The media of claim 12, further comprising building a third ordered set of tasks comprising the prohibited tasks other than the now-permitted task, elevating from the second rights context to a third rights context in which at least one of the prohibited tasks in the third ordered set is permitted, and performing this at least one prohibited task in the third ordered set.

16. The media of claim 9, wherein the ordered set of tasks comprises copying, editing, deleting, or moving files on a filing system of an operating system.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform acts comprising:

elevating, responsive to an inability to perform a task because it is not permitted by a first user account, from the first user account to a second user account that does permit the task; and

lowering to the first user account from the second user account without requiring a user to re-login with the first user account and responsive to performing the task in the second user account.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the act of lowering is performed without user interaction.

19. The media of claim 17, wherein the act of lowering logs off the second user account.

20. The media of claim 17, further comprising performing the task in the second user account and wherein the act of lowering is performed after the act of performing the task and before any other tasks are performed in the second user account other than the task.