Access to a remote machine from a local machine via smart card

• US 20080203154A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Kannan, Chandrasekar
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

A method and apparatus for accessing a remote machine from a local machine via a smart card. In one embodiment, the presence of the smart card coupled to the local machine is detected. A card reader reads the credentials from the smart card and communicates them to a remote access client application of the local machine. The remote access client application transmits the credentials to the remote machine. The remote machine sends a query for login information to the local machine upon valid credentials. The local machine transmits the login information to the remote machine and is granted permission to access the remote machine upon valid login information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for accessing a remote machine from a local machine via a smart card, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of the smart card coupled to the local machine;

decoding the smart card to obtain credentials;

communicating the credentials to a remote access client application of the local machine; and

transmitting the credentials to the remote machine via the remote access client application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a login information query from the remote machine upon valid credentials;

transmitting the login information to the remote machine; and

receiving a grant to access the remote machine upon valid login information.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein detecting the present of the smart card further comprises:

reading the smart card with a card reader coupled to the local machine.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

securing a communication between the local machine and the remote machine via an encryption means.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the remote access client application of the local machine communicates with a remote access server application of the remote machine via a network.

6. A computer-implemented method for accessing a remote machine from a local machine via a smart card, the method comprising:

receiving credentials of the smart card coupled to the local machine; and

verifying the validity of the credentials of the smart card.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

sending a login information query to the local machine upon valid credentials;

receiving the login information from the local machine;

verifying the validity of the login information; and

granting access to the remote machine upon valid credentials and valid login information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

denying access to the remote machine if the credentials are not valid; and

denying access to the remote machine if the login information provided by the remote machine is not valid.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein a card reader coupled to the local machine to read the smart card to obtain the credentials of the smart card.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

securing a communication between the local machine and the remote machine via an encryption means, wherein a remote access client application of the local machine communicates with a remote access server application of the remote machine via a network.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible storage medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for accessing a remote machine from a local machine via a smart card, the method comprising;

detecting the presence of the smart card coupled to the local machine;

decoding the smart card to obtain credentials;

communicating the credentials to a remote access client application of the local machine; and

transmitting the credentials to the remote machine via the remote access client application.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a login information query from the remote machine upon valid credentials;

transmitting the login information to the remote machine; and

receiving a grant to access the remote machine upon valid login information.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein detecting the present of the smart card further comprises:

reading the smart card with a card reader coupled to the local machine.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

securing a communication between the local machine and the remote machine via an encryption means.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the remote access client application of the local machine communicates with a remote access server application of the remote machine via a network.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

sending a login information query to the local machine upon valid credentials;

receiving the login information from the local machine;

verifying the validity of the login information; and

granting access to the remote machine upon valid credentials and valid login information.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

denying access to the remote machine if the credentials are not valid; and

denying access to the remote machine if the login information provided by the remote machine is not valid.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein a card reader coupled to the local machine is to read the smart card to obtain the credentials of the smart card.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

securing a communication between the local machine and the remote machine via an encryption means, wherein a remote access client application of the local machine communicates with a remote access server application of the remote machine via a network.

16. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible storage medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for accessing a remote machine from a local machine via a smart card, the method comprising;

receiving credentials of the smart card coupled to the local machine; and

verifying the validity of the credentials of the smart card.

21. A local machine comprising:

a remote access client module;

a smart card reader module; and

a smart card reader interface coupled to a card reader for receiving a smart card,

wherein the smart card reader module is to read credentials from the smart card, and the remote access client module is to transmit the credentials to a remote machine via a network.

22. The local machine of claim 21 wherein the remote access client module communicates with a remote access server module of the remote machine.

23. The local machine of claim 21 wherein a communication between the remote access client module and the remote machine is secured via an encryption means.

26. The local machine of claim 21 wherein a communication between the remote access client module and the remote machine is secured via an encryption means.

24. A remote machine comprising:

a remote access server module to receive credentials from a smart card coupled to a local machine via a network and to grant access to the remote machine upon valid credentials.

25. The local machine of claim 24 wherein the remote access server module communicates with a remote access client module of the local machine.