UPDATING AUTHENTICATION SERVER LISTS FOR USERS ACCESSING SHARED ACCESS DEVICES

• US 20080244708A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lambert, Eric, Barrett, Michael W., Midgley, Christian G., Wilkie, Robert B, Patel, Parul, Schleede, Kenneth B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

A method, service, system, computer program, etc., provides a list of acceptable authentication servers that a user could use to log in when accessing a networked device, such as a networked printer or document processing device. The embodiments include preparing a module, such as a dynamically loadable module (DLM) for use in the networked system accessed by the users. Each of the networked devices is enabled to accept the DLM. The embodiments forward the DLM to the networked devices as a print job along a print job submission path within the network. The networked devices recognize the DLM as a special job. Further, the networked devices use the DLM to install the XML file on each of the networked devices. Thus, the authentication server lists and authentication programs are updated within each of the networked devices using the DLM.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

preparing a module for use in a networked system accessed by users,

wherein said networked system comprises a plurality of networked devices connected together through a network,

wherein said module comprises an authentication server list,

wherein said authentication server list comprises a list of authentication servers which store access rights of said users, and

wherein said access rights define which of said networked devices said users have a right to access,

forwarding said module to said networked devices as a document processing job along a job submission path within said network; and

updating authentication server lists within each of said networked devices using said module.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said module comprises an extensible markup language (XML) file storing said authentication list.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said updating comprises using said module to install said XML file on each of said networked devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising enabling said networked devices to accept said module.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an authentication program in said module.

6. A method comprising:

preparing a module for use in a networked system accessed by users,

wherein said networked system comprises a plurality of networked printing devices connected together through a network,

wherein said module comprises an authentication server list and an authentication program,

wherein said authentication server list comprises a list of authentication servers which store access rights of said users,

wherein said access rights define which of said networked printing devices said users have a right to access, and

wherein said authentication program requests each user to specify one of said authentication servers, user identification, and a password when logging in;

forwarding said module to said networked printing devices as a print job along a print job submission path within said network; and

updating authentication server lists and authentication programs within each of said networked printing devices using said module.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said module comprises an extensible markup language (XML) file storing said authentication list and said authentication program.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said updating comprises using said module to install said XML file on each of said networked printing devices.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising enabling said networked printing devices to accept said module.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said authentication program provides for said shortcut and said identification to be separated by a character when said user is logging in.

11. A method comprising:

preparing a dynamically loadable module (DLM) for use in a networked system accessed by users,

wherein said networked system comprises a plurality of networked printing devices connected together through a network,

wherein said DLM comprises an authentication server list and an authentication program,

wherein said authentication server list comprises a list of authentication servers which store access rights of said users,

wherein said access rights define which of said networked printing devices said users have a right to access, and

wherein said authentication program requests each user to specify one of said authentication servers, user identification, and a password when logging in;

forwarding said DLM to said networked printing devices as a print job along a print job submission path within said network;

recognizing, by said networked printing devices, said DLM as a special, non-print job; and

updating authentication server lists and authentication programs within each of said networked printing devices using said DLM.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said DLM comprises an extensible markup language (XML) file storing said authentication list and said authentication program.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said updating comprises using said DLM to install said XML file on each of said networked printing devices.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising enabling said networked printing devices to accept said DLM.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said authentication program provides for said shortcut and said identification to be separated by a character when said user is logging in.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable data carrier storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising;

preparing a module for use in a networked system accessed by users,

wherein said networked system comprises a plurality of networked devices connected together through a network,

wherein said module comprises an authentication server list and an authentication program,

wherein said authentication server list comprises a list of authentication servers which store access rights of said users,

wherein said access rights define which of said networked devices said users have a right to access, and

wherein said authentication program requests each user to specify one of said authentication servers, user identification, and a password when logging in;

forwarding said module to said networked devices as a document processing job along a job submission path within said network; and

updating authentication server lists and authentication programs within each of said networked devices using said module.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said module comprises an extensible markup language (XML) file storing said authentication list and said authentication program.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said updating comprises using said module to install said XML file on each of said networked devices.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising enabling said networked devices to accept said module.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein said authentication program provides for said shortcut and said identification to be separated by a character when said user is logging in.