METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING ACCESS IN A SOFTWARE PROVISIONING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100058444A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: DeHaan, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A provisioning server can be configured to associate user actions with users that have access to perform the associated user actions. The user actions can include any user action performed within or by the provisioning server, such as configuring the provisioning server, modifying provisioning objects in the provisioning server, accessing provisioning processes by the provisioning server, and the like. The association can be based on the identity of the users or a type of user (administrator, client, guest, etc.). Once a request is received for a particular user action, the provisioning server can be configured to enable the requested action if the requested action is associated with the requesting user.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to a software provisioning environment, comprising:

associating each user of a set of users with a set of user actions, wherein the user actions comprise actions related to the software provisioning environment and wherein each user of the set of users is granted access to the associated set of user actions;

receiving a request from a respective user for at least one user action related to the software provisioning environment; and

enabling the at least one user action when the respective user is associated with the at least one user action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the actions comprise at least one of configuring a provisioning server, modifying provisioning objects in the provisioning server, creating provisioning objects in the provisioning server, or accessing provisioning processes by the provisioning server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a network user interface for receiving the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating each users with the set of user actions, comprises:

maintaining a record of each user and the set of user actions associated with each user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein associating each user with the set of user actions, comprises:

associating each users with the set of user actions based on at least one of the identity of each user or a type of each user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity received from the respective user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an authentication of the respective users identity and a verification that the respective user is associated with the at least one user action.

8. A system for providing software provisioning in a software provisioning environment, comprising:

a network interface to a network comprising a set of users; and

a provisioning server, communicating with the network interface, the provisioning server being configured to—

associate each user of the set of users with a set of user actions, wherein the user actions comprise actions related to the software provisioning environment and wherein each user of the set of users is granted access to the associated set of user actions;

receive a request from a respective user for at least one user action related to the software provisioning environment; and

enable the at least one user action when the respective user is associated with the at least one user action.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the actions comprise at least one of configuring a provisioning server, modifying provisioning objects in the provisioning server, creating provisioning objects in the provisioning server, or accessing provisioning processes by the provisioning server.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the provisioning server is further configured to—

provide a network user interface for receiving the request.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein associating each users with the set of user actions, comprises—

maintaining a record of each user and the set of user actions associated with each user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein associating each user with the set of user actions, comprises:

associating each users with the set of user actions based on at least one of the identity of each user or a type of each user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the provisioning server is further configured to—

authenticate an identity received from the respective user.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the provisioning server is further configured to—

receive an authentication of the respective users identity and a verification that the respective user is associated with the at least one user action.

15. A provisioning application, the provisioning application being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

associating each user of a set of users with a set of user actions, wherein the user actions comprise actions related to the software provisioning environment and wherein each user of the set of users is granted access to the associated set of user actions;

receiving a request from a respective user for at least one user action related to the software provisioning environment; and

enabling the at least one user action when the respective user is associated with the at least one user action.

16. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein the actions comprise at least one of configuring a provisioning server, modifying provisioning objects in the provisioning server, creating provisioning objects in the provisioning server, or accessing provisioning processes by the provisioning server.

17. The provisioning application of claim 15, the method further comprising:

providing a network user interface for receiving the request.

18. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein associating each users with the set of user actions, comprises:

maintaining a record of each user and the set of user actions associated with each user.

19. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein associating each user with the set of user actions, comprises:

associating each users with the set of user actions based on at least one of the identity of each user or a type of each user.

20. The provisioning application of claim 15, the method further comprising:

authenticating an identity received from the respective user.

21. The provisioning application of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving an authentication of the respective users identity and a verification that the respective user is associated with the at least one user action.