ACCESS MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE

• US 20120291090A1
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Uppili, Motukuru, Vamsi, Turlapati, Ramana Rao S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,955,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems

Abstract

An access management system architecture is provided. In one embodiment, the architecture comprises modular and decoupled components, which allow composability of heterogeneous solutions.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an access metadata repository of access metadata objects, wherein each access metadata object of a plurality of access metadata objects in the access metadata repository describes data associated with access services;

input/output logic configured to receive a first access request from a first requesting entity;

service management logic configured to determine a first request type associated with the first access request;

normalization logic configured to generate a first normalized access request; and

component management logic configured to select a first functional component to satisfy at least a portion of the first normalized access request based at least in part on the first normalized access request and an access metadata object associated with the first request type.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the component management logic is further configured to provide at least a portion of the first normalized access request to the first functional component; and

the component management logic is further configured to cause the first functional component to generate at least a portion of a first response that conforms with the first request type associated with the first access request; and

the service management logic is further configured to provide at least the portion of the first response to the first requesting entity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the first requesting entity is a first application that is a trusted application;

the first access request includes a request for a security token associated with a second application; and

generating at least a portion of a response includes generating a first token that authorizes the first application to make changes associated with the second application on behalf of a user of the first application.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the input/output logic is further configured to receive a second access request from a second requesting entity, wherein the second access request includes a request for a security token associated with an identity provider;

the normalization logic is further configured to generate a second normalized access request;

the component management logic is further configured to cause the first functional component to generate a second token that authorizes access to the third application;

wherein the first functional component is configured to generate the first token in response to receiving at least a portion of the first normalized request; and

wherein the first functional component is configured to generate the second token in response to receiving at least a portion of the second normalized request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the request includes composite state information that identifies a state associated with a first functional component and a state associated with a second functional component.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an access policy repository configured to store access policy metadata for determining whether a request for access should be granted;

a second functional component configured to generate a response that includes information associated with the access policy metadata to the first requesting entity in response to determining that the first normalized access request does not meet the criteria specified by the access policy metadata.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the input/output logic is further configured to receive a second access request from a second requesting entity;

the service management logic is further configured to determine a second request type associated with the second access request;

the normalization logic is further configured to generate a second normalized access request;

the component management logic is further configured to select the first functional component to satisfy at least a portion of the second normalized access request based at least in part on the second normalized access request and an access metadata object associated with the second request type;

the normalization logic is further configured to provide at least a portion of the second normalized access request to the first functional component; and

the component management logic is further configured to cause the first functional component to generate at least a portion of a second response that conforms with the second request type associated with the second access request; and

the service management logic is further configured to provide at least the portion of the first response to the first requesting entity.

8. A method, comprising:

maintaining an access metadata repository of access metadata objects, wherein each access metadata object of a plurality of access metadata objects in the access metadata repository describes data associated with access services;

receiving a first access request from a first requesting entity;

determining a first request type associated with the first access request;

generating a first normalized access request;

based at least in part on the first normalized access request and an access metadata object associated with the first request type, selecting a first functional component to satisfy at least a portion of the first normalized access request;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing at least a portion of the first normalized access request to the first functional component;

generating at least a portion of a first response using the first functional component, the first response conforming with the first request type associated with the first access request; and

providing at least the portion of the first response to the first requesting entity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first requesting entity is a first application that is a trusted application;

the first access request includes a request for a security token associated with a second application;

generating at least a portion of a response includes generating a first token that authorizes the first application to make changes associated with the second application on behalf of a user of the first application.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second access request from a second requesting entity, wherein the second access request includes a request for a security token associated with an identity provider;

generating a second normalized access request;

generating a second token that authorizes access to the third application;

wherein the first token is generated by a token generation engine in response to receiving at least a portion of the first normalized request at the token generation engine;

wherein the second token is generated by the token generation engine in response to receiving at least a portion of the second normalized request at the token generation engine.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the request includes composite state information that identifies a state associated with a first functional component and a state associated with a second functional component.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

maintaining an access policy repository that stores access policy metadata for determining whether a request for access should be granted;

in response to determining that the first normalized access request does not meet the criteria specified by the access policy metadata, generating a response to the first requesting entity that includes information associated with the access policy metadata.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second access request from a second requesting entity;

determining a second request type associated with the second access request;

generating a second normalized access request;

based at least in part on the second normalized access request and an access metadata object associated with the second request type, selecting the first functional component to satisfy at least a portion of the second normalized access request;

providing at least a portion of the second normalized access request to the first functional component;

generating at least a portion of a second response using the first functional component, the second response conforming with the second request type associated with the second access request; and

providing at least the portion of the first response to the first requesting entity.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors, the plurality of instructions comprising:

maintaining an access metadata repository of access metadata objects, wherein each access metadata object of a plurality of access metadata objects in the access metadata repository describes data associated with access services;

receiving a first access request from a first requesting entity;

determining a first request type associated with the first access request;

generating a first normalized access request;

based at least in part on the first normalized access request and an access metadata object associated with the first request type, selecting a first functional component to satisfy at least a portion of the first normalized access request;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further include instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform:

providing at least a portion of the first normalized access request to the first functional component;

generating at least a portion of a first response using the first functional component, the first response conforming with the first request type associated with the first access request; and

providing at least the portion of the first response to the first requesting entity.

17. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the first requesting entity is a first application that is a trusted application;

the first access request includes a request for a security token associated with a second application;

generating at least a portion of a response includes generating a first token that authorizes the first application to make changes associated with the second application on behalf of a user of the first application.

18. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further include instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving a second access request from a second requesting entity, wherein the second access request includes a request for a security token associated with an identity provider;

generating a second normalized access request;

generating a second token that authorizes access to the third application;

wherein the first token is generated by a token generation engine in response to receiving at least a portion of the first normalized request at the token generation engine;

wherein the second token is generated by the token generation engine in response to receiving at least a portion of the second normalized request at the token generation engine.

19. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein the request includes composite state information that identifies a state associated with a first functional component and a state associated with a second functional component.

20. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further include instructions that cause the one or more processors to perform:

receiving a second access request from a second requesting entity;

determining a second request type associated with the second access request;

generating a second normalized access request;

based at least in part on the second normalized access request and an access metadata object associated with the second request type, selecting the first functional component to satisfy at least a portion of the second normalized access request;

providing at least a portion of the second normalized access request to the first functional component;

generating at least a portion of a second response using the first functional component, the second response conforming with the second request type associated with the second access request; and

providing at least the portion of the first response to the first requesting entity.