Identifying, categorizing and recording a quality of an entity/resource association

• US 20150193524A1
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Ronald Becker
• Granted Patent: US 10,839,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

A data model extends or supplements an entity/resource association to include a “quality” of that association, where the quality is defined by an ordered set of relative values/characteristics. In an example scenario, an entity/resource association is augmented to include a quality characteristic that is defined by a tuple that is preferably an ordered set of relative values. The number of values and their designations in the data model will depend on nature of the underlying entity/resource association. When entity/resource associations are annotated to include relative quality values in this manner, much more useful comparisons of apparently similar entity/resource associations may be carried out.

Claims

1. A method of categorizing activity in a computing system, comprising:

monitoring an interaction between an entity and a resource to define an entity/resource association;

associating a quality to the entity/resource association, the quality being one of a set of relative qualities, and wherein the quality associated is dependent on a characteristic of the interaction; and

recording the entity/resource association together with the quality;

wherein at least one of the monitoring, associating and recording steps is carried out in software executing in a hardware element.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further including defining or obtaining the set of relative qualities prior to the monitoring.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further including:

comparing qualities associated with first and second entity/resource associations; and

making a determination regarding the first and second entity/resource associations based on the qualities.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the determination is that one of the respective first and second entity/resource associations is not reliable.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the activity is an authentication activity and the set of relative qualities are one of:

a strong authentication, a loose binding, and a loose association.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the quality is designated as one of:

an enumerated value, and a numerical value.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the entity/resource association is recorded together with the quality in a log file.

8. Apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions that when executed by the processor categorize activity in a computing system, the computer program instructions comprising;

program code to monitor an interaction between an entity and a resource to define an entity/resource association;

program code to associate a quality to the entity/resource association, the quality being one of a set of relative qualities, and wherein the quality associated is dependent on a characteristic of the interaction; and

program code to record the entity/resource association together with the quality.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the computer program instructions further include program code to define or obtain the set of relative qualities prior to monitoring the interaction.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the computer program instructions further include:

program code to compare qualities associated with first and second entity/resource associations; and

program code to make a determination regarding the first and second entity/resource associations based on the qualities.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 10 wherein the determination is that one of the respective first and second entity/resource associations is not reliable.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the activity is an authentication activity and the set of relative qualities are one of:

a strong authentication, a loose binding, and a loose association.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the quality is designated as one of:

an enumerated value, and a numerical value.

14. The apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein the entity/resource association is recorded together with the quality in a log file.

15. A computer program product in a non-transitory computer readable medium to categorize activity in a data processing system, the computer program product holding computer program instructions, comprising:

program code to monitor an interaction between an entity and a resource to define an entity/resource association;

program code to associate a quality to the entity/resource association, the quality being one of a set of relative qualities, and wherein the quality associated is dependent on a characteristic of the interaction; and

program code to record the entity/resource association together with the quality.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the computer program instructions further include program code to define or obtain the set of relative qualities prior to monitoring the interaction.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the computer program instructions further include:

program code to compare qualities associated with first and second entity/resource associations; and

program code to make a determination regarding the first and second entity/resource associations based on the qualities.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 17 wherein the determination is that one of the respective first and second entity/resource associations is not reliable.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the activity is an authentication activity and the set of relative qualities are one of:

a strong authentication, a loose binding, and a loose association.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 15 wherein the quality is designated as one of:

an enumerated value, and a numerical value.