Method and apparatus for an account managed object class model in a distributed computing environment

• US 5,872,914 A
• Filed: 08/31/1995
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Walker, Kenneth Jr., Wilson, Gregory Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US08/521,855
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 395/188.01, 395/609, 395/183.14, 395/186, 395/50, 395/326, 707/6, 707/103, 707/104
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the administration of a user registry in a distributed computing environment (DCE). User administration is achieved by encapsulating the DCE principal, extended registry attributes, and account entities into a single object called an account object. The single account object is a subclass of an abstract object called the registry object, which in turn is a subclass of the DCE extended registry attribute object. The invention provides a single object to which requests are made, thus providing a simplified user interface for accessing the contents of the object-oriented account object.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a data processing system, for managing user administration for a distributed computing environment, comprising:

creating an extended registry attribute class as an abstract object in said distributed computing environment having a registry object class as a subclass;

creating an object oriented account class as a subclass of said registry object in said distributed computing environment having at least one password; and

generating a user request from an owner of said at least one password to access resources on said distributed computing environment; and

granting access to said resources on said distributed computing environment using said object oriented account class.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating step further comprises:

creating said object-oriented registry object in said distributed computing environment having at least one name of said user in said distributed computing environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said creating step further comprises:

creating said object-oriented extended registry attribute class in said distributed computing environment having at least one property of said user in said distributed computing environment.

4. An apparatus for managing user administration for a distributed computing environment, comprising:

means for creating an extended registry attribute class as an abstract object in said distributed computing environment having a registry object class as a subclass;

means for creating an object oriented account class as a subclass of said registry object in said distributed computing environment having at least one password; and

means for generating a user request from an owner of said at least one password to access resources on said distributed computing environment; and

means for granting access to said resources on said distributed computing environment using said object oriented account class.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for creating further comprises:

means for creating said object-oriented registry object in said distributed computing environment having at least one name of said user in said distributed computing environment.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means for creating further comprises:

means for creating said object-oriented extended registry attribute class in said distributed computing environment having at least one property of said user in said distributed computing environment.

7. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for managing user administration for a distributed computing environment, comprising:

computer readable program code means for creating an extended registry attribute class as an abstract object in said distributed computing environment having a registry object class as a subclass;

computer readable program code means for creating an object oriented account class as a subclass of said registry object in said distributed computing environment having at least one password; and

computer readable program code means for generating a user request from an owner of said at least one password to access resources on said distributed computing environment; and

computer readable program code means for granting access to said resources on said distributed computing environment using said object oriented account class.

8. The computer readable program of claim 7 wherein said computer readable program code means for creating further comprises:

computer readable program means for creating said object-oriented registry object in said distributed computing environment having at least one name of said user in said distributed computing environment.

9. The computer readable program of claim 8 wherein said computer readable program code means for creating further comprises:

computer readable program code means for creating said object-oriented extended registry attribute class in said distributed computing environment having at least one property of said user in said distributed computing environment.