System and method for managing user accounts in a communication network

• US 6,144,959 A
• Filed: 08/18/1997
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Brady, Gaisford, Calvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US08/912,703
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 707/8, 707/10, 707/100, 707/103, 707/104, 707/200, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/9, 395/182.01, 395/187.01, 380/21, 380/25, 379/220, 345/356, 709/203, 709/205, 709/224, 370/352
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method for managing user accounts in a distributed network that provides authentication to a client user account is provided. The system authenticates a user to a directory services database having a set of credential information, and a number of workstation objects and creates a user account on the client according to configuration information associated with one of the workstation objects. Depending on the configuration information, the system will create the user account with the same set of credential information as a user account in the directory services database, or, create the user account with credentials having an alternate username and random password. The system is operable to store client workstation configuration information, and to associate other networking objects in the directory services database with the workstation object.

Claims

1. A method for managing user accounts in a communications network having a client and server, the method comprising the steps of:

a) logging in a user to the server having a database, the database having a first set of credential information wherein the database is a hierarchical directory services database having a user object that includes the first set of credential information;

b) logging in the user to the client account using the first set of credential information;

c) accessing a workstation object having associated configuration information; and

d) based on the configuration information, generating an account on the client.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step d) includes the steps of:

1) starting a timer when the client account is generated; and

2) deleting the client account when the timer exceeds a predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) includes the steps of:

1) transferring entered credentials to the server;

2) inspecting a workstation object having login parameters;

3) logging in the user based upon the login parameters; and

4) updating client credentials based upon the login parameters.

4. A system for providing a user authentication to a client workstation having a security accessor, the system comprising:

a login process being operable to automatically create a user account on the client workstation; and

a directory services authenticator providing credentials to the login process, wherein the login process authenticates a user to the security accessor using the credentials.

5. A client-server system for managing user accounts in a distributed network, the system comprising:

a directory services database having a plurality of network objects; and

a client administrator associated with the directory services database, configured to create a plurality of client objects in the directory services database, wherein each of said plurality of client objects represents a client system.

6. The client-server system according to claim 5, further including means for associating one of the plurality of client objects to at least one of the plurality of network objects.

7. The client-server system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one of the plurality of network objects is a user object representing a user.

8. The client-server system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of client objects includes login information associated with the user object.

9. The client-server system according to claim 5, wherein each of said plurality of client objects includes login information.

10. A method for managing user accounts in a communications network having a client and a server, the method comprising the steps of:

a) logging in a user to a first server having a distributed database, the distributed database having a first set of credential information including a username and a password;

b) locating a user account on the client, the user account having a same username as the first set of credential information; and

c) synchronizing a password of the user account with the password of the first set of credential information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein step a) includes the steps of:

1) transferring entered credentials to the server;

2) inspecting a workstation object having login parameters;

3) logging in the user based upon the login parameters; and

4) updating client credentials based upon the login parameters.

12. A method for managing user accounts in a communications network having a client and a server, the method comprising steps of:

a) logging in a user to a server having a directory services database;

b) logging in the user at a client, wherein credentials for logging in the user to the server and client are synchronized.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising automatically creating an account at the client if no previous account exists.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising automatically deleting the account after a predetermined amount of time.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined amount of time is measured from an end of a last login period of the user.