User account establishment and synchronization in heterogeneous networks

• US 6,269,405 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Stanley Alan, Dutcher, David Paul, Sinclair, William H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/175,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 380/25, 707/9, 707/201, 707/204, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 709/223, 709/226, 709/229, 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A method for creating and updating user accounts at a central server that provides for establishment and synchronization of associated user accounts at a heterogeneous network of managed servers based on the user account information of the central server. This enables the network to consist of a heterogeneous set of servers that are executing with the same operating system or subsystem as the central server, and servers that are executing with a different operating system or subsystem as the central server. The updates to the user accounts on the managed servers are synchronized automatically without systems administrator or user intervention. Updates to the user account are based on central server information and can include password changes, initial resource access or other user account attributes.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing user account information across a heterogeneous server network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a base user account on a central server running a native operating system for a user;

establishing a set of managed servers running a non-native operating system in which user account information is kept for the user;

collecting a set of completed changes made to the user account information on the central server; and

automatically updating the collective user account information on the set of managed servers according to the set of completed changes so that the collective user account information on the managed servers is made the same as the user account information on the central server.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the central server is running IBM OS/2 as the native operating system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the managed servers are running Windows NT as the non-native operating system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the central server is running Windows NT as the native operating system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the managed servers are running IBM OS/2 as the non-native operating system.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the managed servers are running IBM OS/2 as the non-native operating system.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the managed servers are running Windows NT as the non-native operating system.

14. The computer as recited in claim 3, wherein the central server is running IBM OS/2 as a native operating system.

15. The computer as recited in claim 14, wherein the non-native operating system is Windows NT.

8. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for synchronizing user account information across a heterogeneous server network, the computer program product comprising:

means for establishing a base user account on a central server for a user;

means for establishing a set of managed servers in which user account information is kept for the user;

means for collecting a set of completed changes made to the user account information on the central server; and

means for automatically updating the collective user account information on the set of managed servers according to the set of completed changes so that the collective user account information on the managed servers is made the same as the user account information on the central server.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the central server is running IBM OS/2 as a native operating system.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, wherein the managed servers are running Windows NT as a non-native operating system.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 8, wherein the central server is running Windows NT operating system.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein the managed servers are running IBM OS/2 as a non-native operating system.

13. A computer connectable to a computer network, the computer comprising:

a processor;

a central server running a native operating system on the processor;

a mechanism for synchronizing user account information, comprising;

means for establishing a base user account on a central server for a user;

means for establishing a set of managed servers running a non-native operating system in which user account information is kept for the user;

means for collecting a set of completed chances made to the user account information on the central server; and

means for automatically updating thc collective user account information on the set of managed servers according to the set of completed changes so that the collective user account information on the managed servers is made the same as the user account information on the central server.

16. The computer as recited in claim 13, wherein the central server is running Windows NT as a native operating system.

17. The computer as recited in claim 16, wherein the non-native operating system is IBM OS/2.