Shared services management
First Claim
1. A method of sharing information among network servers, said network servers being coupled to a data communication network for providing services to a user via a client, said client also being coupled to the data communication network, said method comprising:
- registering a plurality of services provided by the network servers;
registering a user with respect to a first selected service, said registering comprising receiving, from said user, user-specific information identifying said user with respect to operational information specific to the first selected service and, in response to receiving said user-specific information, assigning said user a unique identifier;
grouping a plurality of the registered services provided by the network servers to define one or more service groups;
storing, in a central database, the user-specific information, said user-specific information including operational information to be shared within each of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs, said central database being associated with a central server coupled to the data communication network;
receiving a request from the user for a second selected service to be provided by one of the network servers, said request being received at the central server, said first and second selected services defining a first service group;
determining, in response to receiving said request, whether the second selected service is registered and belongs to one of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs;
retrieving, from the central database, the user-specific information including the operational information to be shared within each of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs when the second selected service is determined to belong to one of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs;
automatically authenticating the user with respect to the second selected service when navigating from the first selected service, which is in the first service group, to the second selected service, which is also in the first service group; and
generating an authentication ticket including the retrieved user-specific information and routing the user, with the ticket including the retrieved user-specific information, to the network server providing the second selected service, wherein operational information specific to the second selected service and the operational information for sharing between the first and second selected services accompanies the ticket.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and system of sharing information among network servers coupled to a data communication network for providing services to a user via a client on the network and data structure for use therewith. Related services provided by the network servers are grouped into service groups. A database stores user-specific information, including operational information to be shared within the service groups. A central server coupled to the network receives a request from the user for a selected service and determines whether the selected service belongs to one of the service groups. In response to the request, the central server retrieves user-specific information identifying the user with respect to the selected service. The retrieved information includes operational information to be shared within each of the service groups to which the selected service belongs.
130 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of sharing information among network servers, said network servers being coupled to a data communication network for providing services to a user via a client, said client also being coupled to the data communication network, said method comprising:
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registering a plurality of services provided by the network servers; registering a user with respect to a first selected service, said registering comprising receiving, from said user, user-specific information identifying said user with respect to operational information specific to the first selected service and, in response to receiving said user-specific information, assigning said user a unique identifier; grouping a plurality of the registered services provided by the network servers to define one or more service groups; storing, in a central database, the user-specific information, said user-specific information including operational information to be shared within each of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs, said central database being associated with a central server coupled to the data communication network; receiving a request from the user for a second selected service to be provided by one of the network servers, said request being received at the central server, said first and second selected services defining a first service group; determining, in response to receiving said request, whether the second selected service is registered and belongs to one of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs; retrieving, from the central database, the user-specific information including the operational information to be shared within each of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs when the second selected service is determined to belong to one of the service groups to which the first selected service belongs; automatically authenticating the user with respect to the second selected service when navigating from the first selected service, which is in the first service group, to the second selected service, which is also in the first service group; and generating an authentication ticket including the retrieved user-specific information and routing the user, with the ticket including the retrieved user-specific information, to the network server providing the second selected service, wherein operational information specific to the second selected service and the operational information for sharing between the first and second selected services accompanies the ticket. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of sharing information among affiliate servers coupled to a data communication network in a multi-site authentication system, said authentication system including an authentication server coupled to the data communication network and a database associated with the authentication server, said database storing authentication information for comparison to login information provided by a user for authenticating the user, said method comprising:
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registering a plurality of affiliate servers; registering a user to be associated with one or more user-selected services provided by the registered affiliate servers, said registering comprising receiving, from said user, user-specific information identifying the user with respect to operational information specific to the one or more user-selected services and, in response to receiving said user-specific information, assigning said user a unique identifier; storing, in the database, the user-specific information identifying the user with respect to the one or more user-selected services, said user-specific information including operational information to be shared within pre-defined groups of the registered affiliate servers, said affiliate servers providing the services to the user via a client coupled to the data communication network; receiving a request from the user for a first selected service to be provided by one of the registered affiliate servers, said request being received at the authentication server; generating an authentication ticket associated with the user and the first selected service, said authentication server generating the authentication ticket in response to authenticating the user, said authentication ticket having operational information associated therewith to be shared within each of the groups to which the first selected service belongs; routing the user, with the ticket, to the registered affiliate server providing the first selected service; retrieving, from the database, the user-specific information identifying the user with respect to the first selected service, said retrieved user-specific information including the operational information to be shared within each of the groups to which the first selected service belongs; sharing the retrieved user-specific information with another service in the same group, wherein sharing the retrieved user-specific information comprises sharing selected portions of the operational information with another service in the same group as a function of active context of the first selected service. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification