Methods and systems for accessing a network-based computer system

• US 7,690,025 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Grewal, Sukhminder S., Pullwala, Ismail, Simon, Tamas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier; Benjamin E
• Application Number:
  US10/406,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,553 Days
• Field of Search: 713/183, 726/3, 726/5, 726/8
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations

Abstract

A method for accessing a network-based computer system utilizing a server system that is coupled to a centralized database and at least one client system. The method includes the steps of entering at a client system a single sign on identification (SSO ID) and a single sign on password (SSO password) assigned to a user, receiving at the server system the user'"'"'s SSO ID and SSO password, authenticating the SSO ID and SSO password by transmitting the SSO ID and SSO password to the database, displaying on the client system after authenticating the entered SSO ID and SSO password each computer system that the user is permissioned to access, selecting a computer system to be accessed by the user, randomly generating a user password at the server system for accessing the selected computer system, transmitting a user identification (user ID) and the randomly generated user password from the server system to the selected computer system; and accessing the selected computer system by the user.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a network-based computer system including a server system coupled to a centralized database and at least one client system, said method comprising the steps of:

entering at a client system a single sign on identification (SSO ID) and a single sign on password (SSO password) assigned to a user;

receiving at the server system the user'"'"'s SSO ID and SSO password;

authenticating the SSO ID and SSO password by transmitting the SSO ID and SSO password to the database;

displaying on the client system, after authenticating the entered SSO ID and SSO password, each computer system that the user is permissioned to access and each user identification (user ID) permissioned to access each corresponding computer system displayed on the client system;

selecting a computer system to be accessed by the user along with a permissioned user ID;

randomly generating a user password for accessing the selected computer system in direct response to the user selecting the computer system;

automatically capturing the randomly generated user password within a password reset application, the password reset application configured to perform a password reset operation on the selected computer system;

automatically triggering the password reset operation upon capturing the randomly generated user password within the password reset application, the password reset operation defines a reset password for the selected computer system as the randomly generated user password, wherein a new randomly generated user password is generated and a new password reset operation is performed each time the user at least one of accesses the selected computer system and accesses any other computer system the user is permissioned to access;

transmitting the selected user ID and the randomly generated user password from the server system to the selected computer system without storing the randomly generated user password in the database; and

accessing the selected computer system by the user using the selected ID and the randomly generated user password.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein authenticating the SSO ID and SSO password further comprises:

storing a list of SSO IDs with corresponding SSO passwords within the database;

transmitting at the server system the entered SSO ID and SSO password to a web page; and

validating the entered SSO ID and SSO password by comparing the SSO ID and SSO password included within the web page to the list of SSO IDs stored within the database.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein displaying on the client system after authenticating the entered SSO ID and SSO password further comprises:

generating a query at the server system based on the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password;

transmitting the query from the server system to the database; and

processing the query at the database to generate a list of all user IDs associated with the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein processing the query at the database further comprises processing the query at the database to generate a list of all user IDs associated with the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password, each user ID is associated with a computer system that the user is permissioned to access.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein selecting a computer system to be accessed further comprises selecting a user ID associated with the computer system to be accessed.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein randomly generating a user password further comprises:

randomly generating a user password satisfying a predetermined password format for the selected computer system; and

communicating to the selected computer system from the server system the selected user ID and the randomly generated user password.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting the selected user ID and the randomly generated user password further comprises:

utilizing an application programming interface and an emulator to transmit the user ID and the randomly generated user password from the server system to the selected computer system; and

opening a user session within the selected computer system based on the transmitted user ID and user password.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising connecting the client system and the server system via a network that includes one of a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet, and the Internet.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein randomly generating a user password at the server system for accessing the selected computer system comprises randomly generating a first user password at the server system, transmitting the first user password from the server system to the selected computer system without storing the first user password in the database, and using the first user password to access the selected computer system.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting a user ID and the randomly generated user password comprises transmitting a single password from the server system to the selected computer system.

25. A method according to claim 1, wherein automatically triggering the password reset operation further comprises automatically triggering the password reset operation in direct response to the capturing of the randomly generated user password within the password reset application.

9. A system for accessing a network based computer system, said system comprising:

a client system comprising a browser;

a centralized database for storing information; and

a server system comprising a password reset application and configured to be coupled to said client system and said database, said server system further configured to;

receive from said client system a single sign on identification (SSO ID) and a single sign on password (SSO password) assigned to a user;

transmit the SSO ID and SSO password to said database for authentication purposes;

display on said client system each computer system that the user is permissioned to access based on the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password and each user identification (user ID) permissioned to access each corresponding computer system displayed on the client system;

prompt the user to select a computer system to be accessed along with a permissioned user ID;

randomly generate a user password for accessing the selected computer system in direct response to the user selecting the computer system;

automatically capture the randomly generated user password within the password reset application, the password reset application configured to perform a password reset operation on the selected computer system;

automatically trigger the password reset operation upon capturing the randomly generated user password within the password reset application, the password reset operation defines a reset password for the selected computer system as the randomly generated user password, wherein a new randomly generated user password is generated and a new password reset operation is performed each time the user at least one of accesses the selected computer system and accesses any other computer system the user is permissioned to access;

transmit the selected user ID and the randomly generated user password to the selected computer system without storing the randomly generated user password in said database; and

access the selected computer system by the user using the selected ID and the randomly generated user password.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein said server system is further configured to:

store a list of SSO IDs with corresponding SSO passwords within the database;

transmit the entered SSO ID and SSO password to a web page; and

validate the entered SSO ID and SSO password by comparing the SSO ID and SSO password included within the web page to the list of SSO IDs stored within the database.

11. A system according to claim 9 wherein said server system is further configured to:

generate a query based on the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password;

transmit the query to the database; and

process the query at the database to generate a list of all user IDs associated with the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein each user ID included within the list of user IDs is associated with a computer system that the user is permissioned to access.

13. A system according to claim 9 wherein said server system is further configured to prompt the user to select a computer system to be accessed by displaying on said client system a user ID associated with the computer system to be accessed.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said server system is further configured to:

randomly generate a user password satisfying a predetermined password format for the selected computer system; and

transmit to the selected computer system the selected user ID and the randomly generated user password.

15. A system according to claim 9 wherein said server system is further configured to:

utilize an application programming interface and an emulator to transmit the user ID and the randomly generated user password to the selected computer system; and

opening a user session within the selected computer system based on the transmitted user ID and user password.

16. A system according to claim 9 wherein said client system and said server system are coupled via a network that includes one of a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet, and the Internet.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for accessing a network-based computer system, said program comprising a code segment that receives a single sign on identification (SSO ID) and a single sign on password (SSO password) assigned to a user and then:

authenticates the SSO ID and SSO password;

displays on a client system each computer system that the user is permissioned to access and each user identification (user ID) permissioned to access each corresponding computer system displayed on the client system;

prompts the user to select a computer system to be accessed along with a permissioned user ID;

randomly generates a user password for accessing the selected computer system in direct response to the user selecting the computer system;

automatically captures the randomly generated user password within a password reset application, the password reset application configured to perform a password reset operation on the selected computer system;

automatically triggers the password reset operation upon capturing the randomly generated user password within the password reset application, the password reset operation defines a reset password for the selected computer system as the randomly generated user password, wherein a new randomly generated user password is generated and a new password reset operation is performed each time the user at least one of accesses the selected computer system and accesses any other computer system the user is permissioned to access; and

transmits a user identification (user ID) the selected user ID and the randomly generated user password, without storing the randomly generated user password in a database, to the selected computer system such that the selected computer system is accessed by the user using the selected ID and the randomly generated user password.

18. A computer program according to claim 17 further comprising a code segment that:

stores a list of SSO IDs with corresponding SSO passwords within the database;

communicates the entered SSO ID and SSO password to a web page; and

validates the entered SSO ID and SSO password by comparing the SSO ID and SSO password included within the web page to the list of SSO IDs stored within the database.

19. A computer program according to claim 17 further comprising a code segment that:

generates a query based on the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password;

transmits the query to the database; and

processes the query at the database to generate a list of all user IDs associated with the authenticated SSO ID and SSO password.

20. A computer program according to claim 17 further comprising a code segment that:

randomly generates a user password satisfying a predetermined password format for the selected computer system; and

transmits to the selected computer system a selected user ID and the randomly generated user password.

21. A computer program according to claim 17 further comprising a code segment that:

accesses an application programming interface and an emulator to transmit the user ID and the randomly generated user password to the selected computer system; and

opens a user session within the selected computer system based on the transmitted user ID and user password.

24. A computer program according to claim 17 further comprising a code segment that:

captures the randomly generated user password in a variable; and

communicates the variable to a password application, wherein the password application executes a password reset operation for the selected computer system such that the new password is valid only for the selected computer system.