Method and system for providing access to computer resources that utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and providing access based on received security information

• US 7,832,015 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Prager, Scott Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kimyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Debnath; Suman
• Application Number:
  US11/284,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726 27- 30, 713/187
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A method for providing a user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information. A request is received from the user identifying one of the plurality of computer resources. From a set of previously stored records each of which identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, one of the records of the set is selected whose identification of one of the plurality of computer resources best matches the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources. The security information in the selected record is used to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

Claims

1. A method for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the at least one user identifying one of the plurality of computer resources;

from a set of previously stored records each of which identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, wherein at least two records identify the same computer resource to allow different levels of access to the same computer resource by the at least one user for each of the records, selecting one of the records of the set whose identification of one of the plurality of computer resources is related to the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources; and

using the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request identifies a specific user;

wherein the set of previously stored records is part of a database of records and each record of the database identifies one of the users, identifies one of the plurality of computer resources, and contains security information for allowing the user identified in the record to access the computer resource identified in the record; and

wherein the set of previously stored records is obtained by identifying the records in the database whose identified user corresponds to the user identified in the request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values;

wherein, for each record of the database, the record'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values; and

wherein the step of selecting one of the records of the set comprises;

for each record of the set, comparing the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of matches between the values from the record and the values from the request; and

wherein the selected record is the record whose values have the highest number of matches with the values from the request.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values;

wherein, for each record of the database, the record'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values; and

wherein the step of selecting one of the records of the set comprises;

for each record of the set, comparing the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of consecutive matches between the values from the record and the values from the request; and

wherein the selected record is the record whose values have the highest number of consecutive matches with the values from the request.

5. A method for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the at least one user containing one or more values which identify one of the plurality of computer resources;

from a set of previously stored records each of which contains one or more values that identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, wherein at least two records identify the same computer resource to allow different levels of access to the same computer resource by the at least one user for each of the records, selecting one of the records of the set by comparing, for each record of the set, the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of matching values and choosing the record having the highest number of matching values; and

using the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

6. A method for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the at least one user containing one or more values which identify one of the plurality of computer resources;

from a set of previously stored records each of which contains one or more values that identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, wherein at least two records identify the same computer resource to allow different levels of access to the same computer resource by the at least one user for each of the records, selecting one of the records of the set by comparing, for each record of the set, the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of consecutive matching values and selecting the record having the highest number of consecutive matching values; and

using the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

7. A system for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the system comprising:

a computer system comprised of;

a security interface in communication with the at least one user, and

a resource interface in communication with each of the plurality of computer resources and capable of operating according the distinct protocol utilized by each computer resource; and

a database storing a set of previously stored records each of which identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, wherein at least two records identify the same computer resource to allow different levels of access to the same computer resource by the at least one user for each of the records;

wherein upon receiving a request from the at least one user identifying one of the plurality of computer resources, the security interface selects one of the records of the set whose identification of one of the plurality of computer resources is related to the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources and causes the resource interface to use the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the resource interface comprises a separate interface module corresponding to each computer resource.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the set of records is stored in the security interface.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the set of records is stored in a separate database.

11. A system for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request from the at least one user identifying one of the plurality of computer resources;

means for selecting, from a set of previously stored records each of which identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, wherein at least two records identify the same computer resource to allow different levels of access to the same computer resource by the at least one user for each of the records, one of the records of the set whose identification of one of the plurality of computer resources is related to the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources; and

means for using the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each record'"'"'s identification comprises one or more values;

wherein the request'"'"'s identification comprises one or more values; and

wherein the means for selecting selects the record of the set whose identification is related to the request'"'"'s identification by comparing, for each record of the set, the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of matching values and choosing the record having the highest number of matching values.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each record'"'"'s identification comprises one or more values;

wherein the request'"'"'s identification comprises one or more values; and

wherein the means for selecting selects the record of the set whose identification is related to the request'"'"'s identification by comparing, for each record of the set, the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of consecutive matching values and choosing the record having the highest number of consecutive matching values.

14. A computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code, when executed, causing a computer to implement a method for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the at least one user identifying one of the plurality of computer resources;

selecting, from a set of previously stored records each of which identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, wherein at least two records identify the same computer resource to allow different levels of access to the same computer resource by the at least one user for each of the records, one of the records of the set whose identification of one of the plurality of computer resources is related to the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources; and

using the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

15. The computer usable medium of claim 14, wherein the request identifies a specific user;

wherein the set of previously stored records is part of a database of records and each record of the database identifies one of the users, identifies one of the plurality of computer resources, and contains security information for allowing the user identified in the record to access the computer resource identified in the record; and

wherein the set of previously stored records is obtained by identifying the records in the database whose identified user corresponds to the user identified in the request.

16. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values;

wherein, for each record of the database, the record'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values; and

wherein the step of selecting one of the records of the set comprises;

for each record of the set, comparing the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of matches between the values from the record and the values from the request; and

wherein the selected record is the record whose values have the highest number of matches with the values from the request.

17. The computer usable medium of claim 15, wherein the request'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values;

wherein, for each record of the database, the record'"'"'s identification of one of the plurality of computer resources comprises one or more values; and

wherein the step of selecting one of the records of the set comprises;

for each record of the set, comparing the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of consecutive matches between the values from the record and the values from the request; and

wherein the selected record is the record whose values have the highest number of consecutive matches with the values from the request.

18. A method for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the at least one user containing one or more values which identify one of the plurality of computer resources;

from a set of previously stored records each of which contains one or more values that identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, selecting one of the records of the set by comparing, for each record of the set, the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of matching values and choosing the record having the highest number of matching values; and

using the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.

19. A method for providing at least one user with access to a plurality of computer resources, at least some of which utilize distinct protocols for receiving security information and for providing access to outside systems based on received security information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the at least one user containing one or more values which identify one of the plurality of computer resources;

from a set of previously stored records each of which contains one or more values that identifies one of the plurality of computer resources and contains security information for allowing access to the computer resource identified in the record, the computer resource using a distinct protocol from the rest of the plurality of computer resources to receive security information, selecting one of the records of the set by comparing, for each record of the set, the one or more values from the record with the one or more values from the request to determine the number of consecutive matching values and selecting the record having the highest number of consecutive matching values; and

using the security information in the selected record to provide access to the computer resource identified in the request according to the distinct protocol utilized by that resource.