Database system and method for access control and workflow routing

• US 7,979,463 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PrimePay LLC (PrimePay, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SynchSource Incorporated
• Inventors: Durbin, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy; Hung T
• Application Number:
  US11/516,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/100, 707/102, 707/1, 707/781, 726/2, 726/3, 726/4, 726/28, 345/738, 715/738, 715/733
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A method for use with a database management system to produce a data structure encoded in computer readable memory that indicates a role associated with a transaction comprising: obtaining page context information that includes userid, subjectid, page name and a transaction identifier; providing a plurality of role views that associate userids and subjectids with role names; using the page name from the page context information to access a page definition relation that provides an association between the page name and at least one subject name; using the at least one subject name from the page definition relation to access a access a role view list that lists one or more of the role views; using the userid and the subjectid from the page context and at least one role view name from the role view list to access at least one role view that includes a matching userid and a matching subjectid; and producing a log roles structure that associates a role name from the at least one accessed role view and a transaction identifier from the page context.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of identifying a role relationship associated with a user viewing a current page in an interactive application and a candidate set of information that is accessible by the user, the method comprising:

identifying, using a computer processor, a user identification and a subject identification from a page context associated with the current page, wherein the user identification is a database key that identifies the user viewing the current page, and wherein the subject identification is a database key that identifies the candidate set of information that is accessible by the user, the set of information regarding an entity, and wherein a subject name identifies the type of information of the candidate set of information;

identifying, using the computer processor, a page name from the page context, wherein the page name identifies the current page;

determining the role relationship associated with the subject identification and the user identification using a set of role views, which are database views, stored in a database external to the page context, and wherein the role relationship specifies a role played by the user with respect to the entity; and

storing the role relationship in a log roles table, wherein the log roles table is a database table that is stored external to the page context.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the subject name using the page name to access a page definition table, which is a database table; and

identifying one or more role view names using the subject name to access a subject views table, which is a database table, wherein each role view name identifies a role view.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the role views are implemented in Structured Query Language (SQL).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the role relationship in the log roles table further comprises storing a log identification associated with the role relationship, wherein the log identification is a transaction identifier obtained from the page context.

5. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for identifying a role relationship associated with a user viewing a current page in an interactive application and a candidate set of information that is accessible by the user, comprising instructions for:

identifying a user identification and a subject identification from a page context associated with the current page, wherein the user identification is a database key that identifies the user viewing the current page, and wherein the subject identification is a database key identifies the candidate set of information that is accessible by the user, the set of information regarding an entity, and wherein a subject name identifies the type of information of the candidate set of information;

identifying a page name from the page context, wherein the page name identifies the current page;

using a set of role views, which are database views, stored in a database external to the page context to determine the role relationship associated with the subject identification and the user identification, and wherein the role relationship specifies a role played by the user with respect to the entity; and

storing the role relationship in a log roles table, wherein the log roles table is a database table that is stored external to the page context.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, further comprising instructions for:

identifying the subject name using the page name to access a page definition table, which is a database table; and

identifying one or more role view names using the subject name to access a subject views table, which is a database table, wherein each role view name identifies a role view.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the role views are implemented in Structured Query Language (SQL).

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein storing the role relationship in the log roles table further comprises storing a log identification associated with the role relationship, wherein the log identification is a transaction identifier obtained from the page context.