User management for repository manager

• US 8,533,789 B1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Text Corporation
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Raghunathan, Srikanthan, Pradhan, Arati, Thomas, John, Pachipala, Kranthi K., Walther, Michael H., Chaudhari, Sachin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): VICTORIA, NARCISO F
• Application Number:
  US11/638,654
• Time in Patent Office: 2,464 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Authenticating a user is disclosed. An indication that a portal user wants to access a docbase is received. A non-user-specific credential is used to log in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user. Optionally, the docbase is configured to limit the portal user'"'"'s access to the docbase, during times when the non-user-specific credential has been used to log in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user, to an extent of access that is associated with a user-specific data associated with the portal user.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a user comprising:

receiving, at a portal server, an indication that a portal user wants to access a docbase; and

using a processor on the portal server to log in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user, including by;

determining, at the portal server, a docbase username by which the portal user is uniquely known to the docbase; and

sending, from the portal server to the docbase, the docbase username and a non-user-specific credential, wherein;

the docbase determines, based at least in part on the docbase username, a scope of access with which to grant the portal user access to the docbase; and

the scope of access, to the docbase and determined by the docbase, matches a scope of access associated with the portal user accessing the docbase directly using his/her own user-specific credential;

wherein using the processor on the portal server to log in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user further includes;

accessing a collection of one or more user-specific credentials associated with the portal user to determine if the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase; and

in the event the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase, sending, from the portal sever to the docbase, the docbase username and the user-specific credential from the collection, wherein sending the docbase username and the non-user-specific credential is performed in the event the collection does not include a user-specific credential associated with the docbase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-user-specific credential includes one or more of the following:

a passphrase, a digital certificate, or a public key.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the portal user has a portal username and wherein the portal username is the same as the docbase username associated with the portal user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the portal username is maintained by an external user management module.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the external user management module is an LDAP server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the degree of access is associated with one or more of the following:

an amount of access time or a read/write permission.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the docbase determines the scope of access, including by:

determining, at the docbase, a job role associated with the portal user; and

determining, at the docbase and based at least in part on the job role;

the scope of access.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein using the processor on the portal server to log in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user further includes:

accessing a collection of one or more user-specific credentials associated with the portal user to determine if the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase; and

in the event the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase, sending, from the portal server to the docbase, the docbase username and the user-specific credential from the collection, wherein sending the docbase username and the non-user-specific credential is performed in the event the collection does not include a user-specific credential associated with the docbase.

8. A system for authenticating a user, including:

a processor on a portal server; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

receive, at the portal server, an indication that a portal user wants to access a docbase; and

log in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user, including by;

determining, at the portal server, a docbase username by which the portal user is uniquely known to the docbase; and

sending, from the portal server to the docbase, the docbase username and a non-user-specific credential, wherein;

the docbase determines, based at least in part on the docbase username, a scope of access with which to grant the portal user access to the docbase; and

the scope of access, to the docbase and determined by the docbase, matches a scope of access associated with the portal user accessing the docbase directly using his/her own user-specific credential;

wherein the instructions for logging in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user further include instructions for;

accessing a collection of one or more user-specific credentials associated with the portal user to determine if the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase; and

in the event the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase, sending, from the portal sever to the docbase, the docbase username and the user-specific credential from the collection, wherein sending the docbase username and the non-user-specific credential is performed in the event the collection does not include a user-specific credential associated with the docbase.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the non-user-specific credential includes one or more of the following:

a passphrase, a digital certificate, or a public key.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the portal user has a portal username and wherein the portal username is the same as the docbase username associated with the portal user.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the portal username is maintained by an external user management module.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the external user management module is an LDAP server.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the degree of access is associated with one or more of the following:

an amount of access time or a read/write permission.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the docbase determines the scope of access, including by:

determining, at the docbase, a job role associated with the portal user; and

determining, at the docbase and based at least in part on the job role;

the scope of access.

19. The system of claim 8, wherein the instructions for logging in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user further include instructions for:

accessing a collection of one or more user-specific credentials associated with the portal user to determine if the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase; and

in the event the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase, sending, from the portal server to the docbase, the docbase username and the user-specific credential from the collection, wherein sending the docbase username and the non-user-specific credential is performed in the event the collection does not include a user-specific credential associated with the docbase.

15. A computer program product for authenticating a user, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving, at a portal server, an indication that a portal user wants to access a docbase; and

logging in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user, including by;

determining, at the portal server, a docbase username by which the portal user is uniquely known to the docbase; and

sending, from the portal server to the docbase, the docbase username and a non-user-specific credential, wherein;

the docbase determines, based at least in part on the docbase username, a scope of access with which to grant the portal user access to the docbase; and

the scope of access, to the docbase and determined by the docbase, matches a scope of access associated with the portal user accessing the docbase directly using his/her own user-specific credential;

wherein the computer instructions for logging in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user further include computer instructions for;

accessing a collection of one or more user-specific credentials associated with the portal user to determine if the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase; and

in the event the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase, sending, from the portal sever to the docbase, the docbase username and the user-specific credential from the collection, wherein sending the docbase username and the non-user-specific credential is performed in the event the collection does not include a user-specific credential associated with the docbase.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the degree of access is associated with one or more of the following:

an amount of access time or a read/write permission.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the docbase determines the scope of access, including by:

determining, at the docbase, a job role associated with the portal user; and

determining, at the docbase and based at least in part on the job role;

the scope of access.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer instructions for logging in to the docbase on behalf of the portal user further include computer instructions for:

accessing a collection of one or more user-specific credentials associated with the portal user to determine if the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase; and

in the event the collection includes a user-specific credential associated with the docbase, sending, from the portal server to the docbase, the docbase username and the user-specific credential from the collection, wherein sending the docbase username and the non-user-specific credential is performed in the event the collection does not include a user-specific credential associated with the docbase.