System and method for dynamic account management in a grid computing system

• US 8,639,824 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Basu, Sujoy, Talwar, Vanish, Kumar, Rajendra
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US10/666,092
• Time in Patent Office: 3,784 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/205, 709/226, 709/229, 713/178
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register

Abstract

A system and method for dynamic account management in a grid computing system. In one embodiment, a system for dynamic account management in a grid computing system is disclosed. The system comprises a distributed resource management system, and a link mapper that is coupled to the distributed resource management system. The link mapper provides a unique symbolic link comprising a modified user identifier to a user. As such, the user is authorized by providing a dynamic account that is associated with the symbolic link to the user.

Claims

1. A system embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for dynamic account management in a grid computing system comprising:

a distributed resource management system;

a link mapper coupled to said distributed resource management system for providing a unique symbolic link comprising a modified user identifier, wherein a user is authorized by providing a dynamic account that is associated with said symbolic link to said user, wherein said dynamic account is temporarily assigned to said user;

a grid membership verification system wherein said grid membership verification system is a single service associated with a grid distributed resource management system for authenticating membership of said user, wherein credentials used for accessing said dynamic account can be used to access at least one other said dynamic account; and

a grid scheduler for matching a resource of said distributed resource management system to requirements of said user for a global interactive session to launch multiple applications such that said user interacts with said launched multiple applications through separate per-application sessions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said symbolic link is registered with said link mapper as belonging to a group member.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said symbolic link is a filename.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said symbolic link is a combination of a distinguished name and a timestamp.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said timestamp has a resolution of at least one millisecond.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said grid membership verification system is distributed and replicated.

7. A method for dynamic account management in a grid computing system, said method comprising:

receiving credentials from a user;

providing said credentials to a grid membership verification service for authentication;

authenticating said credentials by said grid membership verification service to initiate an interactive session between said user and a resource;

modifying a user identifier associated with said user to create a symbolic link that uniquely points a user file, associated with said user, to a dynamic account file that allows access to said resource supporting an interactive session for said user, wherein said symbolic link protects said dynamic account file from access by another user;

returning said symbolic link to said resource; and

providing a dynamic account that is associated with said dynamic account file for said user using said symbolic link wherein said dynamic account is temporarily assigned to said user and said credential used for accessing said dynamic account can be used to access at least one other said dynamic account for a global interactive session to launch multiple applications such that said user interacts with said launched multiple applications through separate per-application sessions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that said authentication was not successful; and

denying said user access to said resource.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that said authentication was successful; and

authorizing said user by providing said symbolic link.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said modifying a user identifier further comprises:

combining said user identifier and a timestamp to create said symbolic link.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said timestamp has a resolution of at least one millisecond.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said modifying a user identifier further comprises:

combining said user identifier and an incremented value from a counter to create said symbolic link.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

checking an active status for said user identifier.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

checking a group status for said user identifier.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

providing said resource with user profile information associated with said user.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein said providing a dynamic account further comprises:

authorizing said user by providing said dynamic account that is associated with said symbolic link.

17. A method for dynamic account management in a grid computing system, said method comprising:

receiving credentials from a user;

providing said credentials to a grid membership verification service for authentication;

authenticating said credentials by said grid membership verification service to initiate an interactive session between said user and said resource wherein a dynamic account is temporarily assigned to said user and said credential used for accessing said dynamic account can be used to access at least one other said dynamic account for a global interactive session to launch multiple applications such that said user interacts with said launched multiple applications through separate per-application sessions;

creating a table for mapping a plurality of user identifiers to a plurality of dynamic accounts;

modifying a user identifier associated with said user; and

creating a table entry that maps said user to a dynamic account that allows access to a resource supporting an interactive session for said user, wherein said table entry prevents multiple mapping of said dynamic account.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said modifying a user identifier further comprises:

combining said user identifier and a timestamp.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said modifying a user identifier further comprises:

combining said user identifier and an incremented value from a counter.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing executable instructions which, when executed in a grid computing system, causes said grid computing system to perform a method of dynamic account management, said method comprising:

receiving credentials from a user;

providing said credentials to a grid membership verification service for authentication;

authenticating said credentials by said grid membership verification service to initiate an interactive session between said user and a resource;

modifying a user identifier associated with said user to create a symbolic link that uniquely points a user file, associated with said user, to a dynamic account file that allows access to said resource supporting an interactive session for said user, wherein said symbolic link protects said dynamic account file from access by another user, wherein said dynamic account is temporarily assigned to said user;

returning said symbolic link to said resource; and

providing a dynamic account that is associated with said dynamic account file for said user using said symbolic link wherein said credential used for accessing said dynamic account can be used to access at least one other said dynamic account for a global interactive session to launch multiple applications such that said user interacts with said launched multiple applications through separate per-application sessions.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

determining that said authentication was not successful; and

denying said user access to said resource.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

determining that said authentication was successful; and

authorizing said user by providing said symbolic link.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said modifying a user identifier in said method further comprises:

combining said user identifier and a timestamp to create said symbolic link.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein said timestamp has a resolution of at least one millisecond.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said modifying a user identifier in said method further comprises:

combining said user identifier and an incremented value from a counter to create said symbolic link.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

checking an active status for said user identifier.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

checking a group status for said user identifier.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

providing said resource with user profile information associated with said user.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein said providing a dynamic account in said method further comprises:

authorizing said user by providing said dynamic account that is associated with said symbolic link,