Method for performing distributed administration

• US 8,769,179 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2008
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Maynard, Thomas Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US12/116,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20080208954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,247 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 709/778
• US Class Current: 710/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A master defines properties for a resource. The master assigns the properties to an owner. The owner associates the properties to an administrator object, the administrator object being an administrator of a company. The administrator can then associate the property to other objects associated with the company, thereby granting other company users access to the resource property.

Claims

1. An apparatus to perform distributed administration, comprising:

a computer;

a resource, wherein the resource is coupled to the computer;

a container hierarchy residing in memory of the computer, wherein the container hierarchy is a data structure and includes a hierarchal relationship of objects, and wherein the container hierarchy is capable of comprising other container hierarchies;

a master object defined in the container hierarchy, the master object representing a master user of the resource;

an owner object defined in the container hierarchy the owner object representing an owner user of the resource, the owner user capable of associating properties of the resource to another object defined in the container hierarchy, wherein each property of the resource is defined by the master user;

a first object defined in the container hierarchy, the first object different from the master object and the owner object, the first object drawn from a set including a user object and a company object, wherein the user object represents an individual user; and

an associator to associate the property with the first object by the owner user, wherein to associate the property includes associating a right to associate the property with the owner object by the master user;

wherein the master object is one of at least two master objects defined in the container hierarchy, each master object representing exactly one different master user.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an administrator object defined in the container hierarchy, the administrator object flagged as an administrator of a company identified by the first object;

a second object in the container hierarchy, wherein the second object is another user object; and

another associator to associate another property with the second object by an administrator user identified by the administrator object.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a message generator to send a message to the administrator user if a user associated with the second object attempts to access the resource.

4. A computer-implemented method for performing distributed administration, comprising:

identifying a resource;

defining a property of the resource by a master user of the resource, the master user represented by a master object defined in a computer hierarchy, the container hierarchy residing in the memory of a computer, wherein the container hierarchy is a data structure and includes a hierarchal relationship of objects, and wherein the container hierarchy is capable of comprising other container hierarchies,

and wherein the container hierarchy further includes an owner object defined in the container hierarchy, the owner object representing an owner user of the resource, the owner user capable of associating properties of the resource to another object defined in the container hierarchy, wherein each property of the resource is defined by the master user,

and wherein the container hierarchy further includes a first object defined in the container hierarchy, the first object different from the master object and the owner object, the first object drawn from a set including a user object and a company object, wherein the user object represents an individual user; and

associating the property with the first object by the owner user of the resource, wherein associating the property includes associating a right to associate the property with the owner object by the master user; and

wherein the master object is one of at least two master objects defined in the container hierarchy, each master object representing exactly one different master user.

5. A computer-implemented method according to claim 4, wherein associating the property includes associating the property with a company object defined in the container hierarchy, the company object different from the master object and the first object.

6. A computer-implemented method according to claim 5, further comprising associating the property with a second object defined in the container hierarchy by an administrator of a company associated with the company object, the second object different from the master object, the first object, and the company object.

7. A computer-implemented method according to claim 5, further comprising associating the company object with a user object by an administrator, the user object different from the master object, the first object, and the company object.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of distributed administration, the method comprising:

identifying a resource;

defining a property on the resource by a master user of the resource, the master user represented by a master object defined in a computer hierarchy, the container hierarchy residing in the memory of a computer, wherein the container hierarchy is a data structure and includes a hierarchal relationship of objects, and wherein the container hierarchy is capable of comprising other container hierarchies,

and wherein the container hierarchy further includes an owner object defined in the container hierarchy, the owner object representing an owner user of the resource, the owner user capable of associating properties of the resource to another object defined in the container hierarchy, wherein each property of the resource is defined by the master user,

and wherein the container hierarchy further includes a first object defined in the container hierarchy, the first object different from the master object and the owner object, the first object drawn from a set including a user object and a company object, wherein the user object represents an individual user; and

associating the property with the first object by the owner user of the resource, wherein associating the property includes associating a right to associate the property with the owner object by the master user; and

wherein the master object is one of at least two master objects defined in the container hierarchy, each master object representing exactly one different master user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, the method further comprising:

associating the property with a second object in the container hierarchy by an administrator of a company associated with the company object, the second object different from the master and the first object, and the company object different from the master, the first object, and the second object.

10. An apparatus to perform distributed administration, comprising:

a computer;

a container hierarchy residing in the memory of the computer;

a master object defined in the container hierarchy;

an owner object defined in the container hierarchy, the owner object different from the master object;

a first object defined in the container hierarchy, the first object different from the master object and the owner object, the first object drawn from a set including a user object and a company object; and

a resource;

a property for the resource, defined by a master user identified by the master object; and

an associator to associate the property with the first object by an owner user identified by the owner object, wherein the associator is operative to associate a right to associate the property with the owner object by the master user;

wherein the master object is one of at least two master objects defined in the container hierarchy, each master object representing exactly one different master user.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

an administrator object defined in the container hierarchy, the administrator object flagged as an administrator of a company identified by the first object, the administrator object different from the master object, the owner object, and the first object;

a second object in the container hierarchy, the second object different from the master object, the owner object, and the administrator object, wherein the second object is another user object; and

another associator to associate another property with the second object by an administrator user identified by the administrator object.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a message generator to send a message to the administrator user if a user associated with the second object attempts to access the resource.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a message generator to send a message to the administrator user if a user associated with the second object attempts to access the resource.

14. A method to perform distributed administration, comprising:

identifying a resource coupled to a computer, the computer comprising a container hierarchy residing in the memory of the computer, wherein the container hierarchy further includes a master object defined in the container hierarchy, wherein the container hierarchy further includes an owner object defined in the container hierarchy, the owner object different from the master object, wherein container hierarchy further includes a first object defined in the container hierarchy, the first object different from the master object and the owner object, the first object drawn from a set including a user object and a company object;

identifying a property for the resource, the property defined by a master user identified by the master object; and

associating the property with the first object by an owner user identified by the owner object, wherein associating the property includes associating a right to associate the property with the owner object by the master user;

wherein the master object is one of at least two master objects defined in the container hierarchy, each master object representing exactly one different master user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

associating another property with a second object by an administrator user identified by an administrator object, the administrator object defined in the container hierarchy, the administrator object flagged as an administrator of a company identified by the first object, the administrator object different from the master object, the owner object, and the first object, and wherein the container hierarchy further includes the second object in the container hierarchy, the second object different from the master object, the owner object, and the administrator object, wherein the second object is another user object.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by a processing system implements a method to perform distributed administration, the method comprising:

identifying a resource coupled to a computer, the computer comprising a container hierarchy residing in the memory of the computer, wherein the container hierarchy further includes a master object defined in the container hierarchy, wherein the container hierarchy further includes an owner object defined in the container hierarchy, the owner object different from the master object, wherein container hierarchy further includes a first object defined in the container hierarchy, the first object different from the master object and the owner object, the first object drawn from a set including a user object and a company object;

identifying a property for the resource, the property defined by a master user identified by the master object; and

associating the property with the first object by an owner user identified by the owner object, wherein associating the property includes associating a right to associate the property with the owner object by the master user;

wherein the master object is one of at least two master objects defined in the container hierarchy, each master object representing exactly one different master user.

17. The non-transitory of claim 16, further comprising:

associating another property with a second object by an administrator user identified by an administrator object, the administrator object defined in the container hierarchy, the administrator object flagged as an administrator of a company identified by the first object, the administrator object different from the master object, the owner object, and the first object, and wherein the container hierarchy further includes the second object in the container hierarchy, the second object different from the master object, the owner object, and the administrator object, wherein the second object is another user object.

18. The non-transitory computer readable method of claim 17, further comprising a message generator to send a message to the administrator user if a user associated with the second object attempts to access the resource.