Rule-based application access management

• US 8,782,778 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Numecent Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Numecent Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Hitomi, Arthur Shingen, Tran, Robert, Kammer, Peter Joseph, Pfiffner, Doug, Nguyen, Huy
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Application Number:
  US13/594,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time

Abstract

A container that manages access to protected resources using rules to intelligently manage them includes an environment having a set of software and configurations that are to be managed. A rule engine, which executes the rules, may be called reactively when software accesses protected resources. The engine uses a combination of embedded and configurable rules. It may be desirable to assign and manage rules per process, per resource (e.g. file, registry, etc.), and per user. Access rules may be altitude-specific access rules.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing a first streaming software application in a first streaming software container including a first runtime environment;

setting a timer within the first streaming software container;

managing rule-based access to resources within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

pausing the first streaming software application in the first streaming software container;

resetting the timer within the first streaming software container;

executing a second streaming software application in a second streaming software container including a second runtime environment;

receiving a request generated by a process associated with executing the second streaming software application to access a resource within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

creating a virtual image of the resource within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

determining whether the process associated with executing the second streaming software application has rule-based access to the resource within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

if it is determined that the process associated with executing the second streaming software application has rule-based access to the requested resource, facilitating access to the resource within the first streaming software container by providing access to the virtual image of the resource;

resuming execution of the first streaming software application in the first streaming software container.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing rule-based access by the process associated with executing the second streaming software application to resources within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource and rules for determining whether rule-based access to the resource exists are generated within the first streaming software container during execution of the first streaming software application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received by intercepting the request using a file system hook.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein rules for determining whether rule-based access to the resource exists are created on a per process basis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein rules for determining whether rule-based access to the resource exists are created on a per resource basis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein rules for determining whether rule-based access to the resource exists specify that the process associated with executing the second streaming software application has read-only access to the resource.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first streaming software container is the second streaming software container.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second streaming software application is executed concurrently with the resuming of execution of the first streaming software application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second streaming software application is executed after an occurrence of a trigger.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the trigger is a command to begin execution of the second streaming software application.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the trigger is an expiration of the timer within the first streaming software container.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to perform;

executing a first streaming software application in a first streaming software container including a first runtime environment;

setting a timer within the first streaming software container;

managing rule-based access to resources within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

pausing the first streaming software application in the first streaming software container;

resetting the timer within the first streaming software container;

executing a second streaming software application in a second streaming software container including a second runtime environment;

receiving a request generated by a process associated with executing the second streaming software application to access a resource within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

creating a virtual image of the resource within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

determining whether the process associated with executing the second streaming software application has rule-based access to the resource within the first streaming software container associated with executing the first streaming software application;

if it is determined that the process associated with executing the second streaming software application has rule-based access to the requested resource, facilitating access to the resource within the first streaming software container by providing access to the virtual image of the resource;

resuming execution of the first streaming software application in the first streaming software container.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first streaming software container is the second streaming software container.