Systems and methods for application server self-service console

• US 8,843,647 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Sandoval, Luis Fernando Landivar
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorney, Boris
• Application Number:
  US12/133,709
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

A self-service application console that provides users with restricted access to execute “tasks” in a secure, controlled way. The console allows users to execute scripts, applications or other executable files, using a user interface which abstracts the technical details of the task, as well as eliminates the need for users to have to login to the server. The console provides users with limited or no access to the capabilities of those with more security permissions without risking granting them more access. Tasks may be stored in a database and tasks may be grouped into profiles where the tasks are executed following a defined order.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for executing a task on a server by a user, the method comprising:

authenticating the user who is not logged into an account against an access database, wherein the access database has tasks grouped in a number of profiles, wherein the number of profiles are executable type profiles or security type profiles and each profile from the number of profiles includes a number of tasks, and wherein the access database includes information regarding servers that the user has access to execute the number of tasks;

retrieving a predetermined list of tasks and a profile among the number of profiles associated with the user;

receiving a selected task from the predetermined list of tasks and the profile;

retrieving a list of servers that specifies a server that the user has access to execute the selected task on, wherein execution of the selected task is particular to the server specified from the list of servers;

making a connection to the specified server from the list of servers that the user has access to complete the selected task on;

validating the selected task prior to execution of the selected task, wherein validating the selected task includes satisfaction of dependencies associated with the selected task;

adding the validated task to the profile; and

executing the validated task on the specified server.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the method further comprising retrieving a predetermined list of profiles that may be executed by the user on the server, wherein each of the profiles from the predetermined list of profiles is a group of one or more tasks that are to be executed on the server in a predetermined order.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of a profile from the predetermined list of profiles; and

executing the profile on the server.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3, the method further comprising:

providing the predetermined list of tasks and the predetermined list of profiles in a graphical user interface executed on a client device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:

validating the task on the server; and

correcting task execution errors.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:

executing a process on the server to receive communications from a client device after the user is authenticated;

establishing a connection between the client device and the server; and

communicating the task to the server over the connection.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:

previewing the task to the user; and

providing an indication of the result of executing the task.

8. A method for executing a task on a server by a user, the method comprising:

authenticating the user who is not logged into an account against an access database, wherein the access database has tasks grouped in a number of profiles, wherein the number of profiles are executable type profiles or security type profiles and each profile from the number of profiles includes a number of tasks, and wherein the access database includes information regarding servers that the user has access to execute tasks from the number of tasks;

retrieving a predetermined list of tasks and a profile among the number of profiles associated with the user;

receiving a selected task from the predetermined list of tasks and the profile;

retrieving a list of servers that specifies a server that the user has access to execute the selected task on, wherein execution of the selected task is particular to the server specified from the list of servers;

making a connection to the specified server from the list of servers that the user has access to complete the selected task on;

validating the selected task prior to execution of the selected task, wherein validating the selected task includes satisfaction of dependencies associated with the selected task;

adding the validated task to the profile; and

executing the validated task on the specified server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving a predetermined list of profiles that may be executed by the user on the server, wherein each of the profiles from the predetermined list of profiles is a group of one or more tasks that are to be executed on the server in a predetermined order.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a profile from the predetermined list of profiles; and

executing the profile on the server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the predetermined list of tasks and the predetermined list of profiles in a graphical user interface executed on a client device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

validating the task on the server; and

correcting task execution errors.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

executing a process on the server to receive communications from a client device after the user is authenticated;

establishing a connection between the client device and the server; and

communicating the task to the server over the connection.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

previewing the task to the user; and

providing an indication of the result of executing the task.

15. A system for executing a task on a server by a user, comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing computer-readable instructions for executing a task on a server by a user, the computer-readable instructions executable by the processor to;

authenticate the user who is not logged into an account against an access database, wherein the access database has tasks grouped in a number of profiles, wherein the number of profiles are executable type profiles or security type profiles and each profile from the number of profiles includes a number of tasks, and wherein the access database includes information regarding servers that the user has access to execute the number of tasks;

retrieve a predetermined list of tasks and profile among the number of profiles associated with the user;

receive a selected task from the predetermined list of tasks and the profile;

retrieve a list of servers that specifies a server that the user has access to execute the selected task on, wherein execution of the selected task is particular to the server specified from the list of servers;

make a connection to the specified server from the list of servers that the user has access to complete the selected task on;

validate the selected task prior to execution of the selected task, wherein validation of the selected task includes satisfaction of dependencies associated with the selected task;

add the validated task to the profile; and

execute the validated task on the specified server.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a predetermined list of profiles is retrieved, wherein the predetermined list of profiles may be executed by the user on the server, and wherein each of the profiles from the predetermined list of profiles is a group of one or more tasks that are to be executed on the server in a predetermined order.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to receive the selection further include instructions executable to:

receive a profile from the predetermined list of profiles; and

execute the profile on the server.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the predetermined list of tasks and the predetermined list of profiles is provided in a graphical user interface executed on a client device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to receive the selection of the task further include instructions executable to validate the task on the server, and wherein task execution errors are corrected.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a process is executed on the server to receive and establish communications between a client device and the server after the user is authenticated, and wherein the task is communicated to the server over the connection.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the task is previewed to the user, and wherein an indication of the result of executing the task is provided.