Method and system for authorization and access control delegation in an on demand grid environment

• US 8,935,417 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2008
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boutboul, Irwin
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US12/060,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,478 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

The method of the invention provides for dynamic on-demand delegation of control and access in a grid computing environment comprising granting authority of a grid node to a first moderator by a superauthority; admitting the first moderator to the grid node; modifying the access control list of the grid node by the first moderator; inviting other entities listed on the access control list to access the grid node; and issuing a unique authorization certificate to each of the other entities, wherein the first moderator controls the inviting of the other entities without contact with or accessing to the superauthority for certification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamic delegation of control in a grid computing environment comprising:

granting authority of a grid node, by a computing device, to a moderator by a superauthority, wherein said superauthority grants a specific credentialed authorization certificate to said moderator;

admitting, by said computing device, said moderator to said grid node based on said grid node checking that said specific credentialed authorization certification of said moderator is valid and signed by said superauthority;

modifying, by said computing device, an access control list of said grid node by said moderator; and

inviting, by said grid node, other entities listed on said access control list to access said grid node,

wherein said moderator controls said inviting of said other entities by modifying said access control list without contact with said superauthority,

wherein said grid node enables real time collaboration between different entities in said grid computing environment that virtualizes geographically distributed heterogeneous computing resources as a unified whole.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying comprising adding or deleting said other entities on said access control list.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising issuing a unique authorization certificate to each of said other entities.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delegating privileged users by said moderator, wherein said moderator controls said delegating privileged users without contact with said superauthority.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said modifying of said access control list is performed by either said moderator or said privileged users.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said delegating of said privileged users is performed by said moderator or privileged users.

7. A computer-implemented method for dynamic delegation of control in a grid computing environment comprising:

granting authority of a grid node, by a computing device, to a moderator by a superauthority, wherein said superauthority grants a specific credentialed authorization certificate to said moderator;

admitting, by said computing device, said moderator to said grid node based on said grid node checking that said specific credentialed authorization certification of said moderator is valid and signed by said superauthority;

modifying, by said computing device, an access control list of said grid node by said moderator;

inviting, by said grid node, other entities listed on said access control list to access said grid node; and

issuing, by said computing device, a unique authorization certificate to each of said other entities that is authenticated by said grid node,

wherein said moderator controls said inviting of said other entities by modifying said access control list without contact with said superauthority,

wherein said grid node enables real time collaboration between different entities in said grid computing environment that virtualizes geographically distributed heterogeneous computing resources as a unified whole.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said modifying comprising adding or deleting said other entities on said access control list.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising delegating privileged users by said moderator, wherein said moderator controls said delegating privileged users without contact with said superauthority.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said modifying of said access control list is performed by either said moderator or said privileged users.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said delegating of said privileged users is performed by said moderator or said privileged users.

12. A non-transitory computer program product readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said machine to perform a method for dynamic delegation of control in a grid computing environment, said method comprising:

granting authority of a grid node to a moderator by a superauthority, wherein said superauthority grants a specific credentialed authorization certificate to said moderator;

admitting said moderator to said grid node based on said grid node checking that said specific credentialed authorization certification of said moderator is valid and signed by said superauthority;

modifying an access control list of said grid node by said moderator wherein said modifying comprises one of adding and deleting other entities on said access control list;

inviting, by said grid node, said other entities listed on said access control list to access said grid node; and

issuing a unique authorization certificate to each of said other entities that are authenticated by said grid node,

wherein said moderator controls said inviting of said other entities by modifying said access control list without contact with said superauthority,

wherein said grid node enables real time collaboration between different entities in said grid computing environment that virtualizes geographically distributed heterogeneous computing resources as a unified whole.

13. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 12, further comprising delegating privileged users by said moderator, wherein said moderator controls said delegating privileged users without contact with said superauthority.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13, wherein said modifying of said access control list is performed by either said moderator or said privileged users.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 13, wherein said delegating of said privileged users is performed by said moderator or said privileged users.