Method and system for managing and controlling direct access of an administrator to a computer system

• US 9,038,169 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric M., Dawson, Christopher J., Nelson, Leslie A., Singletary, Brett W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelagay, Shewaye
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEDIN, SHANTO
• Application Number:
  US13/769,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 726 1- 10, 726/19, 726/21, 726/17, 705/7.13, 705/7.26, 705/304, 705/7.14, 713/1, 713/182, 713/185
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A method and computer program product for managing and controlling direct access of an administrator to a computer system. At least one computer program on the computer system receives from the administrator a request for the direct access to the managed computer system directly from the system console and requests a service management system to search open tickets. In response to that the open tickets are found, the at least one computer program requests the administrator to choose at least one ticket from the open tickets and grants the administrator the direct access to the computer system in response to determining that the at least one ticket is valid.

Claims

1. A method for managing and controlling direct access of an administrator to a computer system, the method implemented by at least one computer program on the computer system, the method comprising:

receiving, by an interceptor application which resides on the computer system and intercepts the direct access, from the administrator, a request for the direct access to the computer system;

sending, by the interceptor application, the administrator a message informing that the computer system is under service management;

requesting, by the interceptor application, a service management system to search open tickets, wherein the service management system comprising a ticketing system and a configuration management database (CMDB) storing the open tickets;

requesting, by the interceptor application, the administrator to choose at least one ticket from the open tickets, in response to that the open tickets are found;

checking, by the interceptor application, status of the at least one ticket to determine whether the at least one ticket is valid;

redirecting, by the interceptor application, the administrator to log onto the service management system for generating a new ticket by the service management system, in response to that the open tickets are not found;

receiving, by the interceptor application, from the service management system, the new ticket generated by the service management system; and

granting, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system, based on at least one of;

determining that the at least one ticket is valid and determining that the new ticket is received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct access of the administrator to the computer system is through a system console, or through a mechanism of bypassing boundary check.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

denying, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system, in response to determining that the at least one ticket is not valid.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing, by the interceptor application, the administrator read-only access to the computer system, in response to determining that the at least one ticket is not valid.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

redirecting, by the interceptor application, the administrator to log onto the service management system, in response to that the administrator requests for a ticket generated by the service management system;

receiving, by the interceptor application, from the service management system, the ticket generated by the service management system; and

granting, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording, by the interceptor application, on a log the direct access of the administrator; and

transferring, by the interceptor application, information of the log to the service management system.

7. A computer program product for managing and controlling direct access of an administrator to a computer system, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive, by an interceptor application which resides on the computer system and intercepts the direct access, from the administrator, a request for the direct access to the computer system;

program instructions to send, by the interceptor application, the administrator a message informing that the computer system is under service management;

program instructions to request, by the interceptor application, a service management system to search open tickets, wherein the service management system comprising a ticketing system and a configuration management database (CMDB) storing the open tickets;

program instructions to request, by the interceptor application, the administrator to choose at least one ticket from the open tickets, in response to that the open tickets are found;

program instructions to check, by the interceptor application, status of the at least one ticket to determine whether the at least one ticket is valid;

program instructions to redirect, by the interceptor application, the administrator to log onto the service management system for generating a new ticket by the service management system, in response to that the open tickets are not found;

program instructions to receive, by the interceptor application, from the service management system, the new ticket generated by the service management system; and

program instructions to grant, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system, based on at least one of;

determining that the at least one ticket is valid and determining that the new ticket is received.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the direct access of the administrator to the computer system is through a system console, or through a mechanism of bypassing boundary check.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to deny, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system, in response to determining that the at least one ticket is not valid.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to allow, by the interceptor application, the administrator read-only access to the computer system, in response to determining that the at least one ticket is not valid.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to redirect, by the interceptor application, the administrator to log onto the service management system, in response to that the administrator requests for a ticket generated by the service management system;

program instructions to receive, by the interceptor application, from the service management system, the ticket generated by the service management system; and

program instructions to grant, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

program instructions to record, by the interceptor application, on a log the direct access of the administrator; and

program instructions to transfer, by the interceptor application, information of the log to the service management system.

13. A computer system for managing and controlling direct access of an administrator to a computer system, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to receive, by an interceptor application which resides on the computer system and intercepts the direct access, from the administrator, a request for the direct access to the computer system;

program instructions to send, by the interceptor application, the administrator a message informing that the computer system is under service management;

program instructions to request, by the interceptor application, a service management system to search open tickets, wherein the service management system comprising a ticketing system and a configuration management database (CMDB) storing the open tickets;

program instructions to request, by the interceptor application, the administrator to choose at least one ticket from the open tickets, in response to that the open tickets are found;

program instructions to check, by the interceptor application, status of the at least one ticket to determine whether the at least one ticket is valid;

program instructions to redirect, by the interceptor application, the administrator to log onto the service management system for generating a new ticket by the service management system, in response to that the open tickets are not found;

program instructions to receive, by the interceptor application, from the service management system, the new ticket generated by the service management system; and

program instructions to grant, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system, based on at least one of;

determining that the at least one ticket is valid and determining that the new ticket is received.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the direct access of the administrator to the computer system is through a system console, or through a mechanism of bypassing boundary check.

15. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions to deny, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system, in response to determining that the at least one ticket is not valid.

16. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions to allow, by the interceptor application, the administrator read-only access to the computer system, in response to determining that the at least one ticket is not valid.

17. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions to redirect, by the interceptor application, the administrator to log onto the service management system, in response to that the administrator requests for a ticket generated by the service management system;

program instructions to receive, by the interceptor application, from the service management system, the ticket generated by the service management system; and

program instructions to grant, by the interceptor application, the administrator the direct access to the computer system.

18. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

program instructions to record, by the interceptor application, on a log the direct access of the administrator; and

program instructions to transfer, by the by the interceptor application, information of the log to the service management system.