Methods and Systems for Interactive Evaluation of Policies

• US 20090327909A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Hayton, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A system for interactive evaluation of policies includes a first graphical user interface element and a second graphical user interface element. The first graphical user interface element enumerates at least one resource. The second graphical user interface element receives an identification of a characteristic of at least one client and displays a result of an application of at least one policy associated with the at least one resource to the at least one client, the at least on policy applied responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

Claims

1. A method for interactive evaluation of policies using a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) enumerating an identification of at least one resource;

(b) receiving an identification of a characteristic of at least one client requesting access to the at least one resource; and

(c) displaying a result of applying at least one policy associated with the at least one resource to the at least one client requesting access to the at least one resource, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic of the at least one client.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying at least one policy associated with the at least one resource.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving an identification of a filter in the at least one policy, the filter satisfied by the at least one client.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving an identification of a filter in the at least one policy, the filter not satisfied by the at least one client.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying, by a policy simulation engine, a characteristic of the at least one client responsive to an evaluation of at least one filter in the at least one policy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving an identification of a type of operating system executed on the at least one client.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving an identification of a type of application executed on the at least one client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving an identification of a group in which the at least one client is a member.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving an identification of a range of internet protocol addresses associated with the at least client.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining whether at least one policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying an indication that a second identification of a second characteristic is required to determine whether the at least one policy applies to the at least one client.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of determining that at least one policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, an indication that the application of the at least one policy results in a denial of access to the at least one resource by the at least one client.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying an identification of a requirement not satisfied by the at least one client.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, an indication that the application of the at least one policy results in an authorization of access to the at least one resource by the at least one client.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying an identification of a requirement satisfied by the at least one client.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, an indication that the application of the at least one policy results in a request for additional information associated with the at least one client.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, a result of applying an access control policy to the at least one client.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, a result of applying an auditing policy to the at least one client.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, a result of applying a caching policy to the at least one client.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, a result of applying a load balancing policy to the at least one client.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of simulating, by a policy simulation engine, an application of the at least one policy associated with the at least one resource to the at least one client requesting access to the at least one resource.

23. A method for interactive evaluation of policies using a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying an identification of at least one resource;

(b) receiving an identification of a characteristic of at least one client requesting access to the at least one resource;

(c) determining whether at least one policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic; and

(d) displaying an indication that a second identification of a second characteristic is required to determine whether the at least one policy applies to the at least one client.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of receiving an identification of a filter in the at least one policy, the filter satisfied by the at least one client.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of receiving an identification of a filter in the at least one policy, the filter not satisfied by the at least one client.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of identifying, by a policy simulation engine, a characteristic of the at least one client responsive to an evaluation of at least one filter in the at least one policy.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving an identification of a type of operating system executed on the at least client.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving an identification of a type of application executed on the at least one client.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving an identification of a group in which the at least one client are members.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein step (c) further comprises determining that at least one policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein step (c) further comprises determining that at least one policy does not apply to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein step (c) further comprises determining that a second identification of a second characteristic is required to determine whether the at least one policy applies to the at least one client.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein step (c) further comprises determining whether at least one access control policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein step (c) further comprises determining whether at least one auditing policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein step (c) further comprises determining whether at least one caching policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

36. The method of claim 23, wherein step (c) further comprises determining whether at least one load-balancing policy applies to the at least one client, responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises displaying, by the graphical user interface, an indication that the application of the at least one policy results in a request for additional information associated with the at least one client.

38. The method of claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises displaying an identification of a requirement satisfied by the at least one client.

39. The method of claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises displaying an identification of a requirement not satisfied by the at least one client.

40. The method of claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises displaying an indication that a second identification of a second characteristic is required to determine whether at least one access control policy applies to the at least one client.

41. The method of claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises displaying an indication that a second identification of a second characteristic is required to determine whether at least one auditing policy applies to the at least one client.

42. The method of claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises displaying an indication that a second identification of a second characteristic is required to determine whether at least one caching policy applies to the at least one client.

43. The method of claim 23, wherein step (d) further comprises displaying an indication that a second identification of a second characteristic is required to determine whether at least one load-balancing policy applies to the at least one client.

44. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of receiving, from a policy simulation engine, the indication that the second identification of the second characteristic is required to determine whether the at least one policy applies to the at least one client.

45. A system for interactive evaluation of policies using a graphical user interface, the system comprising:

a first graphical user interface element enumerating at least one resource; and

a second graphical user interface element receiving an identification of a characteristic of at least one client and displaying a result of an application of at least one policy associated with the at least one resource to the at least one client, the at least one policy applied responsive to the received identification of the characteristic.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the first graphical user interface element further comprises a display of a characteristic of the at least one client.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the first graphical user interface element further comprises a display of an identification of a type of anti-virus program executed by the at least one client.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the first graphical user interface element further comprises a display of an identification of a type of operating system executed by the at least one client.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein the first graphical user interface element further comprises a display of an identification of a type of application executed by the at least one client.

50. The system of claim 45, wherein the first graphical user interface element further comprises a display of an internet protocol (IP) address range, the at least one client assigned an IP address in the IP address range.

51. The system of claim 45, wherein the first graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element for receiving an identification of at least one characteristic of the at least one client.

52. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element displaying the at least one policy.

53. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element displaying a requirement of the at least one policy.

54. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element displaying a filter of the at least one policy.

55. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element indicating that an application of the at least one policy to the at least one client results in a denial of access to the at least one resource by the at least one client.

56. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element indicating that an application of the at least one policy to the at least one client results in an allowance of access to the at least one resource by the at least one client.

57. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element indicating that additional information associated with the at least one client is needed to identify a result of an application of the at least one policy to the at least one client.

58. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element displaying a result of applying an access control policy to the at least one client.

59. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element displaying a result of applying an auditing policy to the at least one client.

60. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element displaying a result of applying a caching policy to the at least one client.

61. The system of claim 45, wherein the second graphical user interface element further comprises an interface element displaying a result of applying a load-balancing policy to the at least one client.

62. The system of claim 45 further comprising a policy simulation engine generating the result of the application of the at least one policy associated with the at least one resource to the at least one client.

63. The system of claim 45 further comprising a graphical user interface element receiving an identification of a filter in the at least one policy, the filter satisfied by the at least one client.

64. The system of claim 45 further comprising a graphical user interface element receiving an identification of a filter in the at least one policy, the filter not satisfied by the at least one client.

65. The system of claim 45 further comprising a graphical user interface element receiving, by a policy simulation engine, a characteristic of the at least one client responsive to an evaluation of at least one filter in the at least one policy.