Client/server computer systems having control of client-based application programs, and application-program control means therefor

• US 5,689,708 A
• Filed: 03/31/1995
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Help/Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: ShowCase Corp. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Youngers, David Nicholas, Regnier, Barbara Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Banankhah, Majid A.
• Application Number:
  US08/414,729
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 395/650, 395/700, 395/674, 395/682, 395/683, 395/200.01, 395/800, 364/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/503 Resource availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/504 Resource capping
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A resource manager in a client/server computer network controls the availability of system resources. A system administrator generates a set of profiles which specify which system resources each user may employ for each of multiple application programs. Individual application programs may internally configure their possible choices of such system resources according to the appropriate profile on a dynamic basis.

Claims

1. A method of managing a set of shared system resources in a computer network having at least one server coupled to a plurality of clients each containing a plurality of application programs executable by a plurality of users at said clients, said programs having interfaces for allowing said users to choose dynamically among said shared system resources, said method comprising:

generating in said server a plurality of profiles specifying the allowability of individual ones of said shared system resources within particular ones of said application programs for certain ones of said users;

identifying one of said users at one of said client computers;

in response to said identification, selecting certain information from said profiles corresponding to said individual shared system resources for said particular application programs for said one identified user;

detecting at said one client computer a request for a particular one of said application programs by said one user;

dynamically modifying at least one of said user interfaces for said particular one application program in response to said certain profile information corresponding to said identified one user for said particular one application program so as to make available to said one user only those of said shared system resources specified by said profile information for said particular one application program for said identified one user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating, comprises the steps of:

for each user, identifying one or more of said application programs which the user is authorized to execute; and

for each authorized application program, identifying which shared system resources the user is permitted to access.

2. A resource manager for a client/server network of computers coupled together by a communications means, said network executing a plurality of application programs having a server portion located in a server computer in said network and having a client portion located in one or more client computers in said network and invoked by one of a number of users, said network further including a plurality of different system resources potentially usable by said application programs and physically shared among said application programs, each said application-program client portion having a user interface from which said one user can select different ones of said system resources during an execution of said client portion, said resource manager comprising:

a set of profiles, each profile specifying said one user and a number of said application programs, and specifying, for individual ones of said number of application programs, a number of particular ones of said shared system resources, and specifying, for each of said particular resources, a number of rights of said one user to each of said particular resources for each of said individual application programs;

means for detecting the identity of said one user at any one of said one or more client computers, and for selecting that profile corresponding to said one user;

means for selecting individual portions of said selected profile corresponding to said individual application program;

means for modifying said user interface for said individual application program in response to said individual portions of said selected profile so as to allow said user at said client computer to choose only those of said shared system resources specified by said individual portions.

3. An individual interactive application program executable by a number of users in a client/server computer network having a number of physically shared resources, said network containing a stored profile specifying a particular one of said users, a number of application programs including said individual application program, and specifying, for each of said application programs, a number of selectable ones of said shared system resources, and specifying, for each of said selectable resources for each of said application programs, a number of rights of said particular one user to each of said certain resources, said individual one application program comprising:

means for selecting from said stored profile certain information peculiar to said individual application program for said particular one user;

means for selecting among a plurality of functions in response to inputs from said one user;

means responsive to said selecting means for performing said functions;

a number of user-interface means within said function-performing means, each of said user-interface means presenting to said one user choices among one of said shared system resources;

interface modifying means coupled to a plurality of said user-interface means for modifying said choices of respective ones of said shared system resources in response to said rights of said particular one user with respect to said individual application program as specified in said profile information.

5. A method of managing a set of shared system resources in a computer network having at least one server coupled to one or more clients, the one or more clients for use by one or more users, the one or more clients capable of executing a plurality of applications, comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of profiles in a server, the plurality of profiles specifying which shared system resources are available to a particular user for a particular application;

identifying a user signing onto the computer network using a client;

associating a profile of the plurality of profiles with the user;

downloading profile information from the server to the client based on the profile;

detecting a request for execution of an application by the user;

identifying available shared system resources based on the user and the application using the profile information; and

dynamically modifying a user interface to reflect the available shared system resources, to control access of the user to the set of shared system resources.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of dynamically modifying comprises the step of editing an external initialization file associated with the application according to the profile information, to control system resource options presented to the user by the application.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of dynamically modifying comprises the step of controlling system resource options presented to the user by the application using a formal application program interface.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating a plurality of profiles comprises the step of:

constructing a profile for each user, the profile including definitions of which applications the user is authorized, and for each authorized application, a definition of which shared system resources the user is permitted to access.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of detecting a request for execution of an application by the user, comprises the steps of:

comparing the application to the definitions in the profile for the user to determine if the user is authorized to execute the application; and

if the user is authorized to execute the application, executing the application.