Selective cache flushing in identity and access management systems

• US 7,124,203 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Joshi, Vrinda S., Swadi, Praveen R., Summers, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H.
• Application Number:
  US09/792,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20020112083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/213, 709/219, 709/248, 711133-135, 711/118, 707/200
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0804 with main memory updating G06F12/0806 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present invention provides cache flushing of selected data while leaving remaining cached data intact. Data can be flushed from caches distributed across various components of a network-based computer system. These caches can contain various types of data. In one embodiment, the caches exist in an Access System and contain user identity profile information. In another embodiment, the caches exist in an Access Management System and contain authentication, authorization, or auditing rules. A system in accordance with the invention detects a change to data residing on a server and transmits a synchronization record to a component of the system. The synchronization record identifies the changed data. The system flushes the changed data identified by the synchronization record from caches of the component.

Claims

1. A method for flushing cache memories in a network-based system, comprising the steps of:

detecting at an administration server for said system a change to data residing on a directory server for said system;

replacing a sequence identifier of said data at said directory server with an updated sequence identifier for said detected change;

transmitting a synchronization record from said administration server to a component of said system, said synchronization record identifying said data and including said updated sequence identifier, wherein a web server comprises said component; and

flushing said data identified in said synchronization record from caches of said component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing said synchronization record in said component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said updated sequence identifier is a first global sequence number, said method further comprising the steps of:

assigning said first global sequence number to said detected change; and

storing said first global sequence number in said component.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

comparing said first global sequence number to a second global sequence number stored by said component;

requesting all synchronization records comprising global sequence numbers generated after said second global sequence number; and

flushing from said caches of said component all changed data identified by said synchronization records transmitted to said component, in place of said step of flushing.

5. The method of claim 4, said method further comprising the steps of:

requesting all synchronization records identified by a list of synchronization records stored by said component; and

removing said transmitted synchronization records from said list.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

said steps of detecting and assigning are performed by an Access Manager running on an Administration Server.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein:

said synchronization record comprises;

said first global sequence number;

an identification of said changed data;

a description of a type of said detected change; and

a time at which said step of detecting occurred.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said component is a Web Server plug-in.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said plug-in is an NSAPI Web Server plug-in.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said plug-in is an ISAPI Web Server plug-in.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

said caches of said plug-in comprise;

a resource cache; and

an authentication scheme cache.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said system is an Access System.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data is an attribute of a user identity profile.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data is a default authentication rule specifying a default challenge method for verifying user identities to authenticate users for resources mapped to a policy domain.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data is a policy authentication rule specifying a challenge method for verifying user identities to authenticate users for resources matched to a policy.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data is a first level authorization rule for granting user access to resources in said Access System.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data is a second level authorization rule for granting user access to a subset of resources in said Access System.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data is a first level auditing rule specifying a default set of information logged in response to an access system event in said Access System.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein:

said data is a second level auditing rule specifying a set of information logged in response to an access system event pertaining to a subset of resources in said Access System.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said system is an Access Management System.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said data is a policy domain.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said directory server is an LDAP directory server.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said directory server utilizes LDAP, said system further comprising;

a plurality of Access Servers utilizing LDAP; and

a plurality of Web Servers running Web Server plug-ins.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said detected change is a modification to said data.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said detected change is a deletion of said data.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said detected change is an addition of said data.

8. A method for flushing cache memories in a network-based system, comprising the steps of:

detecting at an administration server for said system a change to data residing on a directory server for said system;

replacing a sequence identifier of said data at said directory server with an updated sequence identifier for said detected change;

transmitting a synchronization record from said administration server to a component of said system, said synchronization record identifying said data and including said updated sequence identifier, wherein said component is an Access Server; and

flushing said data identified in said synchronization record from caches of said component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said caches of said Access Server comprise;

a URL prefix cache;

a policy domain cache;

an authentication scheme cache;

an authentication rule cache;

an authorization rule cache;

an audit rule cache;

a user profile cache; and

a user policy cache.

29. A method for flushing cache memories in an Access System, comprising the steps of:

detecting at an administration server for said Access System a change to data residing on an LDAP directory server for said Access System;

assigning a first global sequence number to said detected change;

replacing a sequence identifier of said data at said LDAP directory server with said first global sequence number for said detected change;

transmitting a synchronization record from said administration server to an Access Server of said system, said synchronization record identifying said changed data and including said first global sequence number;

flushing said changed data identified by said synchronization record from caches of said Access Server;

storing said first global sequence number in said Access Server;

storing said synchronization record in said Access Server;

transmitting said first global sequence number from said Access Server to a component of said system, said component storing a second global sequence number, wherein a web server comprises said component;

comparing said first global sequence number to said second global sequence number;

requesting all synchronization records comprising global sequence numbers generated after said second global sequence number;

requesting all synchronization records identified by a list of synchronization records stored by said component;

transmitting synchronization records to said component;

flushing from caches of said component all data identified by said synchronization records transmitted to said component; and

storing said first global sequence number in said component.

30. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method comprising the steps of:

detecting at an administration server for a network-based system a change to data residing on a directory server for said system;

replacing a sequence identifier of said data at said directory server with an updated sequence identifier for said detected change;

transmitting a synchronization record from said administration server to a component of said system, said synchronization record identifying said data and including said updated sequence identifier, wherein a web server comprises said component; and

flushing said data identified in said synchronization record from caches of said component.

31. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 30, wherein said method further comprises the step of:

storing said synchronization record in said component.

32. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 30, wherein said updated sequence identifier is a first global sequence number, said method further comprises the steps of:

assigning said first global sequence number to said detected change; and

storing said first global sequence number in said component.

33. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 32, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

comparing said first global sequence number to a second global sequence number stored by said component;

requesting all synchronization records comprising global sequence numbers generated after said second global sequence number; and

flushing from said caches of said component all changed data identified by said synchronization records transmitted to said component, in place of said step of flushing.

34. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 33, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

requesting all synchronization records identified by a list of synchronization records stored by said component; and

removing said transmitted synchronization records from said list.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication interface;

one or more storage devices; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices and said communication interface, said one or more processors programmed to perform a method comprising the steps of;

detecting at an administration server for a network-based system a change to data residing on a directory server for said system;

replacing a sequence identifier of said data at said directory server with an updated sequence identifier for said detected change;

transmitting a synchronization record from said administration server to a component of said system, said synchronization record identifying said data and including said, updated sequence identifier, wherein a web server comprises said component; and

flushing said data identified in said synchronization record from caches of said component.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said method further includes the step of:

storing said synchronization record in said component.

37. An apparatus according to claim 35, wherein said updated sequence identifier is a first global sequence number, said method further includes the steps of:

assigning said first global sequence number to said detected change; and

storing said first global sequence number in said component.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

comparing said first global sequence number to a second global sequence number stored by said component;

requesting all synchronization records comprising global sequence numbers generated after said second global sequence number; and

flushing from said caches of said component all changed data identified by said synchronization records transmitted to said component, in place of said step of flushing.

39. An apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said method further includes the steps of:

requesting all synchronization records identified by a list of synchronization records stored by said component; and

removing said transmitted synchronization records from said list.