Determining a user's groups

• US 7,673,047 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle Corporation, Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Sajeed, Delany, Shawn P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US11/382,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 707/9
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• 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: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

The present invention is directed to technology for determining the set of groups of which a user is a member. A user can be a static member, dynamic member or nested member of a group. A user is a nested member of a first group if that user is a member of a second group and the second group is a member of the first group. There can be multiple levels of nesting. For example, an entity can be a nested member of a first group if that entity is a member of a second group, which is a member of a third group, which is a member of a fourth group, which is a member of the first group. The present invention can determine the groups of which the user is a static member, dynamic member or nested member.

Claims

1. A method of identifying groups within an Identity System of which a user of the Identity System is a member, the method comprising:

determining with the Identity System a set of groups of which the user is a static member based on a group identity profile for each of one or more groups within the Identity System, wherein the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System defines static members of the group;

determining with the Identity System a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member based on a rule for determining dynamic members of the group;

combining with the Identity System the set of groups of which the user is a static member and the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member;

determining with the Identity System a set of groups of which the user is a nested member based on the combined set of groups of which the user is a static member and set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member by recursively finding one or more containing groups for the combined set of groups of which the user is a static member and set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member to a predetermined level of nesting; and

reporting with the Identity System the set of groups of which the user is a static member, the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member, and the set of groups of which the user is a nested member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System further defines the rule for determining a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member comprises comparing an identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein comparing the identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System comprises comparing the identity profile for the user to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for each of the one or more groups in the Identity System.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a static member comprises comparing an identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising authorizing the user with the Identity System to access a resource based on the user being a dynamic member, static member or nested member of a group authorized to access the resource.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display static members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining with the Identity System the static members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display dynamic members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining with the Identity System the dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display nested members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining with the Identity System the nested members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member by:

determining the static members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member;

determining the dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member;

combining the static members and dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member; and

determining the nested members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the combined static members and dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

10. An Identity System comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices in communicate on with said processor and having processor readable code stored thereon, said processor readable code for programming the one or more processors to perform a method for identifying groups within an Identity System of which a user of the Identity System is a member, the method comprising;

identifying groups within an Identity System of which a user of the Identity System is a member, the method comprising;

determining a set of groups of which the user is a static member based on a group identity profile for each of one or more groups within the Identity System, wherein the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System defines static members of the group;

determining a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member based on a rule for determining dynamic members of the group;

combining the set of groups of which the user is a static member and the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member;

determining a set of groups of which the user is a nested member based on the combined set of groups of which the user is a static member and set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member; and

reporting the set of groups of which the user is a static member, the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member, and the set of groups of which the user is a nested member.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System further defines the rule for determining dynamic members of the group.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member comprises comparing an identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein comparing the identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System comprises comparing the identity profile for the user to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for each of the one or more groups in the Identity System.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a static member comprises comparing an identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising authorizing the user to access a resource based on the user being a dynamic member, static member or nested member of a group authorized to access the resource.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a nested member comprises finding one or more containing groups for one or more groups of the set of groups of which the user is a static member and one or more groups of the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising recursively finding one or more containing groups to a predetermined level of nesting.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display static members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining the static members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

19. The system of claim 10, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display dynamic members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining the dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

20. The system of claim 10, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display nested members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining the nested members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member by:

determining the static members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member;

determining the dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member;

combining the static members and dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member; and

determining the nested members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the combined static members and dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

21. One or more processor-readable storage devices having processor readable code stored thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method for identifying groups within an Identity System of which a user of the Identity System is a member, the method comprising:

determining a set of groups of which the user is a static member based on a group identity profile for each of one or more groups within the Identity System, wherein the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System defines static members of the group;

determining a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member based on a rule for determining dynamic members of the group;

combining the set of groups of which the user is a static member and the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member;

determining a set of groups of which the user is a nested member based on the combined set of groups of which the user is a static member and set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member; and

reporting the set of groups of which the user is a static member, the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member, and the set of groups of which the user is a nested member.

22. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 21, wherein the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System further defines the rule for determining dynamic members of the group and determining a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member comprises identifying groups for which the user satisfies the rule.

23. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 22, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member comprises comparing an identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System.

24. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 23, wherein comparing the identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System comprises comparing the identity profile for the user to a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for each of the one or more groups in the Identity System.

25. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 22, further comprising authorizing the user to access a resource based on the user being a dynamic member, static member or nested member of a group authorized to access the resource.

26. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 21, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a static member comprises comparing an identity profile for the user to one or more attributes of the group identity profile for each of the one or more groups within the Identity System.

27. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 21, wherein determining a set of groups of which the user is a nested member comprises finding one or more containing groups for one or more groups of the set of groups of which the user is a static member and one or more groups of the set of groups of which the user is a dynamic member.

28. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 27, further comprising recursively finding one or more containing groups to a predetermined level of nesting.

29. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 21, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display static members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining the static members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

30. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 21, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display dynamic members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining the dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.

31. The processor-readable storage devices of claim 21, further comprising, in response to receiving a request to display nested members of a group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member, determining the nested members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member by:

determining the static members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member;

determining the dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) filter for the identity profile for the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member;

combining the static members and dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member; and

determining the nested members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member based on the combined static members and dynamic members of the group of which the user is a static member, dynamic member, or nested member.