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US6052785A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Multiple remote data access security mechanism for multitiered internet computer networks

Assignee: Cloud Software Group Switzerland GmbH
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Filing: 1997-11-21
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Granted: 2000-04-18
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Expires: 2017-11-21
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Abstract

Abstract A system and method for managing client authorization to access remote data repositories through a middle tier server such as a web server. Client remote data repository access is intercepted by the middle tier server and the server is searched for stored credentials permitting client access to the remote data repository. If found, the stored credentials are used to authenticate access without further interaction with the client system. If no stored credentials are found, the server requests credentials from the client and passes them to the remote data repository for validation. Validated credentials are stored by the server for future use and indexed by a client identifier. Permitted remote data repository access is stored with the validated credentials. Access to a mounted remote file system is not permitted without authorization even if the remote file system would not otherwise require authorization.

Inventors

  • 👤 David Dah-Haur Lin
  • 👤 Amal Ahmed Shaheen
  • 👤 Krishna Kishore Yellepeddy

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 10:46
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/30; G06F21/31; G06F21/33

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim 108 words
A computer implemented method for managing security in a multitiered networked computer system having multiple clients, a middle tier server, and one or more remote data repositories, the method including the steps of: authenticating client access to said middle tier server; intercepting in said server a client request for access to a remote data repository; testing for stored client credentials to access said remote data repository; if not found, requesting client credentials and validating said credentials with said remote data repository, and storing and associating said validated credentials with a client user identifier and a client session identifier; and processing said request for accessing using stored client credentials.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 108 words
A computer implemented method for managing security in a multitiered networked computer system having multiple clients, a middle tier server, and one or more remote data repositories, the method including the steps of: authenticating client access to said middle tier server; intercepting in said server a client request for access to a remote data repository; testing for stored client credentials to access said remote data repository; if not found, requesting client credentials and validating said credentials with said remote data repository, and storing and associating said validated credentials with a client user identifier and a client session identifier; and processing said request for accessing using stored client credentials.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of authenticating client access operates according to the secure sockets layer protocol (SSL) or the secure hypertext transfer protocol (SHTTP).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 75 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing said validated credentials includes the steps of: creating a table entry containing a client user identification from said authenticating step, a client session identifier based on a method used for said authentication, the validated credentials, and the remote data repository access permitted; storing said table entry in a security table indexed by said client user identifier; updating an index based on said client user identifier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the remote data repository access permitted is stored as a computer system drive letter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the remote data repository access permitted is stored as a file system mount point.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 3, wherein the remote data repository is a distributed file system managed by a distributed file system protocol.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the distributed file system protocol is DFS.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the remote data repository is a database server.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the remote data repository is a transaction processing system server.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the remote data repository is a groupware server.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the distributed file system protocol is NFS.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 48 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: sharing said stored client credentials with at least a second middle tier server; transferring a client session from said middle tier server to said second server having access to said stored client credentials without reauthorization from said client.
Claim 14
Independent Claim 153 words
A system for managing secure remote data repository access in a multitiered distributed network having a plurality of clients, a middle tier server, and one or more remote data repositories, the system comprising: storage means in said server for storing client credentials for access to one or more of said remote data repositories; authentication means in said server for authenticating client access to said middle tier server; means for intercepting client remote data repository access requests; means for retrieving client authentication from said storage means in response to said means for intercepting; means for requesting client credentials from said client and validating said credentials with said one or more remote data repositories, if said means for retrieving is unable to locate stored client credentials for the requested remote data repository; and means for storing and associating validated client credentials with a client user identifier and a client session identifier in said storage means.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 153 words
A system for managing secure remote data repository access in a multitiered distributed network having a plurality of clients, a middle tier server, and one or more remote data repositories, the system comprising: storage means in said server for storing client credentials for access to one or more of said remote data repositories; authentication means in said server for authenticating client access to said middle tier server; means for intercepting client remote data repository access requests; means for retrieving client authentication from said storage means in response to said means for intercepting; means for requesting client credentials from said client and validating said credentials with said one or more remote data repositories, if said means for retrieving is unable to locate stored client credentials for the requested remote data repository; and means for storing and associating validated client credentials with a client user identifier and a client session identifier in said storage means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 20 words
The system of claim 13 wherein the authentication means includes secure socket layer authentication and secure hypertext transfer protocol authorization.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 63 words
The system of claim 13 wherein said means for storing includes: means for creating a client credential record including at least a client identifier, a session identifier, the validated credentials, and remote data repository access permitted; means for storing said client credential record in said storage means, and means for updating an index to said client credential record based on said client identifier.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 36 words
The system of claim 13, wherein said one or more remote data repositories include zero, one or more of a database server, a transaction processing system server, a groupware server, or a distributed file system server.
Claim 19
Independent Claim 102 words
A method of controlling access to mounted remote file systems in a computer system having a processor and storage means, the method including the steps of: intercepting a requester request to access a mounted remote file system; testing said request to determine whether stored remote file system mount permissions exist for said requester; if not, requesting credentials from said requester and validating them with the remote file system, and storing and associating the credentials with a client user identifier and a client session identifier and a validated mounted file system reference; if credentials exists, passing said request to said remote file system.
Claim 20
Independent Claim 102 words
A method of controlling access to mounted remote file systems in a computer system having a processor and storage means, the method including the steps of: intercepting a requester request to access a mounted remote file system; testing said request to determine whether stored remote file system mount permissions exist for said requester; if not, requesting credentials from said requester and validating them with the remote file system, and storing and associating the credentials with a client user identifier and a client session identifier and a validated mounted file system reference; if credentials exists, passing said request to said remote file system.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 29 words
The method of claim 17, wherein the mounted remote file system is mounted as a network drive letter and said validated mounted file system reference is said drive letter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 147 words
A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for managing security in a multitiered networked computer system having multiple clients, a middle tier server, and one or more remote data repositories, said computer program product comprising: computer program product means for authenticating client access to said middle tier server; computer program product means for intercepting in said server a client request for access to a remote data repository; computer program product means for testing for stored client credentials to access said remote data repository; computer program product means for requesting client credentials and validating said credentials with said remote data repository, and storing and associating said validated credentials with a client user identifier and a client section identifier, if no stored client credentials are found; and computer program product means for processing said request for accessing using stored client credentials.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 147 words
A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for managing security in a multitiered networked computer system having multiple clients, a middle tier server, and one or more remote data repositories, said computer program product comprising: computer program product means for authenticating client access to said middle tier server; computer program product means for intercepting in said server a client request for access to a remote data repository; computer program product means for testing for stored client credentials to access said remote data repository; computer program product means for requesting client credentials and validating said credentials with said remote data repository, and storing and associating said validated credentials with a client user identifier and a client section identifier, if no stored client credentials are found; and computer program product means for processing said request for accessing using stored client credentials.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 92 words
The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer program product means for storing said validated credentials includes: computer program product means for creating a table entry containing a client user identification from said authenticating, a client session identifier based on a method used for said authentication, the validated credentials, and the remote data repository access permitted; computer program product means for storing said table entry in a security table indexed by said client user identifier; and computer program product means for updating an index based on said client user identifier.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 16 words
The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the remote data repository is a database server.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 18 words
The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the remote data repository is a transaction processing system server.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 24 words
The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the remote data repository is a distributed file system managed by a distributed file system protocol.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 16 words
The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the remote data repository is a groupware server.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5586260A Cited
US5559883A Cited
US5586121A Cited
US5706507A Cited
US5896798A Cited
US5748897A Cited
US5915119A Cited
US5903721A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-04-18 2003-10-18 2004-04-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-04-18 2007-10-18 2008-04-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-04-18 2011-10-18 2012-04-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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