# US 12,182,250 B2 · Credentials management and usage in application modernization

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- Number: US 12,182,250 B2
- Document ID: US12182250B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/399,088
- Filed: 2021-08-11
- Published: 2022-12-01
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-05-25
- Assignees: VMware, Inc.
- Applicants: Vmware LLC
- Inventors: Avi Sharma; Sri Narayanan Thanga Nadar; Shivakumar Somapur; Ashok Aletty; Kshitiz Sharma; Gyanendra Pratap Singh; William Lam; Ankita Sharma; Ahil Kanna
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182250B2

## CPC

- G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication
- G06F 21/57: Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
- G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57)
- G06F 9/45558: {Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects}
- G06F 9/5077: {Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources (specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455)}
- G06F 21/305: {by remotely controlling device operation}
- G06F 21/46: by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
- G06F 2009/45587: {Isolation or security of virtual machine instances}
- G06F 2221/2113: Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
- G06F 2221/2145: Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
- G06F 2221/2149: Restricted operating environment
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Credentials management and usage in application modernization can be implemented as computer-readable methods, media and systems. A notification identifying an application modernization operation is received. The operation is to be performed on an application deployed by multiple resources arranged in multiple hierarchical levels. A resource residing at a hierarchical level of the multiple hierarchical levels is identified. The application modernization operation is to be performed on the identified resource which has a resource type. A search for a credential is performed. The credential grants access to the resource to enable performing the application modernization operation. In response to the searching, a credential included in the multiple credentials is identified. The identified credential grants access either to the resource or to resources of the resource type. In response to receiving the notification, the identified credential is provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, at credential management system and via an application programming interface (API), a notification identifying an application modernization operation to be performed on an application deployed by one of a plurality of resources arranged in a plurality of hierarchical levels;
identifying, by the credential management system, a resource on which the application modernization operation is to be performed, the resource having a resource type and residing at a hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels;
searching, by the credential management system and from among a plurality of credentials, for a credential that grants access to the resource to perform the application modernization operation, each of the plurality of credentials mapping to one of plurality of hierarchical levels;
determining, by the credential management system and in response to the searching, that no credential is specifically associated to the resource;
performing by the credential management system and in response to determining that no credential is specifically associated to the resource, additional searching for a credential that grants access to the resource to enable performing the application modernization operation but that is not specifically associated to the resource;
identifying, by the credential management system and in response to the additional searching, a credential included in the plurality of credentials, that grants access either to the resource or to resources of the resource type; and
providing, by the credential management system and in response to receiving the notification, the identified credential via the API.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the resource comprises one of the following:
a virtual machine;
a container;
a cluster;
server management software; or
a collection object.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein performing additional searching comprises:
searching for a hierarchical default credential associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides, wherein the hierarchical default credential grants access to all resources at the hierarchical level at which the resource resides.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising, in response to searching for the hierarchical default credential:
determining that the hierarchical default credential is associated to the hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides; and
returning the hierarchical default credential.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein performing additional searching comprises: determining that no hierarchically default credential is associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides; and
in response determining that no hierarchically default credential is associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides, searching for a global default credential associated to a root level of the plurality of levels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to searching for the global default credential:
determining that the global default credential is associated to the root level; and
returning the global default credential associated to the root level.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
scanning, by an application modernization system, a data center;
identifying, based at least in part on the scanning, the application; and
notifying, by the application modernization system and via the API, the credential management system of the application modernization operation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the resource is one of a plurality of similar resources, and wherein the identified credential provides access to each of the similar resources.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein
performing additional searching comprises:
determining that no specifically associated credential is associated to the resource; and
in response to determining that no specifically associated credential is associated to the resource, returning a global default credential associated to all resources having the same resource type as the resource.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to providing the identified credential:
receiving, by an application modernization system and via the API, the identified credential;
accessing, by the application modernization system, the resource using the received credential; and
performing, by the application modernization system, the application modernization operation on the accessed resource.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the application modernization operation comprises containerizing an application.

### Claim 12

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a hardware-based processor, performs operations comprising:
receiving, at credential management system and via an application programming interface (API), a notification identifying an application modernization operation to be performed on an application deployed by one of a plurality of resources arranged in a plurality of hierarchical levels;
identifying, by the credential management system, a resource on which the application modernization operation is to be performed, the resource having a resource type and residing at a hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels;
searching, by the credential management system and from among a plurality of credentials, for a credential that grants access to the resource to perform the application modernization operation, each of the plurality of credentials mapping to one of plurality of hierarchical levels;
determining, by the credential management system and in response to the searching, that no credential is specifically associated to the resource;
performing by the credential management system and in response to determining that no credential is specifically associated to the resource, additional searching for a credential that grants access to the resource to enable performing the application modernization operation but that is not specifically associated to the resource;
identifying, by the credential management system and in response to the additional searching, a credential included in the plurality of credentials, that grants access either to the resource or to resources of the resource type; and
providing, by the credential management system and in response to receiving the notification, the identified credential via the API.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The medium of claim 12, wherein the resource comprises one of the following:
a virtual machine;
a container;
a cluster;
server management software; or
a collection object.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The medium of claim 12, wherein performing additional searching comprises:
searching for a hierarchical default credential associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides, wherein the hierarchical default credential grants access to all resources at the hierarchical level at which the resource resides.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising, in response to searching for the hierarchical default credential:
determining that the hierarchical default credential is associated to the hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides; and
returning the hierarchical default credential.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The medium of claim 12, wherein performing additional searching comprises:
determining that no hierarchically default credential is associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the third resource resides; and
in response to determining that no hierarchically default credential is associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the third resource resides, searching for a global default credential associated to a root level of the plurality of levels.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The medium of claim 16, the operations further comprising: comprising, in response to searching for the global default credential:
determining that the global default credential is associated to the root level; and
returning the global default credential associated to the root level.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising:
scanning, by an application modernization system, a data center;
identifying, based at least in part on the scanning, the application; and
notifying, by the application modernization system and via the API, the credential management system of the application modernization operation.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The medium of claim 16, wherein the resource is one of a plurality of similar resources, and wherein the identified credential provides access to each of the similar resources.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The medium of claim 12, wherein performing additional searching comprises:
determining that no specifically associated credential is associated to the resource; and
in response to determining that no specifically associated credential is associated to the resource, returning a global default credential associated to all resources having the same resource type as the resource.

### Claim 21 (depends on 12)

The medium of claim 12, the operations further comprising, in response to providing the identified credential:
receiving, by an application modernization system and via the API, the identified credential;
accessing, by the application modernization system, the resource using the received credential; and
performing, by the application modernization system, the application modernization operation on the accessed resource.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The medium of claim 12, wherein the application modernization operation comprises containerizing an application.

### Claim 23

A system comprising:
one or more processors including a hardware-based processor; and
a memory storage including a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors including the hardware-based processor, performs operations comprising:
receiving, at credential management system and via an application programming interface (API), a notification identifying an application modernization operation to be performed on an application deployed by one of a plurality of resources arranged in a plurality of hierarchical levels;
identifying, by the credential management system, a resource on which the application modernization operation is to be performed, the resource having a resource type and residing at a hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels;
searching, by the credential management system and from among a plurality of credentials, for a credential that grants access to the resource to perform the application modernization operation, each of the plurality of credentials mapping to one of plurality of hierarchical levels;
determining, by the credential management system and in response to the searching, that no credential is specifically associated to the resource;
performing by the credential management system and in response to determining that no credential is specifically associated to the resource, additional searching for a credential that grants access to the resource to enable performing the application modernization operation but that is not specifically associated to the resource;
identifying, by the credential management system and in response to the additional searching, a credential included in the plurality of credentials, that grants access either to the resource or to resources of the resource type; and
providing, by the credential management system and in response to receiving the notification, the identified credential via the API.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein comprises one of the following:
a virtual machine;
a container;
a cluster;
server management software; or
a collection object.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein performing additional searching comprises:
in response to determining that no specifically associated credential is associated to the resource, searching for a hierarchical default credential associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides, wherein the hierarchical default credential grants access to all resources at the hierarchical level at which the resource resides.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, the operations further comprising, in response to searching for the hierarchical default credential:
determining that the hierarchical default credential is associated to the hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the resource resides; and
returning the hierarchical default credential.

### Claim 27 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein performing additional searching comprises:
determining that no hierarchically default credential is associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the third resource resides; and
in response determining that no hierarchically default credential is associated to a hierarchical level above the hierarchical level at which the third resource resides, searching for a global default credential associated to a root level of the plurality of levels.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The system of claim 27, the operations further comprising, in response to searching for the global default credential:
determining that the global default credential is associated to the root level; and
returning the global default credential associated to the root level.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
scanning, by an application modernization system, a data center;
identifying, based at least in part on the scanning, the application; and
notifying, by the application modernization system and via the API, the credential management system of the application modernization operation.

### Claim 30 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the resource is one of a plurality of similar resources, and wherein the identified credential provides access to each of the similar resources.

### Claim 31 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein performing additional searching comprises:
determining that no specifically associated credential is associated to the resource; and
in response to determining that no specifically associated credential is associated to the resource, returning a global default credential associated to all resources having the same resource type as the resource.

### Claim 32 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, the operations further comprising, in response to providing the identified credential:
receiving, by an application modernization system and via the API, the identified credential;
accessing, by the application modernization system, the resource using the received credential; and
performing, by the application modernization system, the application modernization operation on the accessed resource.

### Claim 33 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the application modernization operation comprises containerizing an application.