US 2021/0243183 A1 · AUTOMATED ON CALL AND AD HOC ACCESS TO RESTRICTED RESOURCES

Abstract

Complex cloud-based system with many different entities, e.g., servers, clients, databases, firewalls, other machines, etc. often require on call engineers to be available to help with maintenance, emergencies, and other tasks. Sometimes ad hoc access is required when on call engineers are unable to resolve a particular issue. Organizations that manually manage access to on call and ad hoc engineer access, may do so relatively easily if they are a smaller organization. But, for larger or more complex environments, manual processes represent a significant burden. An alternative is automatically grant and revoke access. For example, if a vendor tracks your on call engineers, on call statuses may be identified to automatically grant access while on call. For ad hoc access, a requestor may request temporary access, and if valid, access may also be automatically granted for a desired time period. Automation frees valuable limited resources for other tasks.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for automatically granting and revoking access to restricted resources based at least in part on selected ones of an indicator stored with an access resource or an ad hoc request from a requestor, the restricted resources include a first restricted resource and a second restricted resource, the method comprising:

periodically retrieving the indicator from the access resource, the indicator at least identifying a first entity having an associated on call status;
automatically determining an access for the first entity to the first restricted resource based at least in part on the indicator;
receiving the ad hoc request to authorize a second entity with access to the second restricted resource for a time period;
determining if the requestor is authorized to make the ad hoc request, and if so, granting the second entity access to the second restricted resource;
sending a message corresponding to the ad hoc request from the requestor;
automatically de-authorizing the first entity based at least in part on the indicator;
and
automatically de-authorizing the second entity based at least in part on the time period.

5 more elements

A system to automatically granting and revoking access to restricted resources based at least in part on selected ones of an indicator stored with an access resource or an ad hoc request from a requestor, the restricted resources include a first restricted resource and a second restricted resource, comprising:

a processor;
and memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
periodically retrieve the indicator from the access resource, the indicator at least identifying a first entity having an associated on call status;
automatically determine an access for the first entity to the first restricted resource based at least in part on the indicator;
receive the ad hoc request to authorize a second entity with access to the second restricted resource for a time period;
determine if the requestor is authorized to make the ad hoc request, and if so, grant the second entity access to the second restricted resource;
send a message corresponding to the ad hoc request from the requestor;
and
automatically de-authorize the first entity based at least in part on the indicator, and de-authorize the second entity based at least in part on the time period.

6 more elements

A computer readable memory having instructions stored thereon for revoking access to restricted resources based at least in part on selected ones of an indicator stored with an access resource or an ad hoc request from a requestor, the restricted resources include a first restricted resource and a second restricted resource, the instructions that, in response to execution by a processor, are operable to perform operations including:

periodically retrieve the indicator from the access resource, the indicator at least identifying a first entity having an associated on call status;
automatically determine an access for the first entity to the first restricted resource based at least in part on the indicator;
receive the ad hoc request to authorize a second entity with access to the second restricted resource for a time period;
determine if the requestor is authorized to make the ad hoc request, and if so, grant the second entity access to the second restricted resource;
send a message corresponding to the ad hoc request from the requestor;
and
automatically de-authorize the first entity based at least in part on the indicator, and de-authorize the second entity based at least in part on the time period.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated on call and ad hoc access to restricted resources

Life of this patent

Automated on call and ad hoc access to restricted resources

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20