Full group privileges access system providing user access security protection for a telecommunications switching system

A method for providing a full group privileges access mechanism to provide security protection for a telecommunications switching system which is accessible by users using a computer, the telecommunications switching system providing functions which can be accessed and commands which can be executed, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request to access the telecommunications switching system at a server from the computer over a first communication link;
• providing an access application program to the computer from the server in response to the request;
• executing the access application program at the computer;
• establishing a second communication link from the computer to the telecommunications switching system according to execution of the access application program;
• maintaining first information identifying authorized users and second information associating authorized users with access authorization data;
• receiving identification data entered by a computer user;
• comparing said identification data to said first information;
• receiving command data entered by said user;
• and
• comparing said second information associated with said user to access authorization data associated with the command or function represented by said command data to determine the authority of said computer user to access said command or function.

A full group privileges access mechanism for providing security protection for a telecommunications switching system which is accessible by authorized users using a computer, and which provides functions which can be accessed by the authorized users and commands which can be executed by the authorized users, comprising:

• a server having an application program to access the telecommunications switching system;
• a computer operable to communicate with the server over a first communication link, the server operable to provide the application program to the computer upon request, the computer operable to execute the application program, the computer operable to establish communications with the telecommunications switching system over a second communication link according to the application program;
• a memory in the telecommunications switching system containing information related to the authorized users, said information including first information comprising an authorized user identification for each authorized user and a password for each authorized user, said information also including second information comprising an authorization level for each authorized user and a minimum authorization level for each function and for each command provided by the telecommunications switching system, said second information also identifying users who are members of at least one user group, at least one said user group being authorized to access each function, and at least one said user group being authorized to execute each command;
• a system manager building block in the telecommunications switching system having a CORBA architecture and having a runtime library accessing said memory, said system manager building block being in communication with said computer and accessing said first information for determining the authorization of users to access the telecommunications switching system, and said system manager building block accessing said memory to modify said information related to said authorized users for controlling the ability of users of the computer to access the telecommunications switching system;
• a system security manager client building block in the telecommunications switching system having a CORBA architecture and being in communication with said system manager building block in the telecommunications switching system using a CORBA communications protocol;
• and
• a system security manager server building block having a CORBA architecture and being in communication with said system security manager client building block using a CORBA communications protocol, said system security manager client building block and said system security manager server building block being in joint communication with said memory in order to access said second information for determining the ability of users of the computer to access the telecommunications switching system, and in order to modify said second information, wherein for each function a user of the computer will not be provided access to the function unless the user provides an authorized user identification and an authorized password corresponding to said first information, has an authorization level greater than or equal to said minimum authorization level for the function, and is a member of at least one said user group authorized to access said function, and wherein for each command a user of the computer will not be permitted to execute the command unless the user provides an authorized user identification and an authorized password corresponding to said first information, has an authorization level greater than or equal to said minimum authorization level for the command, and is a member of at least one said user group authorized to execute said command, and wherein said system manager building block provides communication between the computer and said system security manager client building block, and wherein said system security manager client building block provides communication between said system manager building block and said system security manager server building block.