US 6,606,711 B2 · Object security boundaries

Abstract

An object-based security framework provides for intra-process security boundaries. An application developer can define security settings declaratively at the object, interface, and method level using a graphical interface. When the application is deployed, the settings are placed into a central store and can be modified at a later time. At runtime, logic outside the application objects enforces the security boundaries, relieving the developer of having to incorporate security logic into the application. Changes to the security can be implemented by changing the settings without having to change the application objects. In addition to checking for identity, the security framework supports roles and enforces specified authentication levels. The integrity of an application's security scheme is retained when the application is combined with another application in the framework.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method of defining security of a server application comprising a plurality of objects having methods to access the objects' functionality, the method comprising the steps of:

at development of the server application, configuring security settings indicative of identities authorized to access the objects' methods, at least one of the methods for one of the objects having a different setting than another of the object's methods, the security settings residing outside the objects;
at deployment of the server to a host computer system, importing the security settings to a central store in the host computer system;
at execution of the application on the host computer, responsive to a request of a client program, for access to a method of one of the objects, wherein the request is associated with an identity, checking the security settings in the central store to determine if the security settings indicate whether the associated identity is authorized to access the method, wherein the client program and the one object are executing in a same process;
and
if the security settings indicate the associated identity is not authorized to access the method, denying access of the client program to the method.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Object security boundaries

Life of this patent

Object security boundaries

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7