US 7,069,539 B1 · Approach for implementing policy constraints in applications

Abstract

An approach for implementing policy controls in application programs provides for the execution of code to implement policy constraints in a manner that is generally transparent to application programmers. According to the call redirection approach, routine calls are redirected to a policy broker mechanism. The policy broker mechanism causes one or more policy constraints to be applied and if appropriate, causes the routine targeted by the routine call to be executed. According to the code substitution approach, the code for software application routines for which policy constraints are to be applied is substituted with code that provides for the application of policy controls. The code that performs the original functions may also be maintained, but augmented with additional code to apply policy constraints. Thus, routines normally invoked by application programs, for example, code libraries, do not have to be modified by application programmers to include code to apply policy controls.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for applying one or more policy constraints in an application program, the method comprising:

executing the application program to cause a routine, contained in the application program, to be invoked,
wherein invocation of the routine causes redirecting a request, to perform the routine, to a policy broker instead of the application program performing the routine,
wherein the redirecting of the request to the policy broker is achieved by substituting original code contained in the routine for which a policy constraint is to be applied with replacement code that invokes a routine managed by the policy broker,
wherein the replacement code includes code that invokes the routine managed by the policy broker, and
wherein program code, contained in the application program, is not modified to cause the request, to perform the routine for which a policy constraint is to be applied, to be redirected to the policy broker;
and
the policy broker performing the routine for which a policy constraint is to be applied, wherein the policy broker causes the one or more policy constraints to be applied to the performance of the routine.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Approach for implementing policy constraints in applications

Life of this patent

Approach for implementing policy constraints in applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8