Patent ID: 6732100
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A database management system that controls access to stored data items of an organization based on a hierarchical structure of the organization, the hierarchical structure of the organization including multiple hierarchical organization levels that each include multiple hierarchical organization branches at that hierarchical organization level, each of the hierarchical organization branches deriving its own access attributes from the hierarchical organization level with which it is associated, the database management system comprising:a plurality of user entries representing users seeking access to data items, each of the user entries having multiple associated organizational access attributes that are hierarchically configured to represent the organization in such a manner that each organizational access attribute corresponds to one of the hierarchical organization branches at one of the hierarchical organization levels of the organization; and an access control subsystem that is configured to repeatedly use the associated organizational access attributes of users to manage access to data items of the organization, the data items each associated with multiple of the organizational access attributes, the managing of the data item access by: receiving a database query from a user requesting one or more data items; reading the multiple organizational access attributes associated with the user; reading the multiple organizational access attributes associated with each of the requested data items; for each of the requested data items, determining based on the organizational access attributes of the user and of the data item whether to grant the user access to the data item by comparing the hierarchical organization levels for those organizational access attributes and by comparing the hierarchical organization branches for those organizational access attributes; and presenting to the user the data items to which the user is determined to have access.