Patent ID: 6571287
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of authorizing a session between a client and a first server using a second server that functions as a local distributed authorization server for authorizing session requests for the first server, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:(A) storing distributed resource allocation data that indicates whether the second server may locally authorize a session to be established for a particular entity between the client and the first server; (B) storing data that identifies a third server that has been designated as a global authorization server for globally authorizing sessions for the particular entity; (C) in response to receiving a request to establish a session between the client and the first server for the particular entity; (D) determining, based on the distributed resource allocation data whether the session for the particular entity may be established between the client and the first server; (E) if the session is not authorized based on the distributed resource allocation data, then communicating with the third server to determine whether the third server may authorize the session; and (F) informing the first server that the session is authorized only upon determining that the session may be established for the particular entity.