Patent ID: 8589528
Filing Date: 2013-11-19
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system, comprising: an LDAP or X.500 compatible directory enabled information repository comprising one or more directories, where the information repository comprises a scalable data model; and a service manager running on a machine that interfaces with the information repository, where the service manager logs on to a directory within the information repository and interacts therewith to create, delete, amend or search for information in the information repository; wherein the service manager interacts, through a plurality of interfaces, with components and users of a distributed electronic system to enable authentication and authorization of the users such that services running on the components can be activated, and wherein the service manager maintains a dynamic data structure for use in the authorization of the users; wherein each of the services is assigned to at least one of a plurality of profiles, each of the users is assigned to at least one of the plurality of profiles, and the users are authorized by the service manager to use the services based on the plurality of profiles such that services are assigned to the users via the profiles and are prevented from being directly assigned to the users; wherein the dynamic data structure stores a virtual profile for each user, wherein each of the virtual profiles is a logical summation of the profiles to which the user is assigned and indicates a logical set of the services associated with the profiles to which the user is assigned, wherein the virtual profile is created when a session for the user starts, and wherein in response to the user requesting one of the services, the service manager determines from the virtual profile in the dynamic data structure whether the requested service is included in the logical set of services, and authorizes the user to access the requested service based on the determination.