Patent ID: 6567808
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A system for brokering a plurality of security applications using a centralized broker in a distributed computing environment, comprising:a centralized broker executing on a designated system within the distributed computing environment; a set of snap-in components each performing a common management task sharable by a plurality of security applications; a console interface exposed by the centralized broker, the console interface implementing a plurality of browser methods which each define an browser function which can be invoked by each snap-in component, wherein the browser function comprises at least one member selected from the group comprising integrating snap-in components, accessing a namespace, embedding user interface elements, and handling window messages; a set of snap-in interfaces exposed by each snap-in component, each snap-in interface implementing a plurality of service methods which each define a user-interface function which can be invoked by the centralized broker, wherein the user-interface function comprises at least one member selected from the group comprising creating and managing folder objects, creating and managing view windows, retrieving icons, merging a context menu, creating and managing menus, and adding items to toolbars; and at least one security application centrally brokered by the centralized broker by interfacing each security application to the centralized broker through the snap-in components, managing each security application by invoking at least one such browser method via the console interface, and centrally servicing a plurality of the security applications by invoking at least one such service method via at least one such snap-in interface.