Patent ID: 7315859
Filing Date: 2008-01-01
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for managing a database system, wherein the database system includes one or more sensitive users having access to sensitive data, one or more normal users having access to non-sensitive data, one or more normal database administrators allowed to perform administrative functions over the normal user and non-sensitive data, and one or more security officers allowed to perform administrative functions over the sensitive user and sensitive data, the method comprising: receiving a command to perform an administrative function on a user account within the database system; determining if the user account belongs to a sensitive user who is empowered to access sensitive data in the database system; if the user account does not belong to a sensitive user, and if the command is received from a normal database administrator for the database system, allowing the administrative function to proceed; if the user account belongs to a sensitive user, and if the command is received from a normal database administrator, preventing the normal database administrator from performing the administrative function on the user account; and if the user account belongs to a sensitive user, and if the command is received from a security officer within the group of one or more security officers, performing the administrative function on the user account, wherein the one or more security officers are the only database administrators empowered to perform administrative functions on the user account.