Patent ID: 8869233
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: maintaining a policy within a network management system that governs whether a user can access one or more network elements in a network, the user having a user profile managed at the network management system, the policy comprising a set of rules used to determine whether one or more user commands are executable at the one or more network elements; receiving inputs via a graphical user interface (GUI) of the network management system to establish the policy, the GUI comprising a policy management interface that enables an administrator to modify the user profile and thereby grant permission to execute user commands on the one or more network elements; setting a field, via the GUI, in the user profile of the user to reflect the grant of permission; receiving the one or more user commands to be executed on one of the one or more network elements; determining whether the one or more user commands can be executed on the one of the one or more network elements based on the user profile of the user and the policy maintained within the network management system; and providing an indication that the one or more user commands can be executed on the one of the one or more network elements based on a determination that the command can be executed on the one of the one or more network elements.