Patent ID: 8631476
Filing Date: 2014-01-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of using access control lists (ACLs) and an authorization model to determine whether to authorize a user to perform an action requested by the user, the method comprising: storing a plurality of ACLs in a storage device, each individual ACL of the plurality of ACLs being dedicated to a respective one of a plurality of actions and having zero or more users that are assigned to the individual ACL and are explicitly authorized to perform the action to which the individual ACL is dedicated; receiving, by a processor that is coupled to the storage device and coupled to a communication device, a request from a user to perform one of the plurality of actions; if there are not zero users assigned to the ACL dedicated to the one of the plurality of actions, authorizing, by the processor, the user to perform the one of the plurality of actions only if the user is assigned to the ACL dedicated to the one of the plurality of actions; and if there are zero users assigned to the ACL dedicated to the one of the plurality of actions, authorizing, by the processor, the user to perform the one of the plurality of actions only if the user is assigned to none of the plurality of ACLs each individual ACL of which is dedicated to a respective one of a plurality of actions and has zero or more users that are assigned to the individual ACL and explicitly authorized to perform the action to which the individual ACL is dedicated.