Network domain with secured and unsecured servers

A method and implementing computer system are provided in which a Quality Of Protection (QOP) indication is established in a tagged component for servers in a network domain. Each server may have one QOP setting associated with the server for inbound messages and another QOP setting associated with the server for outbound messages. In an exemplary embodiment, the QOP settings are contained in a list which may be updated to include additional QOPs which the server may be equipped to support.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to information processing systems and more particularly to a methodology and implementation for enabling operation of secured and unsecured servers in a computer network domain.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In networked systems, including among others, the Internet and the World Wide Web, individual users or clients are able to connect to network sites (also herein interchangeably referred to as network domains or web sites) in order to send and receive information from the network site. In one example, the user or client uses a personal computer or computer workstation to connect to a network domain or network site through an Internet service provider. However, users may also connect to a network domain using communication devices other than computer devices. For purposes of illustration, a computer-based user device is discussed in the present example although it will be understood that the present invention may be implemented with any appropriate user device.

A network domain may include a number of servers containing different kinds of information. Some of the information may be considered secure information (such as customer account information) and other information may be considered unsecure information (such as product description and support information). Secure information must be controlled such that it is not compromised in any way in communicating with users and/or other servers. In some systems, all servers are typically configured as either a secure server or an unsecure server. In the past, secure servers could not be in the same network domain as unsecure servers. Typically, the two types of servers are not able to communicate with each other in order to preserve the security of the secure information. However, that restriction conflicts with the requirements of most enterprise applications.

Thus, there is a need for an improved methodology and implementing system which enables efficient communication between secure and unsecure servers in general, and specifically when the servers are located in the same network domain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and implementing computer system are provided in which a Quality Of Protection (QOP) indication is established for servers in a network domain. Each server may have one QOP setting associated with the server for inbound messages and another QOP setting associated with the server for outbound messages. In an exemplary embodiment, the QOP settings are contained in a list which may be updated to include additional QOPs which the server may be equipped to support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The various methods discussed herein may be implemented within an exemplary network domain or web site as illustrated in FIG.1. As shown inFIG. 1, clients using a network access device101are able to establish a link or communication connection102to a network domain or web site103. The access device101may be a personal computer, a server, a terminal or even a hand-held device or other portable apparatus capable of establishing a communication coupling102to a network domain103. The link102may be hard-wired, wireless or a combination of both. The network domain103may be comprised of a number of different servers. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1, the network domain103includes an information control server or main directory server105, which is connected to first and second secure servers107and111, and also connected to first and second unsecure servers109and113. In accordance with the present invention, the information control server105is capable of providing information to and also collecting information from both secure and unsecure servers in the network domain103.

In the past, all servers in a network domain would be configured as either a secured server or unsecured server, and only limited communication could occur between the two differently configured servers. Each server or client had a single setting of security configuration for designating a Quality Of Protection (QOP) factor. Thus, each server was configured with a QOP level which would apply to both inbound and outbound messages. The inbound messages would go through a security check according to the security QOP requirements. The outbound messages would carry proper security information according to the security QOP configuration of the sending server. If a directory server was configured as a secure server, the server could only receive messages from other secure servers with a compatible security QOP. However, the secure server could send messages to other secure servers with a compatible QOP. If a directory server was configured as an unsecure server, the directory server could receive messages from both secure servers and unsecure servers, but the directory server could not send messages to secure servers because the directory server was unsecure.

In accordance with the present invention, servers are configured with an inbound message security QOP and a separate outbound message security QOP. The separate QOPs for inbound and outbound messages would replace the single security QOP setting. Thus, a directory server can configure the server's inbound message security QOP as “unsecure” and the server's outbound message QOP with a different QOP setting such that the directory server105can receive messages from both secure servers such as servers107and111, as well as unsecure servers such as servers109and113. The directory server105is also able to send or inquire information from both secure and unsecure servers. With the implementation of different inbound and outbound QOPS, it is possible to configure a network domain to allow co-existence of secure servers, which may contain sensitive customer information for example, together with unsecure servers which may contain product description and/or support information for example.

In connection with the present invention, the QOP of a server is communicated between a client and a server through a “tagged component”. The tagged component contains a list of QOP indicators including one QOP for an inbound message security setting and another QOP setting for an outbound message security setting. Additional QOPs can be added to the list to indicate future QOP support capabilities of the server. A QOP can also be used as an indication of the maximum QOP that a server can support.

QOP settings can also be organized to apply to various aspects of the information being processed. For example, the QOP settings can be related to authenticity, integrity or confidentiality of the message being sent or received. The authenticity QOP implies client authentication and server authentication. Client authentication indicates whether or not a server will authenticate itself to other downstream servers in a communication. Server authentication indicates whether the server will require any downstream servers to authenticate themselves to the designated server on a cascaded method request. The integrity QOP implies the authenticity QOP and the message integrity detection. The message integrity detection indicates whether the server will require message integrity protection on cascaded method requests. The confidentiality QOP implies the integrity QOP and the message confidentiality detection. The message confidentiality indicates whether the server will require message confidentiality protection on cascaded method requests.

An example of one of many possible pseudocode implementations which may be used to practice the present invention is listed below:FOR INBOUND REQUESTS:Inbound request received.Check request QOP against required QOP . . .If QOPs match, execute the request . . .Else, reject the request . . .FOR OUTBOUND REQUESTS:Check for target's required QOP . . .If accepted,Send request and wait for response . . .

For inbound requests, the processing methodology is illustrated in FIG.2. As shown, for an inbound request201, the request is first detected203and a check is made205as to whether the request QOP, as determined from the request tag field, is compatible with or meets the requirements of the QOP of the target server. If the request QOP meets the QOP requirements of the target server207, then the request is executed209and the process returns to await the next inbound request201. If the QOPs do not match207, then the request is rejected211and the process immediately returns to await the next inbound request201.

As shown inFIG. 3, for outbound requests301, when an outbound request is received303, a check is made for the designated target's QOP305. If the QOP of the target307can be satisfied by the server, then the outbound request is sent with that QOP311and the server will await a response315from the designated target. If the request is not accepted by the target307, then the request is rejected313and the process returns to await the next outbound request301.

An exemplary implementing computer server is illustrated in FIG.4. As shown, a central processing unit (CPU)401is coupled to a system bus403. A memory subsystem405, a storage device407and an input/output (I/O) interface409, and a network interface411are also connected to the system bus403. The system illustrated may also include additional CPU units, bridge circuits and other devices which may be coupled to the bus403. In applications where the present invention is implemented in software, code for implementing the disclosed methodology may be stored in the storage units and memory subsystems of the servers in a network. In general, an implementing server system may include a plurality of processors in a multi-bus system in a network of similar systems. Each server generally includes a system bus which connects to various system components including memory, storage, various I/O interfaces including various media devices and readers for inputting code, subsystem controllers and network and other interfaces to various other components or bus structures of any particular system. Circuit details of specific computer systems and sub-systems are not shown in any greater extent than that described above in order not to obfuscate the underlying concepts of the present invention or distract from the teachings of the present invention.

The method and apparatus of the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment as disclosed herein. The disclosed methodology may be implemented in many different ways in order to accomplish the desired results as herein illustrated. Although an embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail herein, along with certain variants thereof, many other varied embodiments that incorporate the teachings of the invention may be easily constructed by those skilled in the art, and even included or integrated into a processor or CPU or other larger system integrated circuit or chip. The disclosed methodology may also be implemented solely in program code stored on one of many possible media carriers, or other memory device, from which it may be accessed and executed to achieve the beneficial results as described herein. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the invention.