Patent ID: 7877791

Claim:
A method for managing a production server, the method comprising the steps of: an authentication server sending to the production server via a network a group password for a GroupID for administrative root access to an administrative root file in the production server; the authentication server subsequently receiving from a human administrator at a workstation via a network an individual human administrator ID and a corresponding individual password for human administrator and a request for the group password for the GroupID for administrative root access to the administrative root file in the production server protected by the group password, and in response, the authentication server authenticating the individual human administrator ID with the corresponding individual password and determining from an access control list for administrative root access to the production server that the human administrator is authorized to receive the group password, and in response, the authentication server returning to the workstation the group password for the GroupID; and subsequently, the production server receiving from the human administrator at the workstation via a network the group password and GroupID and a request to access the administrative root file in the production server protected by the group password, and in response, the production server authenticating the GroupID with the group password, determining from another access control list containing identities of files and respective authorizations by GroupID that the human administrator is authorized to access the administrative root file, and in response, the production server granting the human administrator access to the administrative root file.