Patent ID: 8561132

Claim:
An access control apparatus that controls access to an information management apparatus that stores a plurality of configuration elements and relationship elements indicating relationships between the configuration elements, the access control apparatus comprising: a memory that stores one or more predetermined configuration elements in association with user information that identifies a user and stores one or more combinations of a type of a configuration element and a type of a relationship element and a number of applied steps indicating a range in which the combinations are applicable as an access control rule in association with the user information, the access control rule set for each user; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes a process comprising: determining that, when a combination of a type of a configuration element stored in the memory in association with user information and a type of a relationship element indicating a relationship between the configuration element and another configuration element is stored in the memory in association with the user information, the another configuration element is accessible; and storing, in the memory, configuration elements determined to be accessible at the determining in association with user information on the user, wherein in a case where a search expression specifying a configuration element to be a starting point for search and specifying an order of tracing a plurality of relationship elements and configuration elements with the configuration element as the starting point is obtained as a search request for configuration information from the user, even if the combination is stored in the memory in association with user information on the user, when a number of relationship elements traced until reaching the another configuration element from the configuration element to be the starting point is larger than the number of applied steps, the determining includes determining that the another configuration element is inaccessible.