Patent ID: 7793350

Claim:
An apparatus to simulate access to restricted computing resources, the apparatus comprising: a function override module that provides at least one replacement function overriding at least one function call that accesses access-restrictable computing resources, the access-restrictable resources comprising potentially restricted resources, wherein the function override module switches a current user to another user and thereby activate a new set of user privileges; a function interceptor module that intercepts a function call, the function call accessing a restricted computing resource, the restricted computing resource comprising a computing resource that an initiator of the function call is restricted from accessing; a resource allocation module that allocates an unrestricted computing resource corresponding to the restricted computing resource, the resource allocation module using an application interface to enable interaction with the restricted computing resource; wherein a replacement function is invoked in response to intercepting the function call and the replacement function accesses the unrestricted computing resource instead of the restricted computing resource; and a hardware implemented digital processing unit that executes the function override module, the function interceptor module, and the resource allocation module.