Patent ID: 8756509

Claim:
A method of controlling access to an information technology (IT) resource, said method comprising: a computer initiating a display including a visual representation of said resource and a visual representation of a first entity; said computer receiving an assignment of an access control requirement to said visual representation of said resource; said computer receiving an assignment of a first attribute to said visual representation of said first entity; said computer detecting a movement in said display of said visual representation of said first entity from outside a boundary of said visual representation of said resource to a position close to said boundary of said visual representation of said resource; responsive to said detecting said movement to said position close to said boundary, said computer determining said first attribute assigned to said visual representation of said first entity satisfies said access control requirement assigned to said visual representation of said resource; said computer determining said first entity is permitted to access said resource based on said first attribute assigned to said visual representation of said first entity satisfying said access control requirement assigned to said visual representation of said resource; said computer permitting a movement in said display of said visual representation of said first entity across said boundary of said visual representation of said resource and permitting a placement in said display of said visual representation of said first entity within said boundary of said visual representation of said resource based on said first entity determined to be permitted to access said resource; said computer initiating said display further including a visual representation of a second entity; said computer receiving an assignment of an exclusion control requirement to said visual representation of said resource; said computer receiving an assignment of a second attribute to a visual representation of a second entity; said computer detecting a second movement in said display of said visual representation of said second entity from outside said boundary of said visual representation of said resource to said position close to said boundary of said visual representation of said resource; responsive to said detecting said second movement to said position close to said boundary, said computer determining said exclusion control requirement indicates exclusion based on said second attribute or based on a state of one or more other entities associated with said exclusion control requirement; said computer determining said second entity is not permitted to access said resource based on said exclusion control requirement indicating exclusion; and said computer presenting a visual cue in said display and optionally presenting a notification based on said second entity determined to be not permitted to access said resource, wherein said visual cue and said notification indicate to a user that said second entity is not permitted to access said resource.