Patent ID: 7650627

Claim:
A method, comprising: in an environment that is created by the execution of program code by one or more processors and that includes a first container of software applications and a second container of software applications, wherein said first container includes a plurality of services available for use by said software applications of said first container, and wherein said second container of software applications includes a second plurality of services available for use by said software applications of said second container: invoking security services in response to an attempt by a user, through a communication session between said user and an application within one of said containers, to gain access to a software resource that resides at a level that is higher than an operating system level; in response to said invoking, identifying a configuration file describing a security policy tailored for use in an environmental condition set under which said attempt arose, said identifying based upon at least a portion of said environmental condition set, said portion of said environmental condition set including at least one of: i) said communication session's type; ii) an application program interface (API) used to access said one container; iii) said one container's identity; using information found within said configuration file to engage the following for said user's access of said resource: a) a login module that is used to perform login procedures for said user during an implementation of an authentication component of said security policy; b) an authorization role that defines, for an authorization component of said security policy, which resources said user is permitted to reach during said session; c) a user store that controls access to said resource; and, implementing said security policy against said user by using said login module, said authorization role and said user store to access said software resource that resides at a level that is higher than an operating system level.