Patent ID: 8479281

Claim:
A computer executable method for managing user-product authentication comprising: associating through a directory service within an information handling system (IHS) each of a plurality of users with at least one of a plurality of roles for at least two of a plurality of hardware products; receiving a first request through the directory service for authentication from a first of the plurality of users operating a first of the plurality of hardware products receiving a second request through the directory service for authentication from a second of the plurality of users operating a second of the plurality of hardware products; and authenticating at the IHS the first and second users utilizing the directory service, wherein the directory service provides a first role associated with the first user and the first hardware product in response to the first request and a second role associated with the second user and the second hardware product in response to the second request, wherein each product of the plurality of hardware products is represented by a target object, the first user is represented by a first user object, the second user is represented by a second user object, each role of the plurality of roles is represented by a uniform role object, the directory service is an association object, the first hardware product provides a first plurality of device management services, and the second hardware product provides a second plurality of device management services, wherein the first plurality of device management services is represented by the target object of the first hardware product and the second plurality of device management services is represented by the target object of the second hardware product.