Patent ID: 7039948

Claim:
A computer implemented method for validating a user's authorization to run a tool in a service control manager (SCM) module by a security manager, comprising: creating a runnable tool, wherein the runnable tool encapsulates a tool and includes a tool definition and a list of target nodes on which the tool executes, wherein the tool definition specifies roles associated with the tool via an authorization model, and wherein a user assigned with one or more of the roles can run the tool on the target nodes; extracting from the tool definition the roles associated with the tool; checking if any of the roles associated with the tool are enabled; checking if the user has authorization on the target nodes; and checking if the user is assigned with at least one of the enabled roles on all of the target nodes, wherein the user is authorized to run a requested tool if the user is assigned with one or more of the enabled roles associated with the requested tool on all of the target nodes.