Patent ID: 8060920

Claim:
A method for generating and changing a credential for a service account, the service account being associated with a service hosted at a first server computer, the service utilizing a current credential to access shared data, the method comprising: retrieving, from a configuration database at a second server computer over a network to a first server computer, a credential schedule specifying when a plurality of credentials are scheduled to be changed, the first computer hosting the service associated with the service account; determining, by the first server computer, whether the current credential is scheduled to be changed according to the credential schedule; upon determining that the current credential is scheduled to be changed, generating, by the first server computer, at least part of a new credential; replacing the current credential with the at least part of the new credential at the first server computer; transmitting the new credential over the network from the first server computer to the configuration database at the second server computer, the configuration database adapted to store the plurality of credentials for a plurality of service accounts; generating, by the first server computer, a timer job specifying when a third server computer is scheduled to retrieve the new credential from the configuration database at the second server computer, the new credential for replacing the current credential at the third server computer; transmitting the timer job from the first server computer to the third server computer; transitioning the service from the first server computer utilizing the current credential to a fourth server computer utilizing an alternate credential, where the fourth server computer, instead of the first server computer, hosts the service while the current credential at the first server computer is replaced; upon transitioning the service hosted at the first server computer to the fourth server computer, replacing the current credential with the new credential at the first server computer; upon replacing the current credential with the new credential at the first server computer, resetting the service at the first server computer and causing the service to utilize the new credential instead of the current credential; upon resetting the service, testing whether the service at the first server computer is properly operating utilizing the new credential; and upon determining that the service is properly operating utilizing the new credential, transitioning the service from the fourth server computer utilizing the alternate credential to the first server computer utilizing the new credential, where the first server computer, instead of the fourth server computer, hosts the service.