U.S. patent application number 11/266502 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-06 for context administrator.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sentillion, Inc.. Invention is credited to David Fusari, Elaine Seliger, Robert Seliger.
Application Number | 20060075020 11/266502 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35694988 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060075020 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Seliger; Robert ; et
al. |
April 6, 2006 |
Context administrator
Abstract
A context management and administration system includes a
context manager, which manages the context of plural applications
programs, and an administration suite, which oversees and manages
the manager. Context administration can include setting up and
maintaining subject data definitions, intervening in context
manager operations, providing security functions to protect
sensitive context information against tampering by unauthorized
users, etc.
Inventors: |
Seliger; Robert;
(Winchester, MA) ; Seliger; Elaine; (Winchester,
MA) ; Fusari; David; (Groton, MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOLF GREENFIELD & SACKS, PC;FEDERAL RESERVE PLAZA
600 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BOSTON
MA
02210-2211
US
|
Assignee: |
Sentillion, Inc.
Andover
MA
|
Family ID: |
35694988 |
Appl. No.: |
11/266502 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09545396 |
Apr 7, 2000 |
6993556 |
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11266502 |
Nov 3, 2005 |
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60128145 |
Apr 7, 1999 |
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60135907 |
May 25, 1999 |
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60136670 |
May 28, 1999 |
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60139235 |
Jun 14, 1999 |
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60139145 |
Jun 14, 1999 |
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60146722 |
Aug 2, 1999 |
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60145681 |
Jul 26, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
709/203 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 40/08 20130101;
G16H 10/20 20180101; G06F 21/6245 20130101; G06F 2221/2115
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/203 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16 |
Claims
1. At least one computer readable medium encoded with a program
that, when executed, performs a method of administering a context
management system that manages a context, the method comprising:
configuring a subject data definition which defines a plurality of
subjects in the context using, for each subject, subject data that
comprises a data item usable by a plurality of applications
comprising at least a first application and a second application,
the data item having a set of values comprising at least a first
value corresponding to the first application and a second value
corresponding to the second application, the set of values
identifying the subject in the context, the value of the data item
corresponding to the first application being exchangeable with the
value of the data item corresponding to the second application when
a user switches from the first application to the second
application to retain the context.
2. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein
the method further comprises: identifying one or more available
context managers to administer.
3. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein
identifying further comprises: pinging possible context manager
addresses to find the available context managers.
4. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein
the method further comprises: maintaining in the subject data
definition, information identifying which applications are allowed
to access the subject.
5. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein
the method further comprises: storing with each application a value
which is a function of but not equal to a passcode for the
application.
6. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein
the method further comprises: encrypting the passcode to form the
value.
7. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein
the method further comprises: maintaining an inventory of
applications whose context is managed.
8. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein
the method further comprises: maintaining a map relating User IDs
to login identifiers formatted for each application in the
inventory.
9. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein
the method further comprises: configuring communication parameters
for the available context managers.
10. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein
the method further comprises: generating a status report for the
system.
11. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein
the method further comprises: intervening in a context management
process.
12. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein
intervening further comprises: forcing an application out of a
context.
13. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein
intervening further comprises: canceling a transaction in
progress.
14. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein
intervening further comprises: shutting down a context manager.
15. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein
the method further comprises: communicating with a context manager
using a hypertext transport protocol.
16. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein
the hypertext transport protocol is HTTP 1.1.
17. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor programmed to
manage and administer a context, the at least one processor
programmed to implement: a context manager; and an administration
suite for configuring a subject data definition, the subject data
definition defining a subject in the context using subject data
that comprises a data item usable by at least a first application
and a second application, the data item having a set of values
comprising at least a first value corresponding to the first
application and a second value corresponding to the second
application, the set of values identifying the subject in the
context, the value of the data item corresponding to the first
application being exchangeable with the value of the data item
corresponding to the second application when a user switches from
the first application to the second application to retain the
context.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor
is programmed so that the administration suite further comprises a
context administrator and a context server.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor
is programmed so that the context server implements: a passcode
service; a user mapping agent (UMA) service; and a lightweight
directory access protocol (LDAP) service.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor
is programmed so that the LDAP service further comprises: a data
storage module in which the passcode service stores encrypted
passcodes and in which the user mapping agent service stores
user-mapping data.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.
09/545,396, filed Apr. 7, 2000, entitled "CONTEXT ADMINISTRATOR,"
now pending. This application claims domestic priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Applications having
Ser. No. 60/128,145, filed Apr. 7, 1999, Ser. No. 60/135,907, filed
May 25, 1999, Ser. No. 60/136,670, filed May 28, 1999, Ser. No.
60/139,235, filed Jun. 14, 1999, Ser. No. 60/139,145, filed Jun.
14, 1999, Ser. No. 60/146,722, filed Aug. 2, 1999, and Ser. No.
60/145,681, filed Jul. 26, 1999, all of which are incorporated by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to tools for managing and
administering the management of context in software
applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There are many businesses or fields of endeavor, which rely
on the use of plural desktop computer applications. One such field
is the modern practice of medicine. In such a setting, users quite
often find themselves entering and reentering similar information
over and over. For example, a single user may have to repeat login
information in plural applications, followed by the same or similar
client information. Such information, that defines the environment
in which each application operates is known as context. That is,
context is a collection of data items and corresponding values,
wherein the items represent information required in common between
plural applications in an industry or business setting. For
example, in health care, a patient identifier (patient ID) is an
item which is part of the context in which plural clinical
applications may participate, or share.
[0004] In the modern practice of medicine, a physician or other
professional or staff member may need to store, retrieve, analyze,
etc. various types of patient data. The patient data to be
processed may be clinical; e.g. x-ray images or blood work results,
or may be financial, e.g. insurance cover and billing history.
Thus, clinical applications, such as those to store, retrieve and
display x-ray images and those to store, retrieve and display blood
work results have inputs and outputs which fall into two broad
classes: highly specialized, work product specific I/O; and more
general, context-related I/O.
[0005] The desirability of managing context information, so that a
user at a workstation need not reenter information such as user
identification (user ID) or patient identification (patient ID) has
long been recognized.
[0006] A standard known as Health Level Seven Context Management
Specification Version CM-1.1 was promulgated by the Health Level
Seven (HL7) Clinical Context Object Workgroup (CCOW) on Nov. 6,
1999, incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, to define
an interface and other architectural definitions of a Context
Management Architecture (CMA), whereby clinical applications
interact with a Context Manager to manage context information
across a range of clinical and other health care related
applications.
[0007] At this time, there are no other known, comprehensive
context management software packages available. Some small steps
have been taken for example to share context amongst one
publisher's own titles, using proprietary methods absent a context
manager, or to permit a user to sign onto a single application
which transfers user context to plural other applications. However,
no context manager handling both user and patient context is known,
much less a complete system with central administration of the
context management process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] What is desired is a context administrator and method which
solves the problems associated with settings using plural,
unrelated software applications to process data related to a common
context.
[0009] As discussed above, context is a collection of data items
and corresponding values, wherein the items represent information
required in common between plural applications in an industry or
business setting. For example, in health care, a patient identifier
(patient ID) is an item which is part of the context in which
plural clinical applications may participate, or share. The data
items comprising context are organized into subjects. For example,
subjects defined by HL7 CCOW CM-1.1 include User, Patient and
Encounter. In accordance with some aspects of the invention, a
subject definition is a data structure including the following
parts: [0010] Name (The Name must be correctly formatted per the
CM-1.1 standard because attempting set the context data for an
unknown subject is invalid and enforced by the context manager, as
specified by the CM-1.1 standard.) [0011] IsSecure (If true,
IsSecure indicates that only applications specifically configured
to be participants to that subject can get the subjects context
data. Additionally, some applications can be identified as
"trusted," meaning that they can change the subject's context data,
as specified by the CM-1.1 standard.) [0012] List of Applications
(The List of Applications identifies those configured for the
subject and which ones are "trusted".) [0013] List of Correctly
Formatted Item Names for the Subject (This List gives the names of
the fields that the subject is allowed to contain. Each name must
be correctly formatted per the CM-1.1 standard. Each item name may
be one defined in the standard or it may be formatted as a custom
item name, where the format is per the CM-1.1 standard.) [0014]
List of Dependent Subjects (One subject may be dependent on
another, meaning that if the dependent subject's context is
changed, this subject's context data is cleared, as specified in
the CM-1.1 standard.)
[0015] On the subject of Dependent Subjects, the CM-1.1 standard
has the following remarks:
[0016] For simplicity, it is generally desirable that there not be
any semantic dependencies between context subjects. This enables an
application to set a context subject without concern for the other
available subjects.
[0017] With this assumption, it is possible for an application to
independently set the context data items for just one subject,
some, or all subjects during the course of a single context change
transaction. A context subject whose items have not been set by the
application shall remain as it was prior to the transaction.
[0018] However, in certain cases it is necessary to define and
enforce semantic inter-dependencies between context subjects. The
only inter-dependencies that shall be defined and enforced are
those that stipulate that a specific set of additional subjects
that must be set each time a particular subject is set.
[0019] For example, whenever subject X is set by an application,
the application must also set subject Y. These dependencies shall
be enforced by the context manager. This notion of subject
inter-dependency also necessitates an additional assertion, which
is that if setting X requires that Y also be set, then whenever Y
is set and X is not set, the value for X shall not be post-filled
by the context manager. Instead, it shall appear after the context
change transaction as though X is empty.
[0020] The inter-dependencies for standard subjects are documented
in the document Health Level-Seven Standard Context Management
Specification, Subject Data Definitions. [Ed. Note: the referenced
document is part of the CM-1.1 standard.]
[0021] Inter-dependencies for custom subjects may be stipulated by
the organization that defines the custom subject. A custom subject
may be dependent upon any other subject. However, a custom subject
may not require that a standard subject, or a custom subject
defined by another organization, be dependent upon it. In other
words, custom subject X can not assert that it must always be set
whenever standard subject Y is set.
[0022] As used herein, context management is a process of storing,
retrieving, modifying and communicating context information between
a user and one or more applications, or between the plural
applications used in a particular setting. For example, in health
care, when a doctor switches from a heart monitor application to a
blood analysis application, the patient ID need not be reentered if
context management has been implemented. As used herein, context
administration is a process of storing, retrieving, modifying and
communicating information by which a context management system is
controlled or supervised. A single context administrator may
supervise multiple context managers or may supervise only one
context manager.
[0023] According to one aspect of the invention, there is a method
of administering a context management system, comprising
configuring a subject data definition. The method may further
include identifying one or more available context managers to
administer. Identifying may also further include pinging possible
context manager addresses to find the available context
managers.
[0024] One type of data useful for security purposes is a shared
secret. Thus, according to this aspect of the invention, the method
may include maintaining in a subject data definition, a list or
other means of identifying applications that are allowed to
transact on that subject. The method may further include storing
with each application a value, which is a function of, but not
equal to a passcode for the application, so that the identity of an
application desiring to transact on a secure subject can be
verified. The method may yet further include encrypting the
passcode to form the value. Methods embodying the invention can
further include maintaining an inventory of applications whose
context is managed; and maintaining a map relating users to user
identifiers formatted for each application in the inventory. When
the steps of maintaining are included, the method can also include
identifying for each context, which applications share the context.
In yet another variation, the method can configure communication
parameters for the available context managers, generate a status
report for the system or intervene in a context management process.
Interventions can include forcing an application out of a context,
canceling a transaction in progress or shutting down a context
manager. Methods embodying aspects of the invention can include
communicating with a context manager using a hypertext transport
protocol. In some embodiments, the hypertext transport protocol is
HTTP 1.1.
[0025] According to other aspects of the invention, embodiments
thereof can include a context management and administrative system,
comprising a context manager; and an administration suite. The
administration suite can further include a context administrator;
and a context server. The context server can further include a
passcode service; a user-mapping agent (UMA) service; and a
lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) service. The LDAP
service can further provide a data storage module in which the
passcode service stores encrypted passcodes and in which the
user-mapping agent service stores user mapping data. The context
server can further include a registry in which the context manager
is registered. Finally, the context server can further include
configuration memory holding a common configuration used as a
default configuration for the context manager.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] In the drawings, in which like reference designations
indicate like elements:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a system embodying
aspects of the invention; and
[0028] FIG. 2 is an organizational map of one software embodiment
of aspects of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The invention will be better understood upon reading the
following description of an embodiment of our invention in
connection with the drawings. This embodiment is described in
connection with the administration of a software system, software
components and software architecture for performing context
management to synchronize a plurality of application programs to a
single context. A block diagram of the embodiment is given in FIG.
1. The illustrated embodiment complies with the HL7 CCOW CM-1.1
standard. Thus, this embodiment can perform context management in a
health care environment including CM-1.1 compliant clinical
applications. Other standards for context management protocols and
interfaces may exist, particularly outside of health care, for
which the present invention is applicable. Regardless of the
existence of such standards, while the present invention is
described in connection with an application of the principles
thereof to the health care industry, the invention may be practiced
in connection with any industry that relies on plural applications
for which context can preferably be managed or synchronized.
[0030] The overall architecture of FIG. 1 is now briefly
described.
[0031] One or more computer systems, workstations, desktop personal
computers (PCs) or the like 100 have executing thereon one or more
applications 101, e.g., in the health care field, clinical
applications. It is assumed that context management of the
applications 101 is desired, and that they comply with at least one
standard for context management protocols and interfaces, e.g., HL7
CCOW CM-1.1. A context manager 102, also executing on a computer
system, workstation, desktop PC or the like communicates with the
applications 101 through an interface and using a protocol defined
by standard. The context manager may or may not be executing on the
same computer system, workstation, desktop PC or the like as the
applications, but may communicate with the applications through a
communications network. In the case of an HL7 CCOW CM-1.1 compliant
system, Microsoft.RTM. COM protocol defines one layer of the
communication protocol.
[0032] Administration functions may be remote from the managed
computer systems, workstations, desktop PCs, etc., for example as
an independent software module or program resident on a context
administration console 103. The console 103 communicates with the
system 100 on which the applications 101 reside through a channel
104 which may pass through an interconnection network, e.g., the
Internet, an intranet, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area
Network (WAN) or the like 105. In order to simplify communication
through the interconnection network 105, a standard
printable-character based protocol, such as the Hypertext Transport
Protocol (HTTP) may be used. Messages transported by HTTP may be
formatted as headers, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files,
Extended Markup Language (XML) files, etc. Other protocols and
message formats may alternatively be used. A daemon 106, resident
on each of the systems 100, translates the protocol used for
communication over the interconnection network (e.g., HTTP) into
that used for context management of the applications (e.g., COM).
The daemon 106 may alternatively be part of the context manager
102.
[0033] A database 107 of context information is maintained either
on the context administration console or separately. When a context
management installation tool 108 is invoked, similar links are
established using an administration daemon 109 to draw current,
common context information from the database 107, to set up the
context of newly installed applications 100. This administration
function can be performed at other times, as well, such as when a
stand-alone system is brought into the context managed
environment.
[0034] Although both the foregoing and the following discussion is
given with respect to HL7 CCOW CM-1.1, HTTP 1.1, COM and health
care clinical settings in particular, it will be apparent from the
discussion that the inventors contemplate adaptations of the
concepts illustrated to other industries and settings, some
suggestions for which have been given.
[0035] For convenience, and without loss of generality, modules,
programs and machines, particularly machines executing software
programs are referred to herein as modules. In this document,
modules could be function or procedure calls in a software program,
a program module, a complete program, a machine executing a program
or any part of a program, and the like, where a module performs a
defined portion of the overall function of the system
described.
[0036] It should be noted that the architecture described above
appears to assume a particular partitioning of the context
management and context administration task into individual modules,
as evidenced by the blocks of FIG. 1. That apparent assumption, of
course, is that there is a context manager module, a context
administrator module and a context server module. However, the
inventors have found that the context manager and context server
can be combined in a single module in which the functions are
shared in such a way as to behave as a single functional block.
Alternatively, the context administrator and context server can be
combined in a single module in which the functions are shared in
such a way as to behave as a single functional block. Finally, all
three separately described functional elements can be combined in a
single module in which the functions are shared in such a way as to
behave as a single functional block. These variations have
important implications for the design of the communications and
user interface portions of the system because communication between
more tightly coupled functional elements, such as within a module,
is easier and more secure than between more loosely coupled
elements, such as between modules, and because the user interface
can ultimately be defined using standard elements of a page markup
language interpreted by a browser, rather than a proprietary ad hoc
interface design.
[0037] A context management and administration system according to
a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been
implemented using the Microsoft Java programming language. The
structure of the code is illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0038] A top layer, over all, is the user interface 200. This may
be implemented using a conventional presentation manager available
as a resource in many operating systems, or using a markup language
such as HTML or the like and HTTP so that it can use a standard
browser as the display module. Beneath the user interface layer,
and tunneling through both lower layers is the HTTP, COM, signing
and XML communication facility 201 used by all layers. An inventory
facility 202, passcode facility 203 and user mapping agent facility
204, all described below, exist in the second layer. Finally, the
third layer embodies the low-level functions of database management
205, scanning the network (pinging) 206 and Lightweight Directory
Access Protocol (LDAP) 207, also all described below.
[0039] The following description explains the operation of the
components of the architecture described above.
[0040] The context administrator, which is connected to a
communication network through which it can communicate with other
elements of the system, compiles an inventory of context managers
available to it on the network. The context administrator
determines whether a context manager is available at each legal
network address by pinging at each address a communication port
registered with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
When a context manager is configured to respond to messages on the
registered port, at the address pinged, it responds. The context
administrator can then build a database of available context
managers. The database can be presented to users in a tree form,
similar to the tree used in the Windows.TM. Explorer program used
to navigate through files and folders on a computer hard disk.
[0041] The inventory can alternatively be built and updated
automatically as context managers join or leave a network. In order
to do so, each context manager will register itself to the context
administrator by transmitting an identifier, for example a DCE
UUID, "hello" message to the context administrator. The identifier
needs to be unique within a given network.
[0042] As part of inventory management, a context manager can be
removed from inventory, making it invisible to the context
administrator. A context manager manually removed by a user of the
context administrator then continues to function normally, but
cannot be configured, etc. by the context administrator.
[0043] Once an inventory of context managers exists, the context
administrator can then configure the context managers, obtain
status from the context managers, perform interventions on the
context managers and produce human- or machine-readable outputs
communicating various types of information about the context
administration process. It is also possible to view a
human-readable listing of all operations performed by the context
administrator. The listing is updated or appended to each time an
operation is performed.
[0044] Configuring the context managers is a wide-ranging task,
defining how a particular instance of a context manager behaves, as
well as defining site-wide information relevant to the operation of
all context managers under administration. Examples of
configuration parameters defining how a particular instance of a
context manager behaves include the parameters related to the
details of performing a transaction, such as timing parameters.
Examples of configuration parameters which affect an entire site
include defining which applications will join in a particular
context, passcodes and other security settings, and the subjects
defined by the standard, including User, Patient and Encounter,
required by the standard, and optional customizable subjects.
[0045] Configuring the security settings includes defining values
in a database identifying which subjects are available only through
a secure connection. For example, User is a secure subject.
Defining a subject as secure necessitates that trusted participants
be identified, as they can only access the subject, for example for
viewing or editing, provided they give the passcode identifying
them as a trusted participant. In the preferred embodiment, a
trusted participant is one which will be allowed to edit the
contents of a secure subject. In the HL7 CCOW CM-1.1 standard, User
is a secure subject.
[0046] The contents of a subject are now illustrated by describing
the subject, User. The subject User is used to configure who the
users are within a particular site, for example. A user mapping
agent identifies each user by a unique, site-wide User
Identification (User ID). The User ID is linked to the individual
login identifiers, such as username and password, used to obtain
access to each individual application. This map of User ID to login
identifier is housed on the context server module described
above.
[0047] Status information which can be obtained by the context
administrator can include one or more of the version number of each
context manager in the inventory, which context managers have
joined a particular context, what changes have been processed by
each context manager, what changes have been aborted by each
context manager, etc. Status information can also include a
complete record of the current configuration of each context
manager, so that if a context manager inadvertently becomes out of
sync with the changes made by the context administrator, as
determined by making a status inquiry, that context manager can be
brought back into sync. Finally, status can also include a log of
exceptions which may occur from time to time during operation. The
log may contain the date and time of each event, the severity of
the event and a message describing the event.
[0048] In some circumstances, intervention in the operation of
individual context managers may be required. The context
administrator module can be configured to force an application to
leave a context, cancel a transaction in progress, remotely shut
down an aberrantly behaving context manager or remotely restart a
context manager.
[0049] According to a preferred embodiment, all outputs of the
context administrator can be printed, sorted, exported to XML,
etc., so as to be available in both human- and machine-readable
form.
[0050] Context changes are effected in the system by means of
transactions. In the health care field, HL7 CCOW CM-1.1 defines
what constitutes a transaction. According to this standard, a
secure transaction occurs as follows:
[0051] This method is similar to ContextData::SetltemValues. [See
CM-1.1.] The primary difference is that the context participant's
digital signature shall be provided as the value of the input
appSignature when secure subject item values are among the items to
be set. This signature enables the context manager to authenticate
that they came from a designated application or from a valid secure
subject mapping agent, and that the values were not tampered with
between the time they were sent and were received.
[0052] A signature is not required when the values for the user
subject items are null. This enables any application to set the
user context to empty. When a signature is not provided, the value
of the input appSignature shall be an empty string (" ").
[0053] Concatenating the string representations of the following
inputs in the order listed shall form the data from which a message
digest is computed by the participant:
[0054] participantCoupon
[0055] itemNames (i.e., All the elements in the order that they
appear in the array.)
[0056] item Values (i.e., All the elements in the order that they
appear in the array.)
[0057] contextCoupon
[0058] A participant shall compute its digital signature by
encrypting the message digest with its private key.
[0059] The exception SignatureRequired is raised if the value of
appSignature is not a digital signature and a signature is required
in order to perform this method.
[0060] The exception AuthenticationFailed is raised if a digital
signature is required and provided, but the process of
authentication determines that: the application that invoked this
method did not previously provide its public key via the interface
SecureBinding; that the input appSignature has been forged; that
the input parameter values have been tampered with; that the
participant has not been designated for performing user context
changes.
[0061] We now return to FIG. 1, to discuss how the illustrated
architecture provides the facility for performing the operations
described.
[0062] The context administrator module contains the logic defining
the overall operation of the system. The actual maintenance and
switching of context is performed by the context manager module. A
variety of support functions are provided by the context server.
For example, the context server may include a passcode service, a
user mapping agent service and a LDAP service. These services are
now discussed.
[0063] The passcode service provides a virtual software vault for
the passcodes. Passcodes are stored in encrypted form in the LDAP
data store accessed by the context server. Passcodes are not
themselves ever transmitted as messages, but rather the context
manager sends a signed HTTP message to the context server, which
checks the signature and contents of the message against the
stored, encrypted passcode. An MAC acknowledgement is returned to
the context manager either authorizing or denying the request
contained in the message.
[0064] The user mapping agent provides a similar service with
respect to User IDs. A request is sent by the context manager for
the login identifiers corresponding to a particular User ID, and a
list of data is returned to the context manager. The context
manager can then add the login identifiers corresponding to the
User ID to the context data, in this case for the User subject,
where it can be accessed by any application that has joined in the
current context and that also has access to the User subject, which
is secure.
[0065] Similarly, if the context administrator sends to the context
server an LDAP message requesting a change to the passcode list or
the map of User ID information, a security check is first
performed, and then the transaction is either approved or
disapproved.
[0066] The context server could be used to provide other services,
as well. For example, the context server could provide a registry
service, in which each context manager is registered. The registry
would automate the inventorying process to a greater extent,
allowing context managers and context servers to perform a
handshake when a new module comes on line on a network, and the
context manager to be automatically registered. The context
administrator could also provide a default configuration service.
Each registered context manager could be configured to the default
configuration at the time it is registered, unless the default
configuration is overridden.
[0067] The context server can be implemented as a server appliance.
A server appliance is a network-connected server that services
multiple client computers. Like conventional servers, a server
appliance receives requests from client computers to perform
specific tasks. The server performs a task requested and returns
back to the client the result of performing the task. Unlike
conventional servers that provide general purpose platforms for a
wide range of computing tasks, a server appliance is singular in
purpose. A server appliance contains specialized software and
possibly specialized hardware to enable it to achieve its purpose.
Thus, a server appliance can be optimized for the specific tasks
that it is intended to perform, thereby reducing the cost and
complexity of the server appliance when compared with the cost and
complexity of a general purpose server configured for the same
purpose.
[0068] The context administrator inventories the network by pinging
all possible context manager addresses on a port registered with
the IANA, according to one embodiment of the invention. The context
administrator can be implemented on a Windows.TM. 98/2000/NT
machine, and use the Windows.TM. Networking ping function to
perform the required scan. Other operating systems such as Unix,
Linux and the like, with their corresponding networking facilities
can also be used.
[0069] According to some embodiments of the invention,
communication between the context administrator and the context
manager can occur using HTTP. However, context managers communicate
with applications using the COM protocol, as mentioned above.
Therefore, in these embodiments of the invention, rather than add
to the complexity and size of the context manager, a software
daemon translates between HTTP and COM protocols. The context
administrator sends signed messages to the context manager in HTTP,
which are translated by the daemon into signed COM messages. The
context manager returns XML messages, which the daemon wraps in
HTTP to forward to the context administrator. Naturally, other
communications protocols can be used, and even the native protocol
used by the context manager can be used directly, in variations on
embodiments of the invention.
[0070] It should be noted that for security reasons, the daemon is
restricted to calling only COM objects which are part of the
context manager module. Theoretically, an HTTP request could be for
any COM object, but that would create a security breach by allowing
the daemon to be used to gain access to other system
components.
[0071] In order to effect proper communication between the context
managers and the context servers, one configuration parameter set
in the context managers is which context server, of a possible
plurality on a given network, should be used. A failover mechanism
can also be provided which would cause a secondary context server
to be used in the event a primary context server failed to respond
to a message.
[0072] Based upon the foregoing architecture, a new subject is
implemented by the context administrator as follows. First the
subject is defined in the context administrator by giving it a name
and defining its schema. The definition is stored in the
repository. Next, a user gestures to send out the configuration,
causing an HTTP call to the context manager, through the daemon, to
be sent out. Alternatively, the configuration can be stored in a
context server in a configuration service, as discussed above.
Finally, the context manger obtains and stores the new
configuration information locally in a text file. This discussion,
of course, assumes that one or more applications controlled by the
context manager have a priori knowledge of the new subject, thus
giving life and meaning to the new subject definition. If the
subject has been defined to be secure, then the application will
need a passcode to use the subject. Also, any new subject
definition must have at least one application capable of setting
data in the subject.
[0073] In one variation of the invention, the context manager can
be embodied in a server appliance, as described above in connection
with the context server. In such an embodiment of the invention,
the applications may reside in a different computer, workstation,
PC, etc. than the context manager appliance, which also may reside
in a different computer, workstation, PC, etc. than the context
administrator. The components of such a system which reside in
different computers, workstations, PCs, etc. would be connected to
each other through a network, such as a LAN, a WAN, an intranet,
the Internet, etc.
[0074] In other variations of the invention, the structures and
methods described herein can be combined with: the context
sensitive web casting methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 60/135,907, filed May 25, 1999,
incorporated herein in its entirety by reference; the context
management server appliance methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 60/136,670, filed May 28, 1999,
incorporated herein in its entirety by reference; the healthcare
server appliances methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 60/139,235, filed Jun. 14, 1999, incorporated
herein in its entirety by reference; the HTTP Post message encoding
of COM dispatch interface calls disclosed in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 60/139,145, filed Jun. 14, 1999, incorporated
herein in its entirety by reference; the application context
management methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 60/139,145, filed Jun. 14, 1999, incorporated
herein in its entirety by reference; and the context management web
site methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 60/145,681, filed Jul. 26, 1999, incorporated herein in
its entirety by reference. This discussion and that contained in
the referenced patent applications clearly suggest to the skilled
artisan how such combinations would be made.
[0075] The invention has now been described and illustrated in
connection with one embodiment and some variations thereof.
Numerous other variations and modifications which will now be
obvious to the skilled artisan are also contemplated as within the
scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is
not to be limited by the description of embodiments thereof, but
only by the scope of the properly construed claims which
follow.
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