Access control for elements in a database object

Abstract

A system for controlling access to elements in a database object are provided. The system provides for receiving a request from a user to access the database object, determining whether an access restriction is imposed on the database object, and controlling access to the elements in the database object by the user based on the access restriction. The access restriction specifies one or more users to which the access restriction is applicable, defines a dynamic condition the one or more users must satisfy in order to access the database object, and identifies one or more of the elements in the database object accessible to the one or more users when the dynamic condition is satisfied.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Under 35 USC §120, this application is a continuation application and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 299,857, filed Dec. 12, 2005, entitled “Access Control for Elements in a Database Object,” which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to database management systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed to controlling access to elements in a database object.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In a Database Management System (DBMS), data is stored in tables made up of records (e.g., rows) having one or more fields (e.g., columns). A view is a logical construct imposed over a table and is defined by metadata in the DBMS known as a view definition. The view definition contains mappings to one or more rows and columns in one or more tables stored in a database. Tables and views are considered to be database objects.[0004]Fine-...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a method for controlling access to elements in a database object using access restrictions. These restrictions are based on dynamic conditions that the user must meet, such as session context or purpose. The method eliminates the need for complex views or modified queries, and allows for flexibility to address privacy and security concerns. The access restrictions can be applied to individual elements or sets of elements in the database object. The technical effects of this method include improved security and flexibility in controlling access to database objects.

Problems solved by technology

For example, when the number of different restrictions is numerous, view definitions may become quite complex in an effort to incorporate all of the restrictions in one view, which strains system limits and makes maintenance of the view difficult.

Additionally, if a large number of simple views are desired, e.g., each one implementing a unique view of a table based on the restrictions for a specific set of users, the routing of user requests becomes difficult with the solution often being resolved within the database application rather than the DBMS.

One drawback of the query modification approach is that it only allows the DBMS to control access at the row-level.

Moreover, query modification interferes with dynamic query caching because the modified queries will no longer match the original text of the queries, which makes query matching problematic and impacts the performance benefits of caching.

Further, the solutions described above fail to address the requirements from emerging privacy applications.

For example, a user John Doe may be allowed to access the credit card column from a customer table if he is using the billing application to process a customer order, but he may not be allowed to access that column for the purpose of sending marketing information to the customer.

Existing FGAC solutions cannot address this requirement because they either do not support controlling access at the column level or they provide control access at the column level, but only for columns that have been statically defined (i.e., view-based techniques).

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