Abstract: Techniques for identifying unused privileges are provided. Database accesses are monitored to generate privilege usage data. Privilege usage data for each database access may indicate a user, a utilized privilege, an object that is the target of the privilege, and a role to which the privilege is granted. The privilege usage data is compared to database authorization data that indicates all (or a subset) of granted privileges. A result of the comparison is unused privilege data that indicates what granted privileges were not utilized. A role graph may be generated that indicates one or more privileges that were utilized and one or more privileges that were not utilized along with role paths providing the privileges.

Abstract: Techniques for efficient cursor sharing to enforce fine-grained access control are provided. In one technique, the authorization context of a database statement is stored in (or in association with) a corresponding cursor. The authorization context indicates multiple authorization results, each of which indicates whether a user (or role) associated with the database statement is allowed to access a different data set of multiple data sets that the database statement targets. An authorization context of an incoming database statement may be compared to the authorization context of a cursor in a single comparison to determine whether the authorization contexts match. If so, then the cursor may be shared. In another technique, one or more normalizations are applied to a cursor predicate that is generated based on the authorization context of a database statement. The one or more normalizations may result in removing one or more predicates from the cursor predicate.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for integrating application-level user security context with a database. A session manager, in a middle tier that includes an application, obtains the security context of a user and establishes, in the database, a light-weight session (LWS) that reflects the security context. The security context is synchronized between the middle tier and database before application code execution. The database maintains an isolated copy of the LWS for the unit of application code executed as the security context. The database sends to the session manager the identifier of the copy of LWS. Before allowing a request from an application to be sent to the database, the session manager, transparent to the application, inserts an identifier that identifies the LWS. In this way, the database processes an application request in the context of the corresponding user's security context that is the same as the security context in the middle tier.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for integrating application-level user security context with a database. A session manager, in a middle tier that includes an application, obtains the security context of a user and establishes, in the database, a light-weight session (LWS) that reflects the security context. The security context is synchronized between the middle tier and database before application code execution. The database maintains an isolated copy of the LWS for the unit of application code executed as the security context. The database sends to the session manager the identifier of the copy of LWS. Before allowing a request from an application to be sent to the database, the session manager, transparent to the application, inserts an identifier that identifies the LWS. In this way, the database processes an application request in the context of the corresponding user's security context that is the same as the security context in the middle tier.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for integrating application-level user security context with a database. A session manager, in a middle tier that includes an application, obtains the security context of a user and establishes, in the database, a light-weight session (LWS) that reflects the security context. The security context is synchronized between the middle tier and database before application code execution. The database maintains an isolated copy of the LWS for the unit of application code executed as the security context. The database sends to the session manager the identifier of the copy of LWS. Before allowing a request from an application to be sent to the database, the session manager, transparent to the application, inserts an identifier that identifies the LWS. In this way, the database processes an application request in the context of the corresponding user's security context that is the same as the security context in the middle tier.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for integrating application-level user security context with a database. A session manager, in a middle tier that includes an application, obtains the security context of a user and establishes, in the database, a light-weight session (LWS) that reflects the security context. The security context is synchronized between the middle tier and database before application code execution. The database maintains an isolated copy of the LWS for the unit of application code executed as the security context. The database sends to the session manager the identifier of the copy of LWS. Before allowing a request from an application to be sent to the database, the session manager, transparent to the application, inserts an identifier that identifies the LWS. In this way, the database processes an application request in the context of the corresponding user's security context that is the same as the security context in the middle tier.

Abstract: Techniques for efficient cursor sharing to enforce fine-grained access control are provided. In one technique, the authorization context of a database statement is stored in (or in association with) a corresponding cursor. The authorization context indicates multiple authorization results, each of which indicates whether a user (or role) associated with the database statement is allowed to access a different data set of multiple data sets that the database statement targets. An authorization context of an incoming database statement may be compared to the authorization context of a cursor in a single comparison to determine whether the authorization contexts match. If so, then the cursor may be shared. In another technique, one or more normalizations are applied to a cursor predicate that is generated based on the authorization context of a database statement. The one or more normalizations may result in removing one or more predicates from the cursor predicate.

Abstract: Techniques for identifying unused privileges are provided. Database accesses are monitored to generate privilege usage data. Privilege usage data for each database access may indicate a user, a utilized privilege, an object that is the target of the privilege, and a role to which the privilege is granted. The privilege usage data is compared to database authorization data that indicates all (or a subset) of granted privileges. A result of the comparison is unused privilege data that indicates what granted privileges were not utilized. A role graph may be generated that indicates one or more privileges that were utilized and one or more privileges that were not utilized along with role paths providing the privileges.