Abstract: A user alias for concealing a user's user identification is provided. When signing-on, the user inputs a user alias to a log-in shell. The log-in shell verifies the validity of the user alias. The log-in shell then obtains a user identification associated with the valid user alias.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for authorizing computer services, the method including receiving in an intermediary node a request for computer services to be performed by a downstream node, the request having passed through at least two upstream nodes prior to receipt by the intermediary node; determining whether the credentials of each of the at least two upstream nodes are valid; passing the request to a downstream node if the credentials of each of the at least two upstream nodes are valid; and deprecating the request if the credentials of at least one of the at least two upstream nodes are invalid.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for sending secured data, the method including encrypting a first portion of a request for computer services to be performed by a downstream node for decryption by a first node, encrypting a second portion of the request for computer services to be performed by a downstream node for decryption by a second node, and passing the request for computer services to a downstream node.

Abstract: A system cluster, a method and a recording medium are provided in which an administering host system of a cluster maintains global information for globally managing the availability of services to users on a basis of the system cluster. Individual host systems also maintain local information, the local information being usable for locally managing the availability of services or resources to users of those host systems. Thus, the availability of services to users of the cluster is managed locally for some users via referring to the local information at the host system to which the user makes a request. For other users, the availability of services is managed via referring to the global information. A table is maintained at each of the host systems which indicates for each user defined to the cluster whether the services available to the particular user are managed globally or locally.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and products are provided for displaying text in variable width display fields. Embodiments include receiving a plurality of lines of text for display in variable width display fields produced by a computer program; receiving field display parameters; calculating, for each line of text, the width of a plurality of display fields in dependence upon the field display parameters and the received text; determining, for each line of text, display text for display in the display fields in dependence upon the field display parameters and the received text; and visually presenting the display text in the display fields.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for managing database records with attributes located in multiple registries are disclosed. A data processing system identifies one or more attributes of a record to be accessed from one or more of a plurality of distributed databases, wherein a first attribute among the one or more attributes resides in an unknown database among the plurality of databases and it is known that a second attribute resides in a particular database among the plurality of databases. The data processing system forms a query, which includes a request for the first attribute and a request for the second attribute, and sends the query to the particular database. The data processing system receives a positive response to the query indicating that the particular database contains the first attribute for the record, and in response to receiving the positive response, the data processing system stores an identifier of the particular database in association with the first attribute.

Abstract: Systems, methods and media for controlling temperature of a system are disclosed. More particularly, hardware, software and/or firmware for controlling the temperature of a computer system are disclosed. Embodiments may include receiving component temperatures for a group of components and selecting a component to perform an activity based at least partially on the component temperatures. In one embodiment, the lowest temperature component may be selected to perform the activity. Other embodiments may provide for determining an average temperature of the components, and if the average temperature exceeds a threshold, delaying or reducing the performance of the components. In some embodiments, components may include computer processors, memory modules, hard drives, etc.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and a data processing system for providing return values to a requesting process is provided. A plurality of datums having respective standard-based datum values are stored in a datum store. A variant datum value associated with both one or more of the plurality of datums and a first process are stored in a process-specific datum store. A request for a standard-based datum value is received from the first process. The variant datum value is returned as the standard-based datum to the first process.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for administering and maintaining access control lists for a filesystem in a heterogeneous network environment. A filesystem includes an access mechanism for a native filesystem type. Files, directory structures, metadata, etc. are stored using the native access mechanism. Access control lists may also be stored for the native filesystem type using the native access mechanism. The filesystem also includes access mechanisms for one or more additional filesystem types. Access control lists may be stored for the additional filesystem types, as needed. Thus, any given filesystem object may have associated therewith two or more access control lists.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for process-based access controls on computer resources to processes. An access mechanism is provided in which a specific invoker obtains an object access identity (ACI). Another mechanism is provided in which a specific object, such as a file system resource, requires a specific object access identity to obtain one of the forms of access denoted by an access control list. A process may “grant” an identifier that is later “required” for a system resource access. Objects may specify their own access requirements and permitted access modes. The granted identifier, ACI, is stored in the process's credentials once these credentials match a specific “grant” entry in the access control list. This identifier has no meaning outside of being used to make an access decision for a specific resource. When a process tries to access the object, the object's access control list is scanned for “required” entries.

Abstract: A method for enhancing port allocation procedures in a computer network by reserving specific ports to particular users and processes. Access protocol for ports are modified to enable a system administrator to defined/pre-select particular users and processes that may access the specific ports. A table structure is provided with the list of users and processes with bind authority for the particular port. When a bind request is received the ID of the user or process is confirmed against those within the table of the requested port. Bind access is provided only when the user ID or process ID matches one that is within the table. The port is allocated to the user/program until the user/process is complete, and other requests for access to the port are ignored until final completion of the ongoing process, even when a temporary disconnect of the port occurs.

Abstract: A system and method for representing multiple security groups as a single data object are provided. With the system and method, a complex group object is created that consists of a group set value and a mask value. The complex group object represents a plurality of groups by the group set value. The mask value is used to apply to group identifiers received during an authentication process to generate a value that is compared against the group set value to determine if the group identifiers are part of the complex group. For example, in a first step of authorization processing, the group identifier received in an authorization request is bit-wise AND'd with the mask value for the complex group data object. In a second step, the masked group identifier from the received request is compared to the group set value of the complex group object.

Abstract: A portable access control list (PACL) model is provided. The PACL is not meant to represent an actual ACL instantiation, but rather a global representation of the access control list concept. A portable ACL entry includes a tuple of identifiers, permissions and/or actions, and application rules. The portable ACL model is a superset of all existing identifiers, permissions, and actions. The PACL model also is unordered; therefore, any ACL model may be represented in the PACL model. A programming model is also provided. The programming model consists of common operations performed on ACL objects and may accept PACL entry information or filesystem specific ACL entry information. A mechanism is provided for performing conversion operations between actual filesystem specific ACL models and the PACL model. The PACL model may serve as an intermediate model between disparate filesystems.