International Business Machines Corporation

Anthony Paul Bachand

Patrick S Botz

Barbara Ann Smith

Carol Jean Woodbury

A method, system and computer program product for selectively restricting access to a program function in a computer system having an operating system security mechanism operates via an application programming interface (API) that includes a program function registration API function, an authorization selection API function, and an authorization query API function. In response to a call to the API registration function, the program function is registered in a repository in the computer system. After the program function has been registered, a system administrator can select user authorizations using a software tool that includes calls to the authorization selection API function. The system administrator may select whether a particular user or group of users is authorized to access each registered program function. A programmer can embed a call to the authorization query API function in an application program, which includes or calls the program function. When the application program reaches the call to the authorization query API function, the function is executed and returns an indicator or value indicating whether or not that user is allowed to access the program function.

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Anthony Paul Bachand