Authority delegation with secure operating system queues

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are provided for delegating security rights to Java servlets and other executable tasks by using secure operating system queues. In particular embodiments, the invention allows secure loading of Java servlets on a Novell NetWare server. The invention allows users to run servlets from various locations with the same rights, namely, the user's rights. The servlet submitted by a given user runs in the context of that user's rights. A system according to the invention verifies that the user has the right to submit the task to a given task queue; the queue is managed by the system, and the user is authenticated to the system. Queue servers which receive tasks from the queue and service them by executing the tasks are likewise authenticated by the system. When a queue server attempts to service a task in a queue, the system verifies that the queue server has rights to service that queue and that job. This two way verification—that a user has rights to submit the task, and that the queue server has rights to service the task—allows the user and the queue server to establish a trusted relationship using the operating system's trusted queues. Moreover, existing user rights databases and access control systems can be used to determine and enforce rights and trust levels.