Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for binding network identities to locally-meaningful identities in a computer network is disclosed. A client computer is connected to a server computer that performs various functions requested by an operator of the client computer. The server computer assigns a temporary locally-meaningful identity to the operator of the client computer, and receives and responds to requests to perform functions from the client computer. The server computer triggers an ownership fault in response to a particular request received from the client computer. The particular request that triggers the ownership fault may be a request to create a file, a request to create a directory, a request to take ownership of an existing file, a request to take ownership of an existing directory, or other function. In response to the ownership fault, the server computer assigns a permanent local identity to the network identity associated with the operator of the client computer in response to the ownership fault depending on its security policy. The permanent local identity may be retrieved from a pool of previously allocated locally-meaningful identities maintained by the server computer, or the permanent local identity may be created as needed. Once the assignment occurs, the server computer maps the permanent local identity to the network identity by updating its records.

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First Claim