Service management framework
View Patent ↗Articles and associated methods, systems, and computer program products relate to a service framework to register multiple plug-ins on a client and to provide access to functionality that would otherwise be unavailable to a user until they logged-in. One plug-in module enables an unauthenticated user to interact with a server to initiate a password reset feature from a secure desktop environment on the client. Another plug-in module enables a user to reset cached credentials on a remote client when requesting a password reset from outside of the server's local network. In some implementations, a server may authenticate the user by issuing challenge questions and monitoring the user's responses. A variety of other services may be provided as plug-ins to the client framework. A library of plug-ins may be stored on the server. The server may select plug-ins to send to each client based upon criteria according to business rules.
1. A method to reset cached credentials on a remote client, the method comprising:
receiving a request sent by a client device remote from a server to reset a password on the client device;
sending a reply message to the client device over a network external to a network local to the server; and
wherein the message prompts a plug-in module registered in a service framework running on the client device to perform operations to reset cached credentials on the client device in response to the received reply message;
wherein the client device runs an operating system requiring authentication of a user to the client device, and the operating system has no authenticated users during the receiving and sending; and
wherein the operations of receiving, sending, and resetting cached credentials are performed without user interaction.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising resetting the password on the client device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying the identity of the user.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein verifying the identity of the user comprises receiving answers to at least one challenge-response question.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the reply message comprises sending the message through a firewall between the external network and the network local to the server.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending updated plug-in modules from the server to be registered on the client service framework.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein sending updated plug-in modules comprises selecting modules based on a set of criteria.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the set of criteria comprises an operating system running on the client device.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the set of criteria comprises a role associated with a currently authorized user.
10. An apparatus to provide a framework for multiple services to run on a client terminal, the apparatus comprising:
a processor in a client device that runs an operating system requiring authentication of a user to the client device; and
a memory in the client device containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:
registering at least one of a plurality of plug-in modules received from a server with a service framework running on the client;
selecting a registered plug-in module on the client device to activate in response to a request to reset a password received when the operating system running on the processor has no authenticated users; and
activating the selected plug-in module upon receiving the request when the operating system running on the processor has no authenticated users, wherein the plug-in module is configured to without user interaction:
send a request to reset the password to the server;
receive a reply message from the server; and
reset the password responsive to the received reply.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving updated plug-in modules from the server.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise registering the updated plug-in modules with the service framework.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise resetting cached credentials on the client.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the client comprises a laptop or notebook or handheld computer.
15. A machine-readable storage device comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:
receiving user input to request a password reset at a client when the client runs an operating system, the operating system requires user authentication, and the operating system is without a currently authenticated user;
processing the received user input by activating a first service module registered in a service framework on the client configured to register one or more service modules;
sending information about the received user input from the client to a server; and
receiving information from the server regarding whether to reset the password; and
resetting the password based on the information received;
wherein the operations occur while the operating system is without a currently authenticated user; and
wherein the operations of sending information, receiving information, and resetting the password are performed without user interaction.
16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise resetting the password.
17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the information received from the server comprises a denial of the request.
18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise verifying the user's identity.
19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise resetting cached credentials on the client.
20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise causing information to be sent for display, the sent information comprising a message indicating successful reset of the password.
21. The machine-readable storage device of claim 20 , wherein the operations further comprise displaying the message in conjunction with a login screen.
22. A system to provide a framework to run services on a client-server network without an authenticated user, the apparatus comprising:
a server;
a client coupled to communicate data with the server over a communication path, the client comprising:
a client processor that runs an operating system requiring authentication of a user to the client; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the client processor, cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:
registering at least one of a plurality of plug-in modules and updated plug-in modules received from a server with a service framework running on the client;
selecting a registered plug-in module to activate in response to receiving a user input when no users are authenticated to the operating system; and
activating the selected plug-in module upon receiving the user input when the operating system has no authenticated users, wherein the selected plug-in module provides access to services for which access is denied to users who have not authenticated to the operating system;
wherein the server is configured to select the updated plug-in modules based on a set of criteria comprising an operating system running on the client.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the selected plug-in module provides access to services running on the server.
24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the selected plug-in module provides access to services running on the client.
25. The system of claim 22 , wherein the selected plug-in module provides access to services running on another client or another server coupled to communicate with client processor.
26. The system of claim 22 , wherein the services to which the selected plug-in provides access comprise a password reset service.
27. The system of claim 22 , wherein the services to which the selected plug-in provides access comprise a cached credentials reset service.