METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THE AUTOMATED TRANSFORMATION OF ACCESS CONTROL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION IN COMPUTER SYSTEMS

1 . A computing system, comprising:

a source module including a source access control model for a first computing system, the access control model including access control data;

a target module comprising a target access control model for a second computing system, the access control model including access control data;

a source transformer module to create an access control matrix based on the access control data in the source access control model;

a target transformer module to convert the access control matrix according to the target access control model of the target module; and

a transformation control module to manage the communication between the source and target transformer modules.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a storage module to store the access control matrix created by the source transformer module.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a user interface module to receive user input, the user input to define the source and target modules; and

a transformation application logic module to manage the interaction between the user interface module and the transformation control module.

4 . A method, comprising:

extracting a source access control model of a source system;

building an access control matrix from the extracted source access control model of the source system;

extracting a target access control model of a target system; and

converting the access control matrix to the target access control model of the target system.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising receiving user input defining the source system and the target system.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein extracting the source access control model of the source system comprises:

identifying a set of access control data in source the access control model of the source system, the set of access control data comprising a set of users, a set of resources, and a set of actions; and

identifying a set of relationships between the access control data.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein extracting the target access control model of the target system comprises:

identifying a set of access control data in the target access control model of the target system, the set of access control data comprising a set of users, a set of resources, and a set of actions; and

identifying a set of relationships between the access control data.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein building the access control matrix of the source system comprises:

creating a logical structure for the access control matrix comprising a list of tuples, wherein each tuple comprises a user, a resource, and an action the user can perform on the resource;

loading, for each tuple in the access control matrix, data from the access control model of the source system; and

storing the access control matrix in a storage.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein converting the access control matrix comprises:

loading the access control matrix from a storage;

extracting data from the access control matrix; and

transforming the data included in the access control matrix according to the extracted target access control model of the target system.

10 . A machine readable medium having instructions therein that when executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

extract a source access control model of a source system;

build an access control matrix from the extracted source access control model of the source system;

extract a target access control model of a target system; and

convert the access control matrix in the target access control model of the target system.

11 . The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising instructions that cause the machine to receive user input, the user input to define the source system and the target system.

12 . The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein instructions causing the machine to extract the source access control model of the source system, cause the machine to:

identify a set of access control data in source the access control model of the source system, the set of access control data comprising a set of users, a set of resources, and a set of actions; and

identify a set of relationships between the access control data.

13 . The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein instructions causing the machine to extract the target access control model of the target system, cause the machine to:

identify a set of access control data in the target access control model of the target system, the set of access control data comprising a set of users, a set of resources, and a set of actions; and

identify a set of relationships between the access control data.

14 . The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein instructions causing the machine to build the access control matrix of the source system, cause the machine to:

create a logical structure for the access control matrix comprising a list of tuples, wherein each tuple comprises a user, a resource, and an action the user can perform on the resource;

load, for each tuple in the access control matrix, data from the access control model of the source system; and

store the access control matrix in a storage.

15 . The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein instructions causing the machine to convert the access control matrix, cause the machine to:

load the access control matrix from a storage;

extract data from the access control matrix; and

transform the data included in the access control matrix according to the extracted target access control model of the target system.