Systems, methods, and software to provide access control in cloud computing environments

1. A method of providing accommodated, compliant-based access control across multiple cloud computing environments, the method comprising:

identifying a first request generated by a requester for interacting with a first resource hosted in a first cloud computing environment, where the identified first request comprises requester identifying information and a requested interaction between the requester and the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment;

determining, based on the requester identifying information and the requested interaction between the requester and the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, and further according to identifying information associated with the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, whether the requested interaction is authorized for the requester with respect to the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment;

providing a first control response governing requester access rights to the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, wherein providing the first control response comprises granting or denying requester access for the requested interaction based on the determination;

identifying a second request generated by the requester for interacting with a second resource hosted in a second cloud computing environment;

assessing, based on characteristics of the second cloud computing environment and using the requester identifying information, whether the second request for interacting with the second resource adheres with a particular authorization requirement of the second cloud computing environment;

wherein the characteristics of the second cloud computing environment include at least one of a type of cloud provisioning service for the second cloud computing environment and a particular application running in the second cloud computing environment; and

according to the determining and further based on the assessing, providing a second control response governing the requester access rights for the requested interaction with the second resource hosted in the second cloud computing environment without the need to reconfigure the requester access rights to the second resource hosted in the second cloud computing environment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the first control response governing the requester access rights to the first resource in the first cloud computing environment is performed simultaneously with the providing of the second control response governing the requester access rights to the second resource in the second cloud computing environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first resource is hosted on a first server in the first cloud computing environment and further wherein the second resource is hosted on a second server that is different than the first server and located in the second cloud computing environment, and wherein the requester is granted access with a same permission corresponding to the requester access rights from the first server and the second server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the first request comprises receiving the first request from the requester.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the second control response comprises responding to the first request by providing the requester with an access credential enabling the requester to perform the requested interaction if the requested interaction is determined to be authorized for the requester with respect to the first resource in the first cloud computing environment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the second control response comprises issuing a new access credential based on the requester identifying information specified in the first request, wherein the new access credential enables the requester access to the first resource and the second resource for the requested interaction in the first and the at least second cloud computing environments.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the second control response comprises generating an audit record associated with at least one of the identified first request and the identified second request.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein governing the requester access rights to the first resource and the second resource for the requested interaction in at least one of the first cloud computing environment and the at least second cloud environment comprises one of the following:

sending one or more credentials to the requester;

sending an approval to the first resource and the second resource, wherein the approval enables the requested interaction; or

sending an approval to a gatekeeping access control node associated with the first resource and the second resource.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the requester comprises one of the following:

a non-human host; or

a human user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein governing the requester access rights to the first resource and the second resource for the requested interaction in at least one of the first cloud computing environment and the at least second cloud environment comprises one of the following:

one-time access;

or time-limited access.

11. A computer apparatus to operate a computing system to provide accommodated, compliant-based access control across multiple cloud computing environments, the apparatus comprising: software instructions configured, when executed by one or more computing systems, to direct the one or more computing systems to:

identify a first request generated by a requester for interacting with a first resource hosted in a first cloud computing environment, where the identified first request comprises requester identifying information and a requested interaction between the requester and the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment;

determine, based on the requester identifying information and the requested interaction between the requester and the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, and further according to identifying information associated with the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, whether the requested interaction is authorized for the requester with respect to the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment;

provide a first control response governing requester access rights to the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, wherein providing the first control response comprises granting or denying requester access for the requested interaction based on the determination;

identify a second request generated by the requester for interacting with a second resource hosted in a second cloud computing environment;

assess, based on characteristics of the second cloud computing environment and using the requester identifying information, whether the second request for interacting with the second resource adheres with a particular authorization requirement of the second cloud computing environment;

wherein the characteristics of the second cloud computing environment include at least one of a type of cloud provisioning service for the second cloud computing environment and a particular application running in the second cloud computing environment; and

according to the first determination and further based on the assessment, provide a second control response governing the requester access rights for the requested interaction with the second resource hosted in the second cloud computing environment without the need to reconfigure the requester access rights to the second resource hosted in the second cloud computing environment.

12. The computer apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first resource is hosted on a first server in the first cloud computing environment and further wherein the second resource is hosted on a second server that is different than the first server and located in the second cloud computing environment, and wherein the requester is granted access with a same permission corresponding to the requester access rights from the first server and the second server.

13. The computer apparatus of claim 11 wherein providing the second control response comprises responding to the request by providing the requester with an access credential enabling the requester to perform the requested interaction if the requested interaction is determined to be authorized for the requester with respect to the first resource in the first cloud computing environment.

14. The computer apparatus of claim 11 wherein providing the second control response comprises generating an audit record associated with at least one of the identified first request and the identified second request.

15. The computer apparatus of claim 11 wherein the requester comprises one of the following:

a non-human host; or

a human user.

16. A method of providing accommodated, compliant-based access control across multiple cloud computing environments, the method comprising:

identifying a request generated by the requester for interacting with a first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment;

determining, based on requester identifying information and a requested interaction between the requester and the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, and further according to identifying information associated with the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment, whether the requested interaction is authorized for the requester with respect to the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment; and

providing a control response governing requester access to the first resource hosted in the first cloud computing environment;

wherein the control response comprises granting or denying requester access for the requested interaction based on the determination; and

further wherein, when the control response grants the requester access to the first resource for the requested interaction in the first cloud computing environment, the control response further grants the requester access to a second resource for the requested interaction with the second resource hosted in the second cloud computing environment.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first resource comprises an application hosted on a first server in the first cloud computing environment and the second resource comprises an application hosted on a second server in the second cloud computing environment.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein providing the control response comprises one of the following sending one or more credentials to the requester.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the requester comprises one of the following:

a non-human host;

or a human user.