Multi-connection control system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a multi-connection control system. Initially, one or more requests to access a system are received. For each request, it is determined whether to allow access to the system using an access vector to identify an available access object.

1 . A computer-implemented method of determining access to a system, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request to access the system;    determining whether to allow access to the system using an access vector having a plurality of access objects, each access object corresponding to a simultaneous access to the system; and    allowing access to the system if an available access object is identified in the access vector.    
   
   
       2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the access vector is shared by a plurality of requests to access the system, and wherein only one request at a time uses the access vector.  
   
   
       3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the access objects contain information used to determine the validity of the request for access.  
   
   
       4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the information used to determine the validity includes an access level identifier and the validity of the request is determined based upon comparing an access level associated with the request with the access level identifier.  
   
   
       5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the access objects include a resource characteristic and determining the validity of a request further includes comparing information contained in the access request with said resource characteristic.  
   
   
       6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying the number of access objects in the access vector.  
   
   
       7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the modifying the number of access objects in the access vector is performed while the system is operating.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus for determining access to a system, comprising: 
 a computer;    one or more computer programs, performed by the computer, for: 
 receiving a request to access the system;  
 determining whether to allow access to the system using an access vector having a plurality of access objects, each access object corresponding to a simultaneous access to the system; and  
 allowing access to the system if an available access object is identified in the access vector.  
   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the access vector is shared by a plurality of requests to access the system, and wherein only one request at a time uses the access vector.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the access objects contain information used to determine the validity of the request for access.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the information used to determine the validity includes an access level identifier and the validity of the request is determined based upon comparing an access level associated with the request with the access level identifier.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the access objects include a resource characteristic and determining the validity of a request further includes comparing information contained in the access request with said resource characteristic.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising means for modifying the number of access objects in the access vector.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the number of access objects in the access vector is modified while the system is operating.  
   
   
       15 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer program carrier readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform operations for determining access to a system, the operations comprising: 
 receiving a request to access the system;    determining whether to allow access to the system using an access vector having a plurality of access objects, each access object corresponding to a simultaneous access to the system; and    allowing access to the system if an available access object is identified in the access vector.    
   
   
       16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein the access vector is shared by a plurality of requests to access the system, and wherein only one request at a time uses the access vector.  
   
   
       17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein said access indicators contain information used to determine validity of the request for access.  
   
   
       18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the information used to determine the validity includes an access level identifier and the validity of the request is determined based upon comparing an access level associated with the request with the access level identifier.  
   
   
       19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein said access indicators include a resource characteristic and determining the validity of a request further includes comparing information contained in the access request with said resource characteristic.  
   
   
       20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise modifying the number of access objects in the access vector.  
   
   
       21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 20 , wherein the operation of modifying the number of access objects in the access vector is performed while the system is operating.