Database end-user identifier

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/982,467 filed Oct. 25, 2007, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a database end-user identifier.

A database (or a “DB” for short) is a computerized tool for storing digital data in an orderly manner. A database is often physically stored in a memory which allows direct access to data, such as a magnetic hard drive or a flash memory device. Access to the data is usually performed using designated software often referred to as a “database management system” (DBMS), commonly coupled to the database itself and, therefore, sometimes considered as a part of the term “database”.

Databases may be used by a user directly, but are often accessed through a software intermediary (or a “middleware”), which is sometimes referred to as an application server. An application server commonly includes a user interface coupled to a software engine to handle the application server\'s business logic and functional characteristics. An application server also usually includes means for interfacing with a database which stores its pertinent data.

Applicant\'s U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2007/0204342 and PCT Published Patent Application WO2007/096890 disclose a database intrusion detection sensor. U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0234926 to Warner discloses a method to support authentication and authorization of a web application user to a database, management system in web server based data-driven applications.

There is provided, according to an embodiment, a user identifier relay, comprising control logic adapted to relay an identifier of an application server user to a database associated with said application server, wherein said relay is performed via a transaction request from said application server to said database.

There is further provided, according to an embodiment, a system adapted to relay a user identifier, the system comprising: an application server; a database associated with said application server; and control logic adapted to relay an identifier of a user of said application server to said database, wherein the relay is performed via a transaction request from the application server to the database.

In some embodiments, said identifier is selected from a group consisting of: an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a login name, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request method and a user environment variable.

In some embodiments, said control logic is embedded within said application server.

In some embodiments, said control logic is external to the application server.

In some embodiments, the user identifier relay further comprises an interface filter adapted to intercept said identifier.

In some embodiments, the user identifier relay further comprises an outgoing filter adapted to attach said identifier to said transaction request.

In some embodiments, said outgoing filter is further adapted to implant said identifier in an end-to-end metric of said transaction request.

In some embodiments, said outgoing filter is further adapted to implant said identifier in a connection property of said transaction request.

In some embodiments, said outgoing filter is further adapted to implant said identifier as a note in a Structured Query Language (SQL) query.

In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the figures and by study of the following detailed description.