International Business Machines Corporation
Fine-grained access control to datasets

Abstract:

A method, system and computer program for implementing fine-grained access control (FGAC) of data stored in a dataset. In response to receiving a data query statement from a user, any representational index exclusions that are relevant to the data query statement are identified, wherein each index exclusion specifies an access restriction to the data. It is then determined whether any of the identified representational index exclusions are to be applied to the data query statement, and if `yes` then the data query statement is modified before being processed, so that processing of the query takes place by searching the dataset under restriction of the representational index exclusions. The proposed approach allows for easy creation and modification of FGAC privacy rules without introducing performance gaps in processing the data query statements.