Patent ID: 6601171
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for delegating rights in a distributed computing system, the method comprising the steps of:receiving at a deputization point in the system a request from a principal for delegation of at least one right of the principal to at least one deputy, the request identifying the principal and the rights to be delegated, the principal having a public key and a corresponding private key; creating at least one deputy having an identity which is different from the identity of the principal such that the deputy can persist even after the principal is logged off of the computing system; providing the deputy with a public key and a corresponding private key; and forming a deputy credential which identifies the principal, identifies the rights delegated to the deputy by the principal, contains the deputy private key encrypted with the principal public key, contains the deputy public key, and is signed by the deputization point; wherein the deputy is a first deputy and the method further comprises the step of delegating at least one right from the first deputy to a second deputy by conducting delegation steps with the first deputy acting as the principal and the second deputy as the deputy; and wherein the deputization point is a first deputization point, and the step of delegating at least one right from the first deputy to a second deputy utilizes a second deputization point.