Patent ID: 6959336
Filing Date: 2005-10-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for authenticating a subject residing in a subject domain on a network to a server application residing in a server domain on the network, wherein a plurality of authentication mechanisms are present in an authentication domain on the network to affect the service provided by the server application, the system comprising: a client for communicating with other components of the system and for authenticating the subject to other components of the system by providing client credentials on behalf of the subject, wherein said client also resides in the subject domain wherein the subject is selected from humans, client applications and applets; an agent for communicating with other components of the system and for interacting said client to choose an appropriate authentication mechanism for the subject from among the plurality of authentication mechanisms, wherein said agent resides in an agent domain on the network; and a protocol proxy for communicating between said client and said appropriate authentication mechanism and for authenticating said client based on said client credentials, for obtaining from said appropriate authentication mechanism temporary credentials for said client to access the server application, and for creating from said temporary credentials an authentication name assertion allowing said client to access the server application.