Patent ID: 7228417
Filing Date: 2007-06-05
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. In a computerized network comprising at least one client and a plurality of authentication servers, said client and said authentication servers being communicatively coupled to each other via a global telecommunications network, a method for providing distributed authentication service comprising said steps of: (a) taking and parsing, by said client, an entered user name and password; (b) generating a time stamp; (c) selecting an authentication server from a list of authentication servers; (d) combining said password and a service specific seed unique to an authentication server selected from said list of authentication servers; (e) applying a hash algorithm to said combination and said time stamp to generate a first hash value; (f) finding an address representing said selected authentication server; (g) sending a data packet to said selected authentication server, said data packet comprising said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp; (h) extracting said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp from said data packet received from said client; (i) checking whether an entry under said user name is available in said selected authentication server's database; (j) if no entry under said user name is found, then returning a failure message to said client and repeating steps (b) to (g) for a next selected authentication server; (k) if an entry under said user name is found, then retrieving said user's password; (l) combining said time stamp, said retrieved password, and said service specific seed unique to said selected authentication server; (m) applying said hash algorithm to said combination from Step (l) to generate a second hash value; (n) comparing said first hash value and said second hash value; (o) if said first hash value and said second hash value do not match, then returning a failure message to said client and repeating steps (b) to (g) for a next selected authentication server; (p) if said first hash value and said second hash value match, then returning a successful authentication message to said client; (q) caching and distributing said positive authentication result; and (r) when said entire list has been tested and no one authenticates said user, then resulting in authentication failure.