Patent ID: 7330971

Claim:
One or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon an application programming interface (API) for communication between an administration server and an authentication server, said API comprising computer-executable instructions for: associating a plurality of namespaces with a plurality of administration servers, wherein each of the namespaces is associated with one of the plurality of administration servers, each of the administration servers providing a service relating to the associated namespace for one or more user accounts of the namespace, said authentication server and said administration servers being connected via a data communication network, said user accounts of the namespaces being managed by the authentication server, said authentication server being authorized to authenticate the user accounts of the namespace; receiving, by the authentication server, a request from one of the administration servers, said authentication server having a database associated therewith storing authentication information for authenticating the user accounts of each of the namespaces, said one of the administration servers being responsive to an administrator for issuing the request to said authentication server, said request specifying at least one action relating to the administration of the user accounts in the namespace associated with said one of the administration servers for managing the database to be performed by the authentication server to the namespace; verifying, by the authentication server, authority of said one of the administration servers to issue the request received by the authentication server; and performing, by the authentication server, the action specified by the received, verified request.