Patent ID: 8504837

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a processor; a memory communicatively coupled to processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising: a protocol buffer component configured to: receive a first series of bytes representing a token request having credential information from a requestor; de-serialize the first series of bytes into a token request protocol message object retaining the credential information, wherein the token request protocol message object is formatted according to a Protocol Buffer definition; convert the token request protocol message object into a second token request protocol message object having an Extensible Markup Language representation in accordance with a WS-Trust specification; and a security token service configured to: send the second token request protocol message object to an external entity; receive a first protocol buffer security token, having a Security Assertion Markup Language representation, from the external entity; convert the first protocol buffer security token into a second protocol buffer security token structured in accordance with the the Protocol Buffer definition; serialize the second protocol buffer security token into a second series of bytes; and communicate the second series of bytes as a response to the token request.