Patent ID: 8613067

Claim:
A method for authenticating a client computer system to multiple server resources each with a standalone authentication system, the method comprising: enrolling to receive a digital certificate, the digital certificate being associated with the client computer system and a user identity in a centralized directory; storing the digital certificate on the client computer system; initiating a web login session with the authentication system of a first server resource of the multiple server resources; transmitting a first set of login credentials from the client computer system to the authentication system of the first server resource of the multiple server resources; validating the client computer system to the first server resource of the multiple server resources based upon the first set of login credentials; in response to successful validation of the client computer system to the first server resource of the multiple server resources, receiving a token from the authentication system of the first server resource of the multiple resources, the token associated with an account identifier referencing the user identity in the centralized directory, the token indicating that the first set of login credentials is associated with the user identity; storing the token on the client computer system; accessing server resources associated with the first server resource of the multiple server resources; transmitting the token and a second set of login credentials comprising the digital certificate, wherein the digital certificate is different from the first set of login credentials, to a second server resource of the multiple server resources, the second set of login credentials being stored on the client computer system prior to transmission of the first set of login credentials to the authentication system of the first server resource of the multiple server resources; validating the client computer system to the authentication system of the second server resource of the multiple server resources based upon the transmitted token and the second set of login credentials; and in response to successful validation of the client computer system to the authentication system of the second server resource of the multiple server resources, accessing a sub resource associated with the second server resource of the multiple server resources.