Patent ID: 8554934

Claim:
A processor-implemented method for providing single sign-on leveraging a virtual local area network identifier, comprising: providing, by an authentication server, a client device access to a network via association with a virtual local area network and a credential; receiving, by an application server, a request that includes a virtual local area network tag from the client device to invoke an application in the virtual local area network hosted on the application server; maintaining an association between the virtual local area network tag and the client device in one or more databases; maintaining an association between the client device and a user identification in the one or more databases; subsequently leveraging the virtual local area network tag included in the request from the client device to provide the client device access to the application without separately authenticating with the application, wherein the leveraging comprises: identifying, by the application server, the virtual local area network tag associated with the client device included in the request from the client device; sending, by the application server, a request message to the authentication server requesting the user identification associated with the client device based on the identified virtual local area network tag included in the request from the client device; and in response to receiving the request message, matching, by the authentication server, the identified virtual local area network tag included in the request from the client device with the user identification associated with the client device and maintained in the one or more databases and sending a reply message to the application server containing the user identification; and subsequently providing, by the application server, the client device with access to the application using the user identification contained in the reply message, wherein the providing comprises the application server promoting the application, which normally requests a unique user identification and a password or other credential, to rely on the virtual local area network tag and the user identification contained in the reply message and permit access to the client device.