Patent ID: 8272039

Claim:
A computer-performed method for authenticating a client access to a networked computer system, the computer-performed method comprising: receiving an access attempt at a login module of an authentication process executing at a particular node of the networked computer system; first filtering the access attempt by the authentication process according to an identifier other than a certificate or a username, the first filtering comprising comparing the identifier to a first predetermined set of multiple accepted identities to determine whether or not to authenticate the access attempt using a first authentication object interface accessible by the authentication process; responsive to the first filtering determining to authenticate the access attempt using the first authentication object interface, the authentication process authenticating the access attempt by passing the access attempt to the first authentication object interface; responsive to the first filtering determining not to authenticate the access attempt using the first authentication object interface, second filtering the access attempt by the authentication process according to the identifier other than the certificate or the username, the second filtering comprising comparing the identifier to a second predetermined set of multiple accepted identities that differs from the first predetermined set of multiple accepted identities to determine whether to authenticate the access attempt using a second authentication object interface accessible by the authentication process; and responsive to the second filtering determining to authenticate the access attempt using the second authentication object interface, the authentication process authenticating the access attempt by passing the access attempt to the second authentication object interface.