Patent ID: 8539081

Claim:
A method for authenticating a client on a plurality of file servers in connection with providing proxy services to the client, comprising: establishing, at a network device, a connection between the client and a first file server of the plurality of file servers; receiving, at the network device, a transaction request from the client to access an object on the plurality of file servers; in response to the received transaction request and in order to provide proxy services to the client, authenticating, at the network device, the client on the other file servers of the plurality of file servers by successively obtaining a referral request from the client for each of the other file servers, wherein the successively obtained referral requests are used to authenticate the client on each of the other file servers of the plurality of file servers in connection with providing proxy services to the client, the authenticating comprising for each file server: the network device sending a request declined message to the client indicating the requested object is not available; the network device receiving a referral request from the client; the network device responding to the received referral request by sending the client a referral, wherein the referral refers the client to the each file server; the network device receiving a reformulated transaction request from the client in response to the referral, wherein the reformulated transaction request comprises authentication information for the client; and the network device forwarding the reformulated transaction request to the each file server, wherein the each file server uses the authentication information to authenticate the client on the each file server; and after authenticating the client on the plurality of file servers, performing transactions at the network device to access the object or other objects on the plurality of file servers on behalf of the client.