Patent ID: 7509489

Claim:
A certificate issuing system comprising at least one computing device executing computer-readable instructions for generating a certificate in response to a client request, comprising: a processor; a receiving component for receiving the client request from a client, the client request comprising a first certificate in a first format, wherein the receiving component transmits the first certificate; a translation component for receiving the first certificate from the receiving component, translating the first certificate into a common format, and transmitting a translated first certificate; an issuing component for receiving the translated first certificate from the translation component and determining whether the client is entitled to a second certificate by comparing information from the translated first certificate with a certificate issuing policy, wherein the certificate issuing policy is loaded onto the issuing component prior to the determination, wherein the issuing component generates the second certificate in the common format if the translated first certificate establishes that the client has at least one credential required by the certificate issuing policy and transmits the second certificate to the translation component, and wherein the translation component translates the second certificate from the common format into a second format and transmits a translated second certificate; and a transmitting component for transmitting the translated second certificate to the client.