Patent ID: 7480718

Claim:
A method for providing a single sign-on application environment having multiple user information directories, comprising: determining a single sign-on Web cookie user name field by providing a user interface to an administrator user through which said administrator user designates an existing field in user information records in a first user information directory associated with a first application program, wherein said existing field is used to store administrator supplied single sign-on Web cookie user names; storing a single sign-on Web cookie user name in association with a login user name off a user for said first application program in said single sign-on application environment, wherein said single sign-on Web cookie user name is stored in said designated existing field in said first user information directory associated with said first application program, wherein said one of said single sign-on Web cookie user names is different from said login user name of said user; receiving, by said first application program, a service request from said user on a user computer system, wherein said service request includes said login user name for said user for said first application program in said single sign-on application environment and a password; authorizing use of said first application program by said user based on said login user name and said password; retrieving, by said first application program, responsive to said login user name, and further responsive to said designation by said administrator user of said existing field in said user information records in said first user information directory associated with said first application program, said single sign-on Web cookie user name from said designated existing field in said user information records in said first user information directory; forming, by said first application program, a single-sign on Web cookie including said single sign-on Web cookie user name; and passing said single sign-on Web cookie from said first application program to said user computer system.