Authentication Interface for Heterogeneous Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
In heterogeneous computing environments with different authentication systems, users face challenges in accessing resources across systems due to varying credential standards and the lack of reliable remote access, especially when credentials change, leading to access issues.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for authenticating remote users across heterogeneous authentication systems, which involves receiving domain user credentials, transmitting them to a centralized authentication system, and determining a local username for authentication, allowing seamless access across systems while managing password changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a user provides credentials for a first authentication system to access a second heterogeneous system, then the user can access both systems with a single login process, but the credentials for the user on the second heterogeneous system may change without the information stored in the first authentication system being updated, preventing reliable access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication interface as an intermediary component that mediates between the first authentication system and the second heterogeneous authentication system. This interface receives credentials from the first system, validates them against the second system, and manages the credential synchronization, thereby maintaining both single login convenience and access reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the authentication interface continuously monitors and validates credentials between the two authentication systems. When credentials change in either system, the interface detects the change through validation attempts and updates the stored credential information, ensuring synchronization without requiring user intervention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a remote access protocol is used to access computing systems from a remote location, then the user can access systems remotely, but when user credentials in any of the heterogeneous authentication systems have changed, the remote access protocol would not be notified of those changes, preventing access
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication interface acts as a mediator between the remote access protocol and the heterogeneous authentication systems. It interceptates authentication requests from the remote protocol, validates credentials against both authentication systems, and ensures that credential changes in either system are detected and propagated, maintaining reliable remote access.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where authentication results from either heterogeneous system are communicated back to the authentication interface, which then updates the remote access protocol's credential cache. This ensures that credential changes are promptly notified and propagated throughout the system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heterogeneous authentication systems with different credential standards are coordinated to allow cross-system access, then users can access resources across different systems, but the coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication interface serves as a central intermediary that abstracts the complexity of coordinating multiple heterogeneous authentication systems. It implements the coordination logic internally, translating between different credential standards and managing the interaction between systems, thereby enabling cross-system access without exposing the complexity to users or application developers.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication interface is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple authentication systems with different credential standards through a single, unified interface. It provides multi-functional capabilities including credential validation, translation, synchronization, and propagation, reducing the need for separate coordination mechanisms for each authentication system pair.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for authenticating a remote user across heterogeneous authentication systems are disclosed. One method includes receiving domain user credentials at a first heterogeneous authentication system, and transmitting the domain user credentials from the first heterogeneous authentication system to an authentication interface associated with a second heterogeneous authentication system. The method also includes transmitting the domain user credentials from the second heterogeneous authentication system to a centralized authentication system, and receiving at the authentication interface a validation message from the centralized authentication system, thereby authenticating the user. The method further includes determining a local username at the authentication interface based on the domain user credentials. The method includes using the local username to authenticate the user within the first heterogeneous authentication system.