Single-Point Authentication Manager Feedback Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users attempting to authenticate with remote systems often lack clear feedback on authentication failures, such as whether the username and password are incorrect or if the account is locked, and may not receive useful status information upon successful authentication, like password expiration notifications.
Innovation Solution
A single-point authentication manager system that communicates with authentication plug-in applications to provide detailed feedback to users through a client computer system, using HTTP forward or redirect operations based on domain configuration, allowing for customizable and informative messages about authentication success or failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional authentication systems are used, then authentication processing is simple, but users receive no detailed feedback on authentication failures or status information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication manager as an intermediary component between the authentication plug-in and the client system. This manager receives authentication requests, coordinates with the plug-in, and formats detailed feedback messages for the client. The intermediary handles the complexity of message formatting and domain-based routing (HTTP forward vs. redirect operations), allowing the plug-in to focus on authentication logic while the manager manages communication protocols and message structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the authentication plug-in generates detailed status messages about authentication outcomes (success, failure reasons, account lockout status, password expiration). These messages are transmitted back to the client system through the authentication manager, providing users with actionable information. The feedback includes specific error codes and descriptive text that help users understand authentication failures without exposing security-sensitive details.
2Adaptability or versatility
If domain-specific authentication handling is implemented, then authentication feedback is customized for different domains, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication manager dynamically selects between HTTP forward and HTTP redirect operations based on the domain configuration and request type. The system adapts its behavior in real-time: for same-domain requests, it uses forward operations to maintain the current context; for cross-domain requests, it uses redirect operations to properly route to external authentication providers. This dynamic adaptation allows a single system to handle multiple domains and authentication scenarios without requiring separate hardcoded paths for each case.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication manager serves multiple functions within a single component: it acts as a message formatter, a domain router, an HTTP protocol handler, and a client-response generator. By consolidating these functions, the system achieves versatility in handling different authentication scenarios (internal and external domains, success and failure cases) without proportionally increasing complexity. The universal manager handles all authentication-related communication tasks through a unified interface.
Data Source
AI summary
Various arrangements for providing authentication information to a user are presented. A single-point authentication manager executed by a computer system may receive a request to access a resource from a remote client computer system. The single-point authentication manager may manage access to a plurality of resources including the resource. The single-point authentication manager may perform authentication using an authentication plug-in. In response to performing authentication of the user, the authentication plug-in may generate a parameter having a value that is a message to be transmitted to the remote client computer system. In response to receiving the parameter and the value from the authentication plug-in, the single-point authentication manager may transmit the value of the parameter to the application if the authentication is successful and to a credential collector if the authentication of the user failed.