Token Management System for Third-Party Resource Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face inconvenience when accessing multiple third-party systems over the Internet, as they need to repeatedly enter credentials for each system, leading to difficulties and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for token management in an intelligence system that receives user identification, selects a shard, stores mappings, and provides access to third-party resources without requiring users to enter credentials, using cached or obtained access tokens through Open Authentication (OAuth) for seamless and scheduled access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users enter credentials for each third-party system every time they want to access it, then access security is maintained, but user convenience deteriorates and operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining access tokens from third-party systems during initial authentication and storing them in a token repository. This preliminary token acquisition eliminates the need for users to re-enter credentials for each subsequent access request, thereby improving convenience and reducing time loss while maintaining security through proper token management and expiration handling.
2Ease of operation
If the system stores and manages access tokens for multiple third-party systems, then user access convenience is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments token management by organizing access tokens in a token repository with structured storage for different third-party systems. Each token is associated with specific system information and user identifiers, allowing the system to manage multiple third-party access tokens in an organized manner that reduces complexity despite the multi-system nature of the application.
3Speed
If the system implements automatic token caching and management, then access speed is improved, but security requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an intermediary token management mechanism that sits between user authentication and third-party resource access. Access tokens serve as intermediaries that carry user authorization information without exposing actual credentials. The token repository acts as a secure intermediary storage that manages token lifecycle, ensuring that speed improvement through caching does not compromise security reliability through proper token validation and expiration handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for management access tokens is described. Access tokens for accessing third-party resources are stored and managed in a token repository. An access token may be obtained from a third-party resource. Once a user has authorized the system to access a third-party resource and unless that authorization is revoked, the user is not required to reauthorize the system in a pending or any subsequent interactive session, regardless of which shard of the system and third-party resource the user is connected to. The system can also use the authorization to execute scheduled requests for accessing or obtaining data from the third-party resource.