Authentication Token Management for Web Resource Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for accessing web resources in enterprise environments require frequent user authentication, leading to inefficiencies and failures in non-interactive processes, such as batch jobs, due to the need for repeated credential input.
Innovation Solution
A device is deployed in the environment that receives user credentials, uses them to authenticate and obtain an access token, which is then stored and used to authorize access to web resources without prompting the user for credentials, allowing seamless access through a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) session.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a trusted authentication service performs security verification for each access request, then security is improved, but the efficiency and ease of operation deteriorate due to repeated credential prompts
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication action during the initial login session establishment. The authentication service verifies credentials once when the user logs in, and this authenticated state is then used for subsequent web resource accesses without requiring repeated credential entry, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the authentication service and session state management) that mediates between the user and web resources. This intermediary handles the authentication once during session setup and then facilitates subsequent accesses using the established session, eliminating repeated user credential input while maintaining security verification
2Reliability
If a trusted authentication service performs security verification for each access request, then security is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming repeated authentication steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the time-consuming authentication action preliminarily during the initial login session establishment rather than for each subsequent access. This preliminary authentication establishes a session state that enables rapid subsequent accesses, thereby improving productivity without compromising security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous useful action by maintaining an authenticated session state that persists across multiple web resource accesses. Once the user is authenticated during session setup, the system continues to allow accesses without repeating the authentication process, thus eliminating time delays and improving productivity while maintaining security through ongoing session validation
3Reliability
If credentials are required for each web resource access, then security is maintained, but non-interactive processes fail to obtain access
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication preliminarily during interactive login sessions, establishing an authenticated state that can be reused by non-interactive processes. This preliminary action enables batch jobs and scripting languages to access web resources without requiring credential prompts, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining security through the established authentication framework
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal authentication mechanism that serves multiple functions: it authenticates interactive user sessions and also enables non-interactive processes (batch jobs, scripting languages) to access web resources. The same authentication service and session state management framework supports both interactive and non-interactive access scenarios, thereby improving versatility without compromising security
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for efficiently accessing Web resources. A directory service and an authentication service may be used to determine whether a login session attempt on a deployed device is successful. At least one deployed device in a system receives credentials from a user during a login request and requests authorization using the received credentials for both a login session and for accessing Web resources. The device sends the authorization request to Web services on a server hosting the Web resources. The Web services interact with an authentication service to verify authentication for the user. The device receives an access token upon verification for authorization for the given user and securely stores it. When a client program executing on the device requests access to the Web resources, the device sends an access request with a copy of the stored access token to the server hosting the Web resources.