Unified Authentication Server for Enterprise Access Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Large organizations face inefficiencies in managing enterprise application-systems due to cumbersome control methods, requiring multiple endpoints and frequent user authentication across different application-resources, leading to administrative burdens and user frustration.
Innovation Solution
A system that centralizes authentication by using an application-server and an authentication-server to manage user access to application-resources, issuing authentication-tokens that include authentication levels and expiration times, allowing for fine-grained multi-level dynamic authentication and reducing the need for repeated user authentication across resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple endpoints are maintained for fine-grained control over enterprise application-systems, then access control precision is improved, but system complexity and administrative burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal authentication server that handles authentication for multiple application-resources across different applications. This single authentication server replaces the need for multiple separate authentication endpoints, providing fine-grained access control while reducing system complexity. The authentication server can issue different authentication levels and manage sessions for various applications through a unified interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication server acts as an intermediary between users and application-resources. Instead of users directly interacting with multiple authentication endpoints across different applications, the authentication server mediates all authentication requests, managing credentials and authentication levels centrally. This intermediary approach simplifies the system architecture while maintaining precise access control.
2Reliability
If users authenticate at each endpoint separately, then security control is improved, but user convenience and time efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate authentication processes into a single unified authentication experience. Users authenticate once with the authentication server, which then validates their credentials across multiple application-resources. This combining of authentication processes maintains security control while dramatically improving user convenience by eliminating repeated authentication requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication server performs preliminary authentication validation before users access application-resources. By establishing authentication status upfront and managing sessions centrally, the system maintains strong security control while allowing users to access multiple resources without re-authenticating, thus improving ease of operation after the initial authentication.
3Measurement precision
If administrators configure each endpoint for new applications, then access control accuracy is improved, but administrative effort and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication server provides universal authentication capabilities that work across multiple applications and application-resources. When a new application is integrated, administrators leverage the existing authentication server infrastructure rather than configuring new authentication endpoints. This universal approach maintains accurate access control while significantly reducing the time and effort required for integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication server establishes preliminary authentication frameworks and session management mechanisms that can be reused across applications. When integrating new applications, administrators can leverage the pre-configured authentication server capabilities rather than setting up authentication from scratch for each application, thus maintaining access control accuracy while reducing administrative time.
4Reliability
If session expiration requires re-authentication, then security is improved, but user productivity and system efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication server implements continuous session management that maintains authentication status across multiple applications and over time. Instead of requiring re-authentication at each endpoint or after short intervals, the authentication server sustains valid authentication sessions centrally, ensuring security while allowing users to continue their work across applications without interruption, thus maintaining productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that provides access to an application-resource. During operation, the system receives a request to access an application-resource associated with an application, wherein the request is received at an application-server that hosts the application. The system then determines an authentication-level required to access the application-resource. Next, the system sends the required authentication-level to an authentication-server. In response, the system receives an authentication-response from the authentication-server. Next, the system determines if the authentication-response specifies that the user is authenticated to access the application-resource. If so, the system grants the user access to the application-resource.One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that provides an authentication-token associated with a lower authentication-level in response to an authentication-token associated with a higher authentication-level expiring. Note that the lower authentication-level meets or exceeds a required authentication-level and does not require a user to re-authenticate.