Unified Profile Manager for Cross-Application Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing web applications face challenges in managing user and entity profiles across disparate data sources, leading to unreliable authentication and difficulty in sharing trust between applications due to separate profile information for each authentication.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for mapping information from disparate data sources into a single profile, allowing for easier configuration and management of profiles for users, applications, and entities, using a server that integrates data from relational databases, file systems, and other network-accessible sources, without requiring additional code, enabling seamless authentication across multiple applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate profile information is maintained for each authentication, then each application can have its own authentication mechanism, but trust sharing between applications becomes difficult and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate profile information from multiple data sources into a single unified profile structure. The profile manager consolidates user credentials, authentication histories, and entity information from disparate applications into one centralized profile, enabling trust sharing across applications while maintaining authentication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified profile serves multiple functions across different applications simultaneously. It acts as a universal authentication repository that supports credential verification, authentication history tracking, and trust establishment for various applications, eliminating the need for separate profile management in each application.
2Adaptability or versatility
If profile information is stored in multiple separate applications, then each application can operate independently, but configuration complexity increases and trust sharing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The profile manager acts as an intermediary between multiple applications and their respective data sources. It mediates the complexity by providing a standardized interface for profile access, allowing applications to operate independently while simplifying configuration through a single centralized management point that handles data consolidation and trust sharing.
3Reliability
If authentication waits for completion from remote servers, then authentication can be performed reliably, but user experience deteriorates due to waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing trust relationships and caching authentication results in the unified profile before actual authentication events occur. This allows rapid authentication decisions without waiting for remote server responses, as the profile manager can immediately access pre-fetched and validated authentication information.
Solution Approach 2:
The profile manager implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring authentication results and updating the unified profile with authentication histories and trust assessments. This feedback loop enables subsequent authentication requests to be answered more quickly using cached information, reducing overall authentication time while maintaining reliability through continuous verification.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided mechanisms and methods for mapping information from disparate data sources into a single user profile. Embodiments can provide the capability to work with profiles for users as well as for other entities. These external data sources can include, without limitation: relational databases, file system and Java classes, Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs), Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) servers and other network accessible sources. These mechanisms and methods can enable creating a single user profile from attributes residing in disparate data stores. The ability of embodiments to provide mechanisms and methods for creating a single user profile from attributes residing in disparate data stores can enable easier configuration of profiles, without requiring users to write code to perform the mapping.