State driven orchestration of authentication components in an access manager

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9628465-B2
Application number	US-201514754238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Jan 24, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for state driven orchestration of authentication components to access a resource protected by an access manager framework. In response to a client request for a protected resource, relevant authentication components and their respective order are determined. Upon successful authentication of the first authentication component, proper state information of the authentication process is stored by the client indicating the next authentication component. In response to a request for additional credential information for the authentication process from the next authentication component, the client provides the stored state information so that the authentication process continues with the second authentication component according to the determined order of the authentication components within an authentication process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a client, a request to access a resource;
determining an authentication process for access to the resource based on the request, wherein determining the authentication process includes determining a plurality of authentication components, and wherein the plurality of authentication components includes a first authentication component and a second authentication component;
based on the determined authentication process, performing, using the first authentication component, a first authentication for the client;
sending, based on the first authentication, an authentication context to the client, wherein the authentication context indicates an execution state of the authentication process;
receiving, from the client, the authentication context;
based on the execution state indicated by the authentication context, determining the second component as a next component in the authentication process; and
based on the execution state indicated by the authentication context:
bypassing the first authentication component; and then
sending a request to the second authentication component of the authentication process, to perform a second authentication for the client.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allowing access to the resource for the client based on the authentication context and the second authentication.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an authentication order for performing the authentication process using the plurality of authentication components;
wherein the authentication process is determined based at least in part on the request.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the execution state indicates an authentication component that is next in the authentication order for the authentication process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication context includes credential data validated for the user for each authentication component of the plurality of authentication components for which an authentication is performed for the authentication process.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication context is sent to the client with a request for credential information, and wherein the credential information is for the second authentication using the second authentication component.

7. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
generating a session for allowing access to the resource for the client based on the authentication context and the second authentication.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication context is implemented as a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) cookie.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication context is implemented as an encrypted cookie.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first authentication component is an authentication plugin, and wherein the first authentication component is different from the second authentication component.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resource includes an application.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication context is represented as a Java® object.

13. A system comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory and configured to:
receive, from a client, a request to access a resource;
determine an authentication process for access to the resource based on the request, wherein determining the authentication process includes determining a plurality of authentication components, and wherein the plurality of authentication components includes a first authentication component and a second authentication component;
based on the determined authentication process, perform, using the first authentication component, a first authentication for the client;
send, based on the first authentication, an authentication context to the client, wherein the authentication context indicates an execution state of the authentication process;
receive, from the client, the authentication context;
based on the execution state indicated by the authentication context, determine the second component as a next component in the authentication process;
based on the execution state indicated by the received authentication context:
bypass the first authentication component; and then
send a request to the second authentication component of the authentication process, to perform a second authentication for the client; and
allow access to the resource based on the authentication context and the second authentication.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine an authentication order for performing the authentication process using the plurality of authentication components;
wherein the authentication process is determined based at least in part on the request.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the execution state indicates an authentication component that is next in the authentication order for the authentication process.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive, from a client, a request to access a resource;
determine an authentication process for access to the resource based on the request, wherein determining the authentication process includes determining a plurality of authentication components, and wherein the plurality of authentication components includes a first authentication component and a second authentication component;
based on the determined authentication process, perform, using the first authentication component, a first authentication for the client;
send, based on the first authentication, an authentication context to the client, wherein the authentication context indicates an execution state of the authentication process;
receive, from the client, the authentication context;
based on the execution state indicated by the authentication context, determine the second component as a next component in the authentication process; and
based on the execution state indicated by the authentication context:
bypass the first authentication component; and then
send a request to the second authentication component of the authentication process, to perform a second authentication for the client.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
generate a session for allowing access to the resource for the client based on the authentication context and the second authentication.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
allow access for the client to a plurality of resources including the resource, wherein the access is allowed based on the authentication context and the second authentication.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the authentication context includes credential data validated for the user for each authentication component of the plurality of authentication components for which an authentication is performed for the authentication process.

Assignees

• Oracle Int Corp

Inventors

• Balakrishnan Aarathi
• Subramanya Ramya Kukkehali
• Ramakrishnan Deepak

Classifications

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L63/08 Primary

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title