An Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure (AAI) consists of systems that simplify the mobility of network services users. In Switzerland, SWITCH started establishing an AAI for universities and related organizations. Student's data remain at the respective university, called home organization, as well as the authentication process. Resource providers that connect to the AAI, such as universities and related organizations, receive authenticated users on their resources.
A disadvantage of an AAI is that resources must be adapted to it. In many cases this is not possible, for example when the resource code is not open source. In other cases it might be too expensive to adapt a single resource to the AAI.
The AAI portal that has been developed is located between the core AAI and the resource provider. The AAI portal simplifies the process of connecting non-AAI-enabled resources to the AAI and adds interesting features for students and resource users.
We have successfully finished this mandate and handed over the architecture documentation and the code to SWITCH. The source code is available at Sourceforce.
| Title: | Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure (AAI) Portal |
| Research Staff: | Marc-Alain Steinemann, Attila Weyland | Duration: | 10.2002 - 09.2003 state:completed |
| Funding: | Virtual Campus Switzerland Mandate, and University of Bern | Links: | Switch AAI, Source Code |