Service routing and web integration in a distributed multi-site user authentication system

• US 6,912,582 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guo, Wei-Quiang Michael, Dharmarajan, Baskaran, Battle, Ryan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coffy, Emmanuel
• Application Number:
  US09/823,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/249, 709/219, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A computerized method and system for routing between network servers. A central database coupled to a central server on a data communication network stores information for identifying locations of a plurality of network servers on the network. Each network server provides at least one service via the network. The central server receives a request from the user for a selected service including a carry through keyword for controlling routing of the user to the selected service. The central server retrieves location information from the central database to identify the location of the network server providing the selected service and attaches the carry through keyword to the retrieved location information. The central server then routes the user with the carry through keyword to the network server, which directs the user to the selected service based on the carry through keyword.

Claims

1. A computerized method of routing between network servers coupled to a data communication network, said method comprising:

storing information in a central database for identifying locations of a plurality of network servers that provide at least one service via the data communication network, said central database being coupled to a central server, said central server being coupled to the data communication network;

receiving a request from a user for a selected service to be provided by one of the network servers, said request being received at the central server and including a carry through keyword for controlling routing of the user to the selected service;

retrieving location information from the central database to identify the location of the network server providing the selected service;

attaching the carry through keyword to the retrieved location information;

routing the user to the network server providing the selected service, said user being directed to the selected service based on the carry through keyword;

identifying the selected service with a service routing request keyword included in the service request received at the central server; and

transferring an alternative user name of the user with the retrieved location information as a function of the service routing request keyword.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing authentication information in the central database for authenticating the user.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a request at the central server to authenticate the user when the user requests the selected service and authenticating the user by determining whether the user was already authenticated and, if the user was not already authenticated, then retrieving login information from the user for comparison to authentication information stored in the central database.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the user is routed to the network server providing the selected service after the user is authenticated by the central server.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the carry through keyword references content associated with the selected service provided by the network server.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing user-specific information in the central database for identifying the user and wherein the carry through keyword is based on the user-specific information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the user-specific information includes user and domain names for the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least on of the network servers is a portal for providing the user with a gateway to the services provided by the network servers, and further comprising routing the user from the portal to the central server with the carry through keyword for controlling routing of the user and with the service routing request keyword for identifying the selected service when the user requests the selected service.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the user with a domain name and wherein the location information is retrieved from the central database as a function of the domain name for the user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising identifying a plurality of providers of the selected service, permitting the user to select one of the identified plurality of providers for receiving the selected service, and routing the user to the network server of the selected one of the identified plurality of providers of the selected service.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the identified plurality of providers of the selected service are based on the domain name for the user.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising storing a user profile in the central database, said user profile including user preference information with respect to the identified plurality of providers of the selected service.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a plurality of providers of the selected service with a service routing request keyword included in the service request received at the central server.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein storing information in the central database for identifying the locations of the network servers includes registering the network servers with the central server.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating a browser program configured to permit the user to communicate on the data communication network.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the network servers are web servers and the data communication network is the Internet.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by the central server.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

19. A computerized system far routing between network servers coupled to a data communication network, said system comprising:

a central server coupled to the data communication network;

a central database storing information for identifying locations of a plurality of network servers that provide at least one service via the data communication network, said central database being coupled to a central server;

said central server receiving a request from a user for a selected service to be provided by one of the network servers, said request including a carry through keyword for controlling routing of the user to the selected service, said selected service being identified by a service routing request keyword included in the request received at the central server;

said central server retrieving location information from the central database to identify the location of the network server providing the selected service and attaching the carry through keyword to the retrieved location information, said central server transferring the retrieved location information with an alternative user name of the user to the network server providing the selected service as a function of the service routing request keyword; and

said central server routing the user with the carry through keyword to the network server providing the selected service, said user being directed to the selected service based on the carry through keyword.

20. The system of claim 19 Wherein the central database further stores authentication information in the central database for authenticating the user.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the central server comprises an authentication server receiving a request to authenticate the user when the user requests the selected service and authenticating the user by determining whether the user was already authenticated and, if the user was not already authenticated, then retrieving login information from the user for comparison to authentication information stored in the central database.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the user is routed to the network server providing the selected service after the user is authenticated by the authentication server.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the carry through keyword references content associated with the selected service provided by the network server.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the central database further stores user-specific information for identifying the user and wherein the carry through keyword is based on the user-specific information.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the user-specific information includes user and domain names for the user.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein at least one of the network servers is a portal for providing the user with a gateway to the services provided by the network servers and wherein the user is routed from the portal to the central server with the carry through keyword for controlling routing of the user and with the service routing request keyword for identifying the selected service when the user requests the selected service.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein the user is identified by a domain name and wherein the location information is retrieved from the central database as a function of the domain name far the user.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein a plurality of the network servers provide the selected service and the user is permitted to select one of the network servers for receiving the selected service and wherein the central server routes the user to the selected network server.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the plurality of network servers providing the selected service is based on the domain name for the user.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the central database further stores a user profile, said user profile including user preference information with respect to the plurality of network servers providing the selected service.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein a service routing request keyword included in the service request received at the central server identifies a plurality of the network servers providing the selected service.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the network servers are web servers and the data communication network is the Internet.