Authentication scheme system and method

• US 7,370,347 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ullrich, Kai O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyszynski; Aubrey H
• Application Number:
  US10/609,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20040268154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

An authentication method and system provides an improved authentication scheme. The authentication scheme can be flexibly applied for authenticating various classes of users for access to information having various levels of security or sensitivity. One method includes receiving a request from a user for a portal content component. In response, an authenticator determines whether the user has satisfied a previous authentication requirement for the portal that is equal to or greater than an authentication requirement for the portal content component. If so, the requested portal content component is rendered. Accordingly, the disclosed approach conserves valuable authentication resources.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing content in a portal, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user for a portal content component;

determining whether the user has satisfied a previous authentication requirement for the portal having a weight that is equal to or greater than a weight for an authentication requirement for the requested portal content component, wherein the requested portal content component is one of a plurality of portal content components and at least two of the portal content components have different authentication requirements with different weights; and

providing an authentication mechanism according to the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component if the weight of the previous authentication requirement is less than weight of the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component;

or

initiating a display of the requested portal content component if the weight of the previous authentication requirement is equal to or greater than the weight of the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component.

2. A system for providing content in a portal, the system comprising:

a portal content directory storing a plurality of portal content components, each portal content component having an authentication requirement for access thereto, wherein at least two of the portal content components have different authentication requirements;

a portal runtime engine for receiving portal content component requests and for displaying one or more requested portal content components; and

an authenticator configured to determine whether the user has satisfied a previous authentication requirement for the portal that has a weight that is equal to or greater than a weight for an authentication requirement for a requested portal content component.

3. An article comprising a tangible machine-readable medium embodying instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in operations comprising:

receiving a request from a user for a portal content component;

determining whether the user has satisfied a previous authentication requirement for the portal having a weight that is equal to or greater than a weight for an authentication requirement for the requested portal content component, wherein the requested portal content component is one of a plurality of portal content components and at least two of the portal content components have different authentication requirements with different weights; and

if the weight of the previous authentication requirement is less than weight of the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component, providing an authentication mechanism according to the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component;

or

if the weight of the previous authentication requirement is equal to or greater than the weight of the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component, initiating a display of the requested portal content component.

4. An apparatus comprising:

means receiving a request from a user for a portal content component;

means for determining whether the user has satisfied a previous authentication requirement for the portal having a weight that is equal to or greater than a weight for an authentication requirement for the requested portal content component, wherein the requested portal content component is one of a plurality of portal content components and at least two of the portal content components have different authentication requirements with different weights;

means for providing an authentication mechanism according to the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component if the weight of the previous authentication requirement is less than weight of the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component; and

means for initiating a display of the requested portal content component if the weight of the previous authentication requirement is equal to or greater than the weight of the authentication requirement for the requested portal content component.