Solving the Middleware Puzzle

Ton Verschuren - SURFnet

JISC – SURF – Internet2 workshop

Oxford, September 19-20, 2002

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The Middleware Puzzle

Authentication Systems?

Back Office

Authorisation Systems

Applications

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Our efforts in solving the puzzle

• Authentication:– Student Smartcard (1996-2000)– PKI (???-???)– Internet banking (2001-…)– Mobile phone & SMS (2001-…)– Username/password + RADIUS (1999-…)

• Authorisation:– First look at PAPI– In near future Shibboleth– Nordic efforts

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Standards

• “The good thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from”

• Any well-defined API will do for now• SAML?• Surfing the waves of the Web Services hype?• IMS for ELEs, but how to integrate with other

schemas?• GRID “standards”?

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Collaboration areas

• Fitting together the European pieces of the puzzle (PAPI, A-Select, Policy Server, Athens-ng, GRID middleware)

• Validating the Internet2 output for Europe (Shib, EduPerson, …)

• Establishing a European counterpart of I2 MACE: TERENA’s TF-AACE?

• Using middleware systems for delivering services

– E.g. guest access to institutional WLANs– EduServ services?