This paper describes a conceptual model for attribute aggregation that allows a service provider (SP) to authorise a user's access request based on attributes asserted by multiple identity providers (IdPs), when the user is known by different identities at each of the IdPs. The user only needs to authenticate to one of the IdPs and the SP is given an overall level of assurance (LoA) about the authenticity of the user and his/her attributes. The model employs a new component called a Linking Service (LS), which is a trusted third party under the control of the user, whose purpose is to link together the different IdP accounts that hold a user's attributes, along with their respective LoAs. There are several possible interaction models for communications between the IdPs, the SP, LSs and the user, and each are described. The model is underpinned with a fully specified trust model, which also describes the implications when participants do not fully trust each other as required. Finally, the paper describes how the model has been implemented by mapping onto existing standard protocols based on SAMLv2.
Abstract:The core technology of eScience is the connection of distributed resources such that they appear as one virtual instance, enabling the collaborative research work on the Internet on that shared virtualized resource. eScience first embraced shared resources through support of "big science" in the Grid computing field. By contrast, emerging cloud services make high-end eScience infrastructure such as shared computing and disk resources affordable to common researchers. Though there are many such services to choose between, users always have to be authenticated as a researcher and authorized when they utilize services provided by a given collaboration. Effectively leveraging the world-wide deployment of academic identity federations may allow us to build a complete and coherent eScience environment more securely, easily, and scalably. One marked recent tendency in Identity Federation is to support virtual organization (VO), organizations composed of individuals principally domiciled at and authenticating against an organization but acting in a particular role within the virtual organization. A similar theme also emerged in Grid computing. However, all known current schemes have no common method for sharing VO information because every virtual organization is, today, largely bespoke, and these custom-built implementations take into account the principal needs of the federation and country and project where the VO emerged, leading each federation to employ different standards in integration with VO's and provision of information to VO's. This paper offers a historical perspective on VO technology, first by assessing its evolution in the Grid computing field followed by an analysis of progress in broader identity federation. Finally, potential evolutionary paths are divided into three natural categories, and we perform a technical and operational comparison of current VO technology and its capacity to meet these new use cases today and in envisioned futures. Reflecting how much development and operational costs are acceptable for each party concerned, two of these are considered preferred choices for the short-term and long-term transition to the unified, global VO platform.
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