Authentication
Authentication means that users identify themselves to gain access to the system. Users can identify themselves immediately upon entry to the system or they can be challenged by the system when they try to access a protected resource before identifying themselves. The user ID/password combination is the most common method of identifying a user to the system. After a user has been authenticated, the system can determine if that user is authorized to access the resources that are requested.
You can have simultaneous, multiple logins using the same user ID and password, but these may result in a non-reliable behavior depending on the client or authentication method; therefore, WebSphere Portal does not support simultaneous, multiple logins.
WebSphere Portal allows the following methods for login and authentication:
- Form based authentication:
- By default WebSphere Portal uses the Custom Form-based Authentication mechanism of WAS to prompt users for identity. Users type their user ID and password in the login portlet or the login screen of the portal.
- SSL client certificate authentication:
- Configure SSL authentication via certificates stored in the browser or a SmartCard. The authentication is done for the users when they access the protected area of the portal.
- Third party authentication:
- Third-party authentication uses an external security manager such as Tivoli Access Manager.
With this method the portal trusts that the authentication was done by the third-party product.
- Automatic login with the login URL:
- You can log into the portal by using an URL which includes the user ID and password. For example:
http://p1.myhost.com:10040/wps/portal/cxml/04I800IyHDPmuQy?userid=wpsadmin&password=wpsadmin
Parent topic:
Security and authentication