Authentication
Authentication requires users to identify themselves to gain access to a system or resources. The combination of a user ID and a password is the most common method of authentication. Users can identify themselves immediately upon entry to the system or the system can prompt users to identify themselves before accessing protected resources. After users successfully authenticate, the system identifies which resources-specific users have sufficient authorization to access. You can have simultaneous, multiple log ins with the same user ID and password. However, this method can result in a non-reliable behavior depending on the client or authentication method. For this reason, WebSphere Portal does not support simultaneous, multiple log ins.
WebSphere Portal supports the following methods for login and authentication:
Form-based authenticationWebSphere Portal uses the IBM WAS Custom Form-based Authentication mechanism to prompt for identities. Users type their user ID and password in the Login portlet.
SSL client certificate authenticationYou can configure authentication with certificates that are stored in the browser or on a smart card. The certificates are stored through a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) client certificate authentication. The authentication is done for the users when they access the protected area of the portal.
Third-party authenticationYou can also configure third-party authentication. An external security manager, such as IBM TivoliAccess Manager, is an example. With this method the portal trusts that the authentication was done by the third-party product.
Parent
Security and authentication considerations
Federal Information Processing Standards
Plan for single sign-on
Secure Socket Layer
Credential Vault
Caching considerations
Plan for external security managers