Re: Apache authentication efficiency

[Justin Taylor <JUSTIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm hoping for more specifics.  Ideally, I'd like a lead I can research, prototype and implement.



-----Original Message-----
From: Nathan Andelin [mailto:nandelin@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2020 2:00 PM
To: Web Enabling the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries) <web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Apache authentication efficiency

My understanding is the same as yours in that when you add HTTP authentication directives to your HTTP configuration, then all requests for protected resources are passed through the authentication module. That module not only authenticates the user, but also checks the user's authority. It may also change the job to adopt the user profile. I agree, that's not very efficient.

It can also be more costly in that all users need a client license in order to authenticate against IBM i. That may only be a problem if you want to open your site to the public.

One alternative is to use an IBM i web portal, which enables you add user profiles to the portal that are not associated with an IBM i authentication resource (IBM i User Profile, LDAP entry, authorization list entry, Kerberos entry). A web portal is an application that maintains user profiles, user groups, menus and menu items, user and group authorities, etc. Users are authenticated only once when accessing the application. User authority is then checked when accessing menus. When a menu item is selected, and its associated session is launched, there is no need to authenticate while using the application.



On Wed, Jan 29, 2020 at 11:28 AM Justin Taylor <JUSTIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> It's my understanding that Apache offer Basic and Kerberos 
> authentication, and authentication is repeated for every subsequent 
> request.  That seems inefficient to me.  Are there more efficient methods for authentication?
>
> TIA
> --
> This is the Web Enabling the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries) (WEB400) 
> mailing list To post a message email: WEB400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To 
> subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
> visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/web400
> or email: WEB400-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Before posting, please 
> take a moment to review the archives at 
> https://archive.midrange.com/web400.