GWD-I
Category: Informational
Authorization Frameworks and Mechanisms WG

Dane D. Skow [dane@fnal.gov]

January 2003, (for revision see bottom of page)

Glossary for Authorization Framework


Status of this Memo


This memo provides information for the Grid community. It does not define any standards or technical recommendations. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract


This memo serves as the glossary for terms used in the GGF Authorization
Frameworks and Mechanisms Working Group. Terms and Definitions reference similar uses in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) documents whereever possible to facilitate cross comparisons.

Copyright Notice


Copyright © Global Grid Forum (2003). All Rights Reserved.



Contents


Abstract
1. Introduction ................................................ 2
2. Glossary .................................................... 3
3. Security Considerations
Author Information
Full Copyright Statement .......................................
References .....................................................


1. Introduction

This document is a glossary of terms to be used in the AuthZ
Working Group as a baseline for documents it creates.

This document uses the terms 'MUST', 'SHOULD' and 'MAY', and their
negatives, in the way described in RFC 2119 [1].

2. Glossary

AAA -- Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting

Anonymous --

Authentication -- The process by which one party proves to an independent
party its right to assert a given Identity.

Authentication Token -- something which the possessor can present to
another party as evidence that the possessor successfully authenticated to
the authority.

Authentication Method -- the protocol used to accomplish authentication
(does this include authentication of the authentication tokens ?)

Authorization -- the process by which the receiver of a request determines
whether the request should be permitted.

Authorization Token -- something which the possessor can present to
another party as evidence that the possessor has been given some authority
by the authority.

Authorization Method -- the protocol used to accomplish authorization
(does this include authentication of the authentication tokens ?)

Attribute Certificate -- structure containing authorization
attributes which is digitally signed using public key
cryptography. [2]


Contract Relationship -- a relation established between two or more
business entities where terms and conditions determine the
exchange of goods or services. [2]

Distributed Service -- a service that is provided by more than one
Service Provider acting in concert. [2]

Dynamic Trust Relationship -- a secure relationship which is
dynamically created between two entities who may never have had
any prior relationship. This relationship can be created if the
involved entities have a mutually trusted third party. Example: A
merchant trusts a cardholder at the time of a payment transaction
because they both are known by a credit card organization. [2]

Identity -- A defined name assigned by an Identity Authority guaranteed
to be unique within the Authority's namespace. It may refer to one
particular person, process, service, or machine.

Identity Authority -- the authoritative source of Identities within
a defined namespace. (Overlaps in identity namespaces are resolved how ?)

Policy Decision Point (PDP) -- The point where policy decisions are
made. [2]

Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) -- The point where the policy
decisions are actually enforced. [2]

Psuedonymous --

Relying Party -- the party in an exchange which relies on information
expressed in authentication or authorization tokens.

Resource Manager -- the component of an AAA Server which tracks the
state of sessions associated with the AAA Server or its associated
Service Equipment and provides an anchor point from which a
session can be controlled, monitored, and coordinated. [2]

Resource Owner -- the entity which has legal ownership (or acts on
behalf of the legal owner) of the resource.

Resource Site -- the organization that hosts a resource, often,
but not necessarily, acting as agent to the resource owner and
employing the resource manager.

Roaming -- An authorization transaction in which the Service Provider
and the User Home Organization are two different organizations.
(Note that the dialin application is one for which roaming has
been actively considered, but this definition encompasses other
applications as well.) [2]

Security Association -- a collection of security contexts, between a
pair of nodes, which may be applied to protocol messages exchanged
between them. Each context indicates an authentication algorithm
and mode, a secret (a shared key, or appropriate public/private
key pair), and a style of replay protection in use. [2,3]

Service Equipment -- the equipment which provides a service. [2]

Service Provider -- an organization which provides a service. [2]

Static Trust Relationship -- a pre-established secure relationship
between two entities created by a trusted party. This
relationship facilitates the exchange of AAA messages with a
certain level of security and traceability. Example: A network
operator (trusted party) who has access to the wiring closet
creates a connection between a user's wall outlet and a particular
network port. The user is thereafter trusted -- to a certain
level -- to be connected to this particular network port. [2]

User -- the entity seeking authorization to use a resource or a
service. [2]

User Home Organization (UHO) -- An organization with whom the User
has a contractual relationship which can authenticate the User and
may be able to authorize access to resources or services. [2]




7. Security Considerations

There are no additional security considerations addressed in this document.


Author Information



Dane Skow
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Batavia, IL 60510

Phone: +1 630-840-4730
Fax: +1 630-840-6345
EMail: dane.skow@fnal.gov


Editor: Dane D. Skow [dane@fnal.gov]


Intellectual Property Statement


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Full Copyright Notice


Copyright (C) Global Grid Forum (date). All Rights Reserved.

This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing the copyright notice or references to the GGF or other organizations, except as needed for the purpose of developing Grid Recommendations in which case the procedures for copyrights defined in the GGF Document process must be followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than English.

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This document and the information contained herein is provided on an "AS IS" basis and THE GLOBAL GRID FORUM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE."

References


[1] Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement
Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

[2] Vollbrecht, et al., "AAA Authorization Framework", RFC 2904,
August 2000.

[3] Perkins, C., "IP Mobility Support", RFC 2002, October 1996.


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