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<font size="+1">Hi Jiva,<br>
we solved similar issues for a distributed DMS based on OmniORB by
means of an own PKI framework, where:<br>
<br>
- encryption was done by adding our own transport to OmniORB, similar
in concept to SSL, but I wanted to use AES, IIOP encapsulation and
other variations. Furthermore it did not need to be open, since we
manage both client and server.<br>
- strong authentication was based on our own centralized repository of
users and roles and performed through a 2-msg X.509 protocol. Again,
our PKI allows for that by offering an own CA, certificate management,
trusting, etc. Authentication implies creating a distributed session
where a hidden and signed token is managed through OmniORB interceptors
and propagated across all following hosts. This provides distributed
accounting for all operations.<br>
<br>
We did not consider Kerberos so far, but I guess it could be deployed
around the same concepts, through a proper OmniORB transport. This is
one of most beautyful features of OmniORB.<br>
In any case, the key concept for any authentication is a persistent
repository of entities (e.g. users), and this is very
application-dependent. In theory this could be avoided through
certificates, but is somewhat ambiguous to derive a certain identity
from them without an explicit repository, which normally stores also
roles, attributes, etc.<br>
In case of Kerberos a centralized server is needed anyway.<br>
<br>
Renzo<br>
<br>
</font><br>
Jiva DeVoe wrote:
<blockquote
cite="midAD5F18B9-A19E-43D1-AACE-D7A51B62DF41@devoesquared.com"
type="cite">I have the following requirements for a project I am
working on with CORBA and omniORB:
<br>
<br>
1. my calls to my servants must be encrypted end to end
<br>
2. my callers must be authenticated (preferably using kerberos, but
willing to evaluate other options if they are provide signifigant
benefits).
<br>
<br>
I see that omniORB supports using openssl as a transport mechanism. I
think that this would solve my first requirement, but I don't think it
would solve my second requirement. In other words, though it provides
an encrypted connection that is secure between a given set of peers, it
would *not* enable me to authenticate a given user or process on one of
those peers.
<br>
<br>
So my questions then are these:
<br>
<br>
A. is my understanding of the above correct?
<br>
B. are there any design patterns using corba that I can use to solve
these requirements, keeping in mind, I don't even want the calls
themselves to be unencrypted (so at the least, some transport level
encryption is required.)
<br>
C. Are there any projects that plan to add kerberos authentication and
encryption at a transport level to omniORB?
<br>
D. is there any documentation available on adding transports to
omniORB, if I decide to go that route and do it myself?
<br>
E. is there any reason I wouldn't want to do this?
<br>
<br>
Thanks!
<br>
<br>
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<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
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