Federated identity management systems for cyberinfrastructure: SAML vs. PKIX

In scientific infrastructures researchers accessing computing and other resources (e.g., instruments, data) across institutional boundaries rely on federated identity management systems. Multiple competing technologies are in use for this purpose, including Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and Public Key Infrastructure with X.509 Certificates (PKIX). These systems have found favor in different scientific computing communities but it is unclear what the difference in preference is based upon. In this study we discuss the security, usability, privacy and trust model assumptions of SAML and PKIX systems for researchers authenticating to grid computing systems across multiple domains. We provide a comparison of these systems to highlight where they provide equivalent functionality and where one technology is superior.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Hayes, Thomas

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bobba, Rakesh
• Basney, Jim

• federated identity
• cyberinfrastructure
• grid computing

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2014 Thomas Hayes

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/49748

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/49748