Simple secure login with multiple-authentication providers

1. In a computerized network comprising at least one client and a plurality of authentication servers, said client and said authentication servers being communicatively coupled to each other via a global telecommunications network, a method for providing distributed authentication service comprising said steps of:

(a) taking and parsing, by said client, an entered user name and password;

(b) generating a time stamp;

(c) selecting an authentication server from a list of authentication servers;

(d) combining said password and a service specific seed unique to an authentication server selected from said list of authentication servers;

(e) applying a hash algorithm to said combination and said time stamp to generate a first hash value;

(f) finding an address representing said selected authentication server;

(g) sending a data packet to said selected authentication server, said data packet comprising said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp;

(h) extracting said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp from said data packet received from said client;

(i) checking whether an entry under said user name is available in said selected authentication server's database;

(j) if no entry under said user name is found, then returning a failure message to said client and repeating steps (b) to (g) for a next selected authentication server;

(k) if an entry under said user name is found, then retrieving said user's password;

(l) combining said time stamp, said retrieved password, and said service specific seed unique to said selected authentication server;

(m) applying said hash algorithm to said combination from Step (l) to generate a second hash value;

(n) comparing said first hash value and said second hash value;

(o) if said first hash value and said second hash value do not match, then returning a failure message to said client and repeating steps (b) to (g) for a next selected authentication server;

(p) if said first hash value and said second hash value match, then returning a successful authentication message to said client;

(q) caching and distributing said positive authentication result; and

(r) when said entire list has been tested and no one authenticates said user, then resulting in authentication failure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said hash algorithm is a message digesting (MD) algorithm or its equivalent.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said service specific seed is a domain name of said selected authentication server.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein Step (f) further comprising said steps of:

(s) looking up a local mapping list; and

(t) if Step (s) fails, consulting to a domain name system (DNS).

5. In a computerized network which is registered with a unique domain name, said network comprising at least one orient and a plurality of authentication servers, said client and said authentication servers being communicatively coupled to each other via a global telecommunications network, each of said authentication servers having a fully qualified domain name which is a local host name with said unique domain name appended, a method for providing distilbuted authentication service, wherein a given user enters a global user identification (GUID) and a password for authentication to be carried out at a target authentication server, said GUID comprising a user name, a delimitation symbol, and a domain which is same as said local host name of said target authentication server, said method comprising said steps of:

(a) parsing, by said client, an entered GUID and password;

(b) generating a time stamp;

(c) extracting said user name from said GUID;

(d) extracting a domain from said GUID;

(e) combining said password and a service specific seed unique to said target authentication server;

(f) applying a hash algorithm to said combination and said time stamp to generate a first hash value;

(g) appending a unique domain name to said domain to form a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for said target authentication server;

(h) looking up said FQDN from a local mapping list to obtain an address representing said target authentication server;

(i) if Step (h) fails, looking up said FQDN in a domain name system (DNS) to obtain an address representing said target authentication server;

(j) sending a data packet to said target authentication server, said data packet comprising said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp;

(k) extracting said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp from said data packet received from said client;

(l) checking whether an entry under said user name is available in said target authentication server's database;

(m) if no entry under said user name is found, then returning a failure message to said client;

(n) if an entry under said user name is found, then retrieving said user's password;

(o) combining said time stamp, said retrieved password and said service specific seed unique to said target authentication server;

(p) applying said hash algorithm to said combination from Step (o) to generate a second hash value;

(q) comparing said first hash value and said second hash value;

(r) if said first hash value and said second hash value do not match, then returning a failure message to said client;

(s) if said first hash value and said second hash value match, then returning a successful authentication message to said client; and (t) caching and distributing said positive authentication result.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising said step of:

if Step (i) fails or if a failure message is returned from Step (m) or Step (r),

automatically mapping to a default server which carries out authentication on said user's authentication request.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said hash algorithm is a message digesting (MD) algorithm or its equivalent.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said service specific seed is a domain name of said target authentication server.

9. In a computerized network comprising at least one client end a plurality of authentication servers, said client and said authentication servers being communicatively coupled to each other via a global telecommunications network, a method fur providing distributed authentication service comprising said steps of:

(1) parsing a user's login information which includes a user ID and a password;

(2) if said entered user ID is a global user ID (GUID), proceeding to process A; and

(3) if said entered user ID is a regular user name, proceeding to process B; and

wherein said process A comprising said steps of:

(a) generating a time stamp;

(b) extracting said user's user name and a domain from said GUID;

(c) combining said password and a service specific seed unique to a target authentication server identified by said domain of said GUID;

(d) applying a hash algorithm to said combination and said time stamp to generate a first hash value;

(e) finding an IP address for said target authentication server;

(f) sending a data packet to said target authentication server, said data packet comprising said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp;

(g) extracting said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp from said data packet received from said client;

(h) checking whether an entry under said user name is available in said target authentication servers database;

(i) if no entry under said user name is found, then returning a failure message to said client;

(j) if an entry under said user name is found, then retrieving said user's password;

(k) combining said time stamp, said retrieved password, and said service specific seed unique to said target authentication server;

(l) applying said hash algorithm to said combination from Step (k) to generate a second hash value;

(m) comparing said first hash value and said second hash value;

(n) if said first hash value and said second hash value do not match, then returning a failure message to said client;

(o) if said first hash value and said second hash value match, then returning a successful authentication message to said client; and

(p) caching and distributing said positive authentication result; and wherein said process B comprising said steps of:

(aa) generating a time stamp;

(bb) selecting an authentication server from a list of authentication servers;

(cc) combining said password and a service specific seed unique to an authentication server selected from said list of authentication servers;

(dd) applying a hash algorithm to said combination and said time stamp to generate a first hash value;

(ee) finding an IP address representing said currently selected authentication server;

(ff) sending a data packet to said currently selected authentication server, said data packet comprising said first hash value, said user name, and said time stamp;

(gg) extracting said first hush value, said user name, and said time stamp from said date packet received from said client;

(hh) checking whether an entry under said user name is available in said currently selected authentication server's database;

(ii) if no entry under said user name is found, then returning a failure message to said client and repeating steps (aa) to (if) for a next selected authentication server;

(jj) if an entry under said user name is found, then retrieving said user's password;

(kk) combining said time stamp, said retrieved password and said service specific seed unique to said currently selected authentication server;

(ll) applying said hash algorithm to said combination from Step (kk) to generate a second hash value;

(mm) comparing said first hash value and said second hash value;

(nn) if said first hash value and said second hash value do not match, then returning a failure message to said client and repeating steps (aa) to (ff) for a next selected authentication server;

(oo) if said first hash value and said second hash value match, then returning a successful authentication message to said client; and (pp) caching and distributing said positive authentication result.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said hash algorithm is a message digesting (MD) algorithm or its equivalent.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein any of Step (e) and Step (ee) further comprising said steps of:

(q) looking up a local mapping list; and

(r) if Step (q) fails, consulting to a domain name system (DNS).