Multiple authentication support in a shared environment

1. A method for authentication of customers, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a definition of a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) security group for LDAP authentication, wherein the LDAP security group is associated with authentication rights;

receiving a definition of a native security group for native authentication users, wherein the native security group has at least one authentication right not present in the LDAP security group;

receiving a customer specification of a list of LDAP servers that are used to successively reject a request for authentication until one of the LDAP servers grants authentication;

configuring an LDAP authentication web application and a native authentication web application to connect to a service management database, and configuring the LDAP authentication web application to use the list of LDAP servers;

configuring a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for LDAP authentication to access the LDAP authentication web application;

configuring a second URL for native authentication to access the native authentication web application;

assessing authentication requirements of a customer;

responsive to assessing, creating a user identifier;

responsive to creating the at least one user identifier, associating the at least one user identifier with a security group selected from a group consisting of the LDAP security group and the native security group; and

responsive to assessing, notifying a customer of a customer URL selected from the group of URLs consisting of the first URL and the second URL, to use for authentication.

2. A computer program product for authentication routes of customers, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage device;

first program instructions to define a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) security group for LDAP authentication, wherein the LDAP security group is associated with authentication rights;

second program instructions to define a native security group for native authentication users, wherein the native security group has at least one authentication right not present in the LDAP security group;

third program instructions to define customer-specified LDAP chains;

fourth program instructions to configure a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for LDAP authentication to access the LDAP authentication web application;

fifth program instructions to configure a second URL for native authentication to access the native authentication web application;

sixth program instructions to assess authentication requirements of a customer;

seventh program instructions to create a user identifier, responsive to assessing;

eighth program instructions to associate the at least one user identifier with a security group selected from a group consisting of the LDAP security group and the native security group, responsive to creating the at least one user identifier;

ninth program instructions to notify a customer of a customer URL selected from the group of URLs consisting of the first URL and the second URL, to use for authentication, responsive to assessing; and

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage device.

3. A computer system for authentication of customers, the computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage device;

first program instructions to receive a definition of a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) security group for LDAP authentication, wherein the LDAP security group is associated with authentication rights;

second program instructions to receive a definition of a native security group for native authentication users, wherein the native security group has at least one authentication right not present in the LDAP security group;

third program instructions to receive a customer specification of a list of LDAP servers that are used to successively reject a request for authentication until one of the LDAP servers grants authentication;

fourth program instructions to configure a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for LDAP authentication to access the LDAP authentication web application;

fifth program instructions to configure a second URL for native authentication to access the native authentication web application;

sixth program instructions to assess authentication requirements of a customer;

seventh program instructions to create a user identifier, responsive to assessing;

eighth program instructions to associate the at least one user identifier with a security group selected from a group consisting of the LDAP security group and the native security group, responsive to creating the at least one user identifier; and

ninth program instructions to notify a customer of a customer URL selected from the group of URLs consisting of the first URL and the second URL, to use for authentication, responsive to assessing; and

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage device for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.