Authentication and authorization infrastructure system with CRL issuance notification function

A public key infrastructure system comprising:

• a certificate validation server having a certificate validation means for validating a certificate and a certification path cache means for caching a certification path discovered by the certificate validation means to validate the certificate;
• and
• a client having a digital signature verification means for verifying a digital signature and a certificate validation request means for requesting the certificate validation server to validate the certificate;
• wherein the certificate validation server has a certification path transmission means which, when the certification path is discovered, sends the certification path to other pre-registered certificate validation servers;
• wherein the certification path cache means caches the certification path when it receives the certification path from other certificate validation servers.

A public key infrastructure system comprising:

• a certification authority having a certificate issuing means for issuing a certificate;
• a certificate repository having a certificate storage means for storing the certificate issued by the certification authority;
• a certificate validation server having a certificate validation means for validating the certificate;
• and
• a client having a digital signature verification means for verifying a digital signature and a certificate validation request means for requesting the certificate validation server to validate the certificate;
• wherein the client has a certificate acquisition request means for requesting the certificate validation server to obtain the certificate necessary for verifying the digital signature;
• wherein the certificate validation server has a certificate acquisition means which retrieves the certificate requested by the client from the certificate repository and, when the certificate is found valid by the certificate validation means, sends the certificate to the client.

A certification authority comprising:

• a certificate issuing means for issuing a certificate;
• a CRL issuing means for issuing a CRL;
• and
• a CRL issuance notification transmission means for sending to a certificate validation server a CRL issuance notification that “a CRL has been issued” at the same time that the CRL is issued.

A certificate validation server comprising:

• a certificate validation means for validating a certificate;
• a CRL cache means for caching a CRL;
• and
• a CRL issuance notification reception means for receiving a CRL issuance notification indicating that a CRL has been issued.

A certificate validation server comprising:

• a certificate validation means for validating a certificate and a certification path cache means for caching a certification path discovered by the certificate validation means to validate the certificate;
• and
• a certification path transmission means for, when the certification path is discovered, sending the certification path to other pre-registered certificate validation servers;
• wherein the certification path cache means caches the certification path when it receives the certification path from other certificate validation servers.

A client device comprising:

• a digital signature verification means for verifying a digital signature;
• a certificate validation request means for request a certificate validation server to validate the certificate;
• and
• a certificate acquisition request means for requesting the certificate validation server to acquire the certificate necessary for verifying the digital signature.

CRL issuance check software realizing in a computer:

• a CRL issuance notification transmission means for monitoring an issuance of a CRL and, when a new CRL is issued, sending a CRL issuance notification;
• and
• a CRL issuance notification request reception means for receiving a CRL issuance notification request message;
• wherein the CRL issuance notification transmission means sends the CRL issuance notification to an originating source of the received CRL issuance notification request message.