Systems and methods for mutually authenticated transaction coordination messages over insecure connections

A computer readable medium including instructions stored thereon which when executed cause an application server to perform the steps of:

• generating a coordinator token;
• sending the coordinator token to a sub-coordinator hosted by an application server;
• receiving a sub-coordinator token from the sub-coordinator;
• using the sub-coordinator token to generate a first digital signature based on a transaction coordination request message;
• sending the transaction coordination request message and the first digital signature to the sub-coordinator, whereby the first digital signature is for enabling the sub-coordinator to authenticate the transaction coordination request message;
• and
• receiving a transaction coordination reply message and a second digital signature from the sub-coordinator, if the sub-coordinator successfully authenticated the transaction coordination request message;
• using one of the coordinator token and the sub-coordinator token to regenerate the second digital signature based on the transaction coordination reply message;
• and
• authenticating the transaction coordination reply message if the second digital signature and the regenerated second digital signature match.

For use by a coordinator hosted by an application server, a method for enabling the coordinator to exchange transaction coordination messages over one or more insecure connections with a sub-coordinator hosted by a second application server, the transaction coordination messages for use in performing a transaction, the method comprising:

• (a) generating a coordinator token;
• (b) sending the coordinator token to the sub-coordinator over a secure connection;
• (c) receiving a sub-coordinator token from the sub-coordinator over a secure connection;
• (d) using the sub-coordinator token to encrypt a transaction coordination request message;
• (e) sending the encrypted transaction coordination request message to the sub-coordinator over an insecure connection;
• (f) receiving an encrypted transaction coordination reply message from the sub-coordinator over an insecure connection, if the sub-coordinator was able to decrypt and thereby authenticate the transaction coordination request message;
• (g) decrypting the encrypted transaction coordination reply message using one of the coordinator token and the sub-coordinator token;
• and
• (h) authenticating the transaction coordination reply message if the transaction coordination reply message is successfully decrypted.

A computer readable medium including instructions stored thereon which when executed cause an application server to perform the steps of:

• generating a coordinator token;
• sending the coordinator token to a sub-coordinator hosted by a second application server;
• receiving a sub-coordinator token from the sub-coordinator;
• using the sub-coordinator to encrypt a transaction coordination request message;
• sending the encrypted transaction coordination request message to the sub-coordinator over an insecure connection;
• receiving an encrypted transaction coordination reply message from the sub-coordinator over an insecure connection, if the sub-coordinator was able to decrypt and thereby authenticate the transaction coordination request message;
• decrypting the encrypted transaction coordination reply message using one of the coordinator token and the sub-coordinator;
• and
• authenticating the transaction coordination reply message if the transaction coordination reply message is successfully decrypted.