Method and apparatus for authenticating a client to a server in computer systems which support different security mechanisms

For use in a distributed computer environment having multiple computer systems, some of which function from time to time as systems known as clients, which utilize the services of others of the systems, known as servers, a method for authenticating a client to a server when the client and server support different security mechanisms, the method comprising the steps of:

• calling, from a client, a proxy server, including passing an access key to the proxy server;
• mutually authenticating the identities of the client and the proxy server in accordance with a client security mechanism of the client system, the step of mutually authenticating including the substeps of:
• generating a set of security credentials that would enable the client to call the a server;
• saving the security credentials for later use and generating an access key for retrieval of the security credentials;
• and
• passing the access key to the client;
• calling the server from the proxy server and impersonating the client, while conforming with a server security mechanism imposed by the server, the step of impersonating the client including using the access key to retrieve the client security credentials needed to call the server;
• and
• returning requested information from the server to the client, through the proxy server.