Method and system for providing certificates holding authentication and authorization information for users/machines

In a distributed system logically partitioned into domains, wherein each user has an associated home domain, a method of maintaining secure access to the distributed system, comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• providing a user with a secure package holding credentials information for the user;
• receiving a user request to logon to the distributed system in a domain other than the associated home domain of the user, said domain lacking credentials information about the user;
• accessing the secure package to examine the credentials information for the user;
• and
• without obtaining credentials information about the user from another source, based on the credentials information for the user provided in the secure package, deciding whether to allow the user to logon or not.

In a distributed system having a facility for checking credentials information, a method of authorizing connections to the distributed system, comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• providing a portable computer with a secure package holding credentials information for the portable computer;
• requiring the portable computer to present the secure package when the portable computer wishes to connect to the distributed system at a location lacking credentials information about the portable computer to become part of the distributed system;
• examining the credentials information contained within the secure package by the facility for checking credentials information to determine whether the portable computer is authorized to connect to the distributed system,
• wherein the portable computer is authorized to connect to the distributed system, allowing the portable computer to connect to the distributed system;
• and
• wherein the portable computer is not authorized to correct to the distributed system, not allowing the portable computer to connect to the distributed system.

In a distributed system that is logically partitioned into domains and having a plurality of computers, wherein each computer in the distributed system has an associated home domain, a method of authorizing access to the distributed system, comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• providing a secure package at the home domain of a selected computer to the selected computer, said secure package holding credentials information for the selected computer;
• receiving a request from the selected computer, to connect to the distributed system at a target domain other than the home domain of the selected computer said target domain lacking credentials information about the selected computer;
• and
• examining the credentials information contained in the secure package to determine whether the selected computer is authorized to be connected to the distributed system at the target domain to become part of the distributed system without obtaining credentials information about the selected computer from a source other than the secure package.