Deterministic user authentication service for communication network

A user authentication service for a communication network including a plurality of nodes each having a different network interface, comprising:

• means for accepting and storing, as associated entries for particular users, user identification information and groups of the nodes;
• means for accepting a log-in response entered on an end system in the network;
• means for comparing for a match the log-in response with the user identification information;
• and
• means for establishing communicability between the system and each member of a group of the nodes associated with matching user identification information.

A user authentication service for a communication network including a plurality of nodes each having a different network interface, comprising:

• means for accepting and storing, as associated entries for particular users, user identification information, time restrictions defining an access period and groups of the nodes;
• means for accepting a log-in response entered on an end system in the network;
• means for comparing for a match the log-in response with the user identification information;
• means for establishing communicability between the system and each member of a group of the nodes associated with matching user identification information, for the defined access period associated with the matching user identification information.

A user authentication service for a communication network including a plurality of nodes each having a different network interface, comprising:

• means for accepting and storing, as associated entries for particular users, user identification information, groups of the nodes, and enhanced authentication information, the enhanced authentication information identifying an enhanced authentication server operative in the network;
• means for accepting a log-in response entered on an end system in the network;
• means for comparing for a match the log-in response with the user identification information;
• means for conducting an enhanced authentication session between the system and the enhanced authentication server associated with matching user identification information;
• and
• means for establishing, if the enhanced authentication is successfully completed, communicability between the system and each member of a group of the nodes associated with the matching user identification information.

A method for authenticating prospective users of a communication network including a plurality of nodes each having a different network interface, comprising:

• (a) accepting and storing, as associated entries for particular users, user identification information and groups of the nodes;
• (b) accepting a log-in response on an end system in the network;
• (c) comparing for a match the log-in response with the user identification information;
• and
• (d) if a match is found, establishing communicability between the system and each member of a group of the nodes associated with the matching user identification information.

A method for authenticating prospective users of a communication network including a plurality of nodes each having a different network interface, comprising:

• (a) accepting and storing, as associated entries for particular users, user identification information, time restrictions and groups of the nodes, the time restrictions defining authorized times;
• (b) accepting a log-in response on an end system in the network during a log-in attempt;
• (c) comparing for a user match the log-in response with the user identification information;
• (d) upon finding a user match, comparing for a time match the authorized times associated with the matching user identification information with the time of the log-in attempt;
• (e) upon finding a time match, establishing communicability between said system and each member of a group of the nodes associated with the matching user identification information for the authorized time associated with the matching user identification information.

A method for authenticating prospective users of a communication network including a plurality of nodes each having a different network interface, comprising:

• (a) accepting and storing, as associated entries for particular users, user identification information, groups of the nodes and enhanced authentication information, the enhanced authentication information identifying an enhanced authentication server operative in the network;
• (b) accepting a log-in response on an end system in the network;
• (c) comparing for a match the log-in response with the user identification information;
• (d) if a match is found, conducting an enhanced authentication method between the system and the identified enhanced authentication server associated with the matching user identification information;
• and
• (e) if the enhanced authentication method is successfully completed, establishing communicability between the system and each member of a group of the nodes associated with the matching user identification information.

An authentication agent for a user authentication service for a communication network, comprising:

• means for receiving a log-in response from an end system;
• means for communicating the log-in response to an authentication server;
• means for receiving authorized subnetwork information from the authentication server in response to the log-in response;
• and
• means for communicating the authorized subnetwork information to a processing means, the processing means applying the authorized subnetwork information to establish rules for communicability between the system and members of different groups of nodes in the network, wherein each node has a different network interface.