HTTP distributed remote user authentication system

A data network, comprising:

• a plurality of nodes connected to one another by data transmission pathways;
• an authentication server residing at one of said nodes;
• a customer server residing at another one of said nodes, said customer server supporting a certain resource;
• said customer server being responsive to a first message from a user at a certain node of said network requesting access to the certain resource to issue a response message to the certain node, said response message causing the certain node to initiate an access grant control transaction with said authentication server, said access grant control transaction characterised by requesting the user to provide a user identification data element;
• said authentication server capable to direct to the customer server a communication containing data permitting the customer server to generate and transmit to the certain node an access grant mark, the access grant mark being retained by the certain node and recognizable by the customer server as indication of past occurrence of access grant by said authentication server.

A customer server for use in a network including an authentication server, said customer server capable to support a certain resource potentially sought by a user from a certain node of the network, said customer server:

• being responsive to a first message issued from the certain node requesting access to the certain resource to issue a response message to the certain node, the response message causing the certain node to initiate an access grant control transaction with said authentication server;
• and
• being responsive at least in part to a second message issued from the authentication server containing data permitting the customer server to generate and transmit to the certain node an access grant mark, the access grant mark being retained by the
• certain node and recognizable by the customer server as indication of past
• occurrences of access grant by said authentication server.

A method for access control in a data network, said data network including:

• a plurality of nodes connected to one another by data transmission pathways;
• an authentication server residing at one of said nodes;
• a customer server residing at another one of said nodes, said customer server supporting a certain resource, said method comprising the steps of:
• a) receiving at said customer server a request for access by a user residing at a certain node of the data network to the certain resource;
• b) issuing a control message toward the certain node to cause initiation of an access grant control transaction with said authentication server, said access grant control transaction characterised by requesting the user to provide a user identification data element;
• c) forwarding from said authentication server to the customer server data permitting the customer server to generate and transmit to the certain node an access grant mark, the access grant mark being retained by the certain node and recognizable by the customer server as indication of past occurrence of access grant by said authentication server.