System and method for web server user authentication

A system for providing user access to protected applications, comprising:

• a plurality of servers for managing network resources including one or more protected applications, each configured to grant access to a protected application upon user authentication;
• a browser communicating between the user and the plurality of servers, the browser being capable of accessing initial user authentication information;
• and
• computer memory for storing data defining mapping between initial user authentication information, network credentials including a user role, and script access values;
• wherein the browser provides user access to the one or more protected applications via a web server based on the initial authentication information, and by consulting the stored script access values transparently to the user via a script.

A computer readable storage medium including machine-readable instructions comprising:

• one or more instructions for performing an initial authentication of a user via a web server;
• one or more instructions for determining a network credential for the user, the network credential including at least a role of the user;
• one or more instructions for receiving a user request to access a protected application via the web server;
• one or more instructions for automatically accessing a script configured to retrieve at least one script access value based on the network credential and a script access value name, the at least one script access value providing user access authentication information for the protected application;
• and
• one or more instructions for presenting the user access authentication to the protected application.

A computer readable medium including machine-readable instructions comprising:

• one or more instructions for performing an initial authentication of a user via a web server;
• one or more instructions for determining a network credential for the user, the network credential including at least a role of the user;
• one or more instructions for receiving a user request to access at least one protected application via the web server;
• one or more instructions for automatically accessing a script;
• one or more instructions for transferring the network credential to the script;
• one or more instructions for determining a script access value name based upon said user role;
• one or more instructions for retrieving script access values based on said script access value name;
• one or more instructions for determining a user identification and password based on the script access values;
• and
• one or more instructions for presenting the determined user identification and password for user access to one or more of the at least one protected application.

Computer readable data transmission between a web server and a browser for authenticating user access to at least one protected application on a network comprising:

• at least one data structure for performing an initial authentication of a user;
• at least one data structure for determining a network credential for the user, the network credential including at least a role of the user;
• at least one data structure transferring a user request to access a protected application on the network;
• at least one data structure for automatically accessing a script configured to retrieve at least one script access value based on the network credential and a script access value name, the at least one script access value providing user access authentication information for the protected application;
• and
• at least one data structure for presenting the user access authentication information to the protected application.

A method for accessing information on a network, comprising:

• performing an initial authentication of a user via a web server;
• creating a network credential for the user, the network credential including at least a role of the user;
• receiving a user request to access at least one of an application, a file or a document via the web server;
• automatically accessing a script configured to determine at least one script access value based on the network credential and a script access value name, the at least one script access value providing user access authentication information for at least one of the at least one application, file or document;
• and
• presenting the user access authentication to the at least one application, file or document.