Windows Server 2003 R2 Helps Simplify Identity and Access Management
Windows Server 2003 R2 offers functionality that extends connectivity and control of identity management for internal and external collaboration. Experience the difference yourself by downloading the Windows Server 2003 R2 trial software.
|
On This Page
 | Introduction |
| Windows Server 2003 R2 Identity and Access Management Features |
| Additional Resources |
Introduction
IT administrators today face exponential growth in service requests involving identity and access management. Organizations need to both manage how users access applications on a variety of application platforms and to extend their IT infrastructure to provide partners, suppliers, customers, and remote employees access to an increasing number of applications.
At the same time, IT organizations are expected to positively impact their business by improving customer loyalty and retention, reducing operational costs, and responding quickly and efficiently to change.
Managing many applications on multiple platforms for a growing number of internal and external users presents the following administrative and security challenges:
1. | Providing business partners access to applications and collaboration tools without sacrificing security to the applications or to the internal network. |
2. | Limiting the number of passwords users need to get secure access to applications. Having too many passwords often leads users to employ poor security practices, such as writing passwords on sticky notes. |
3. | Managing the administrative burden of keeping duplicate user data in multiple application directories, while not overloading a centralized directory with application-specific data. |
4. | Leveraging existing administrative tools across a larger set of application environments. |
Windows Server 2003 R2 Identity and Access Management Features
Windows Server 2003 R2 offers functionality that extends connectivity and control of identity management for internal and external collaboration. The following Windows Server 2003 R2 features deliver distinct advantages for identity and access management:
1. | Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS): ADFS provides Web-based extranet authentication/authorization, single sign-on (SSO), and federated identity services for Windows Server environments, which increases the value of existing Active Directory deployments to B2C extranet, intra-company (multi-forest) federation, and B2B internet federation scenarios. Extranet authentication and SSO services extend the strong authentication and distributed session capabilities Windows has for internal networks to internet-facing perimeter networks. Identity federation makes it possible for two organizations to share a user's Active Directory identity information securely over federation trusts, facilitating collaboration with partners and delegating user management. | ||||
2. | Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM): ADAM, an independent mode of Active Directory without infrastructure features, provides directory services for applications. Operating as a stand-alone data store or interacting with an Active Directory domain controller, ADAM's flexibility enables administrators to tailor their directory services infrastructure to varying degrees of local control/autonomy or shared services. ADAM provides a data store and services for accessing that data store, uses standard application programming interfaces (APIs) for accessing application data, and works with ADFS to provide a user store for extranet application authentication. | ||||
3. | UNIX Identity Management: Windows Server 2003 R2 provides Windows and UNIX integration, which helps to establish uninterrupted user access and efficient management of network resources across operating systems, through the following updated identity management solutions:
|
Additional Resources
| • | Overview of ADFS in Windows Server 2003 R2 |
| • | The .NET Show: ADFS and Authorization Manager |
| • |
Identity and Access Management Demo
|
| • |
Webcast: Web Single Sign-On and Identity Federation with Active Directory Federation Services (level 200)
|