Client-client-server authentication

摘要

Described is a technology by which machines of a (typically small) network have associated public key-based certificates for use in authentication with a server and validation of other machines in the network. This provides an inexpensive and straightforward mechanism to control, manage and maintain client machines, as well as to allow valid client machines to securely communicate with one another and recognize machines that are not valid on the network. Certificates are maintained on the server and checked for validity as needed.

主权项

1. In a computing environment, a method performed at least in part on at least one processor comprising, validating a responder client machine at an initiator client machine coupled to the responder client machine via a network connection, including communicating to receive a responder certificate from the responder client machine, maintaining an instance of an initiator certificate at a server, generating a private key at the initiator client machine that corresponds to a public key included in the initiator certificate, using the public key of the initiator certificate as an index key to locate property data associated with the instance of the initiator certificate, and communicating with the server to determine, based upon the public key in the initiator certificate, whether the responder certificate is valid on a network comprising the initiator client machine and the responder client machine.