SUPPLICANT AND AUTHENTICATOR INTERCOMMUNICATION MECHANISM INDEPENDENT OF UNDERLYING DATA LINK AND PHYSICAL LAYER PROTOCOLS, ESPECIALLY ENABLING SUPPLICANT ON THE FIRST COMPUTING SYSTEM TO AUTHENTICATE AN AUTHENTICATOR ON A SECOND COMPUTING SYSTEM

摘要

PURPOSE: A supplicant and authenticator intercommunication mechanism is provided to perform user authentication irrespectively of the underlying data link and physical layer protocols. CONSTITUTION: A supplicant and authenticator intercommunication mechanism is applied to a network environment having a first computing system(201) executing a supplicant(211) and a second computing system(202) executing an authenticator(221). A user is authenticated independently of the underlying data link and physical layer protocols. The first computing system establishes a data link layer connection with the second computing system using data link and physical layer protocols. The supplicant receives an indication that the data link layer connection has been established. The supplicant determines that authentication is to occur with the authenticator. The supplicant instructs that authentication is to occur with the authenticator. The instruction is provided in a manner that is independent of the underlying data link and physical layer protocols used to communicate with the second computing system.