Mechanism independent cluster security services

摘要

The problem of providing and interacting with a number of different security mechanisms in a clustered data processing environment is solved by providing a Mechanism Abstract Layer which presents a consistent interface to applications running on the various nodes within the cluster. Mechanism Pluggable Modules are provided for each security mechanism that one wishes to employ. The Pluggable Modules provide a mechanism for mapping individualized security mechanism parameters through an interface with the Mechanism Abstract Layer. This provides a consistent interface for applications running on the nodes and it also avoids costly adaptations that would otherwise be necessary to accommodate new security mechanisms or variations in prior security mechanisms.