System and method for web server user authentication

摘要

A method and a system for automatically authenticating a user to applications in a network environment are proposed. After an initial authentication procedure, the user's identity is mapped into a network credential which includes the user's role, and which is formed into a cookie. To gain access to an application requiring authentication, the cookie is provided to a script, and the information contained in the cookie is used to obtain authentication data required by the desired application.