Verteiltes Datenverarbeitungssystem

摘要

A security mechanism is described for a distributed data processing system. Each server in the system maintains a set of security ratings giving its view of the security levels within the system. When a first server wishes to initiate a connection with a second server, the two servers exchange security information, by means of messages, so as to establish an overall security level for the connection, based on a combination of the security information maintained by both servers. However, if the first server decides that the second server cannot be trusted to discuss security, messages are exchanged containing no security information, and each server establishes its own security level for the connection, based on its own locally held security information.