Key Terms in This Chapter

This section explains key technical terms used in this chapter, with an emphasis on clarifying the relationships between these terms how they are used in the Java Enterprise System context.

directory

A special kind of database optimized for reading data rather than writing data. Most directories are based on LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol), an industry-standard protocol.

policy

A rule that describes who is authorized to access a specific resource under specific conditions. The rule can be based on groups of users or roles in an organization.

single identity

An identity that a user has by virtue of a single user entry in a Java Enterprise System directory. Based on this single user entry a user can be allowed access to various Java Enterprise System resources, such as a portal, web pages, and services such as messaging, calendar, and instant messaging.

single sign-on

A feature that allows a user’s authentication to one service in a distributed system to be automatically applied to other services in the system.