Two-Tier Architecture

In a two-tier architecture, the portal is in a demilitarized zone (DMZ), while Service Provider remains secure within the enterprise. The portal accesses Service Provider over SPML or with a RemoteContext.

Implementing a two-tier architecture means you must take additional security precautions. It is recommended that you perform the following steps to secure your network:

• Install a firewall between the portal server and the Service Provider server.

• Use either HTTPS or HTTP in conjunction with SSL for communications between the servers. This is especially true if Service Provider resides in an untrusted domain.

• Restrict the IP addresses that the portal server and Service Provider server can use to communicate.

The following diagram illustrates how Service Provider can be implemented in a two-tier architecture.

Figure 2–2 Two-Tier Architecture with a Custom User Interface