Authentication and authorization infrastructure

Authentication and authorization infrastructure (AAI) refers to a service and a procedure that enables members of different institutions to access protected information that is distributed on different web servers.

Traditional approaches to authorization and access control in computer systems are not sufficient to address the requirements of federated and distributed systems, where infrastructural support may be required. Authentication and authorization infrastructure solutions address such limitations. With an AAI, access control is not managed by a central register, but by the respective organization of the user who wishes to access a specific resource.{{Cite web|title=Authentication and authorization infrastructures (AAIs): A comparative survey|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222568592|access-date=2021-03-21|website=ResearchGate}}{{Cite web|title=Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure: Portal Architecture and Prototype Implementation|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228744101|access-date=2021-03-21|website=ResearchGate}}{{Cite web|title=Case Study of the Usage of an Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure (AAI) in an E-Learning Project|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220803234|access-date=2021-03-21|website=ResearchGate}}{{Cite web|title=How to Adapt Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure of Applications for the Cloud|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321160178|access-date=2021-03-21|website=ResearchGate}}

In Switzerland, the SWITCH Information Technology Services Foundation is developing a Shibboleth-based AAI system that helps Swiss universities in particular to make their e-learning offers accessible to students beyond their own institutional boundaries.{{Cite web|title=Realization of a Vision: Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure for the Swiss Higher Education Community|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228757484|access-date=2021-03-21|website=ResearchGate}} Based on the success of SWITCHaai, other countries are following with their own AAI projects.{{Cite book|title=Landscape of EOSC-Related Infrastructures and Initiatives|url=https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/cbb40bf3-f6fb-11ea-991b-01aa75ed71a1|access-date=2021-03-21|website=The Publications Office of the European Union|date=14 September 2020|isbn=978-92-76-21289-8 }}