The connection manager authenticates users to the enterprise, maintains their security session state, and interfaces to the ACDB. The connection manager can accept:
User name and password authentication mechanisms
Digital certificates
PKI authentication mechanisms
The connection manager takes the authentication mechanism provided by the user and validates it against the user’s record in the ACDB.
In addition, a security plug-in resides on the Web server. The security plug-in resides outside the firewall and manages the connection to the content management services, and sends login and request information to the connection manager for validation. See “Web server plug-in”.
After a successful login, the connection manager retrieves the user’s profile from the ACDB and creates an authentication string, called the session handle, that exists for the duration of the user session. This session handle can be passed throughout the system and used wherever user authentication is required.
