authentication

authentication

[Hans Van den Eynden]

Is there some standard authentication mechanisme in Ada. Is this OS
dependend? Or are there only some OS dependend, extern API's that can
be used (which?)??
I want to do netwerk authentication (kerberos?) and authentication on
my pc.

thanks

Re: authentication

[Gautier]

Hans Van den Eynden:

> Is there some standard authentication mechanisme in Ada. Is this OS
> dependend? Or are there only some OS dependend, extern API's that can
> be used (which?)??
> I want to do netwerk authentication (kerberos?) and authentication on
> my pc.

For the PC, there is (among my tools):
- an OS-independent CPU identifier with some dependence
  on GNAT for the inline assembler syntax in the package's
  body (see GNAT's help's CPU_Ident, Check_CPU,
  or an enhanced version in gnatpaqs.zip, page below)
- an identification of the hard disk's serial number
  via Windows' Win32.Winbase.GetVolumeInformation

Others in the market ? (I'm also interested...)
________________________________________________________
Gautier  --  http://www.mysunrise.ch/users/gdm/gsoft.htm

NB: For a direct answer, e-mail address on the Web site!

Re: authentication

[Georg Bauhaus]

Gautier <gautier_niouzes@hotmail.com> wrote:
: Hans Van den Eynden:
: 
:> Is there some standard authentication mechanisme in Ada.
: 
: For the PC, there is (among my tools):
: - an OS-independent CPU identifier with some dependence
:  on GNAT for the inline assembler syntax in the package's
:  body (see GNAT's help's CPU_Ident, Check_CPU,
:  or an enhanced version in gnatpaqs.zip, page below)
: - an identification of the hard disk's serial number
:  via Windows' Win32.Winbase.GetVolumeInformation

For a more general solution, there are PGP like procedures (in the
general sense).  They allow a signed contract model between client
a server.


-- Georg

Re: authentication

[Brian May]

>>>>> "Hans" == Hans Van den Eynden <onsbomma@hotmail.com> writes:

    Hans> Is there some standard authentication mechanisme in Ada. Is
    Hans> this OS dependend? Or are there only some OS dependend,
    Hans> extern API's that can be used (which?)??  I want to do
    Hans> netwerk authentication (kerberos?) and authentication on my
    Hans> pc.

There are lots of competing protocols for authentication and
authorisation (PAM, SASL, GSSAPI, Kerberos, SSL, SPKI, etc). It is not
possible to know which one you should use without more detailed
requirements. For example, do you want an authentication protocol, or
an authorisation protocol? (or maybe both?) Is it for network use? If
it is for network use, is a trusted third party server acceptable? Do
you trust users to pick good passwords? Do you want a smart-card
solution?

No matter what approach you choose, there will always be tradeoffs. It
is not as simple as it may first appear.

However, the choice of authentication protocol has nothing to do with
Ada (except you probably will have to write Ada --> C bindings), and
as such could be considered off-topic for this newsgroup.
-- 
Brian May <bam@snoopy.apana.org.au>