Proxy Accounts

Proxy accounts are role-based Windows accounts that are used in lieu of individual authenticated user accounts. Using proxy accounts allows you to implement role-based security for your site.

For example, you want to create the following roles for your site: buyers, sellers, managers, and administrators. You would create an Active Directory Windows account for each of these roles. You would store individual user accounts in a database, such as SQL Server, from which you would authenticate users. Users log on to your site using their unique credentials. Once they are authenticated against the database, and their "role" is determined, the users access your site using the credentials of the proxy account (stored in active directory) for their role.

The Windows accounts, which are stored in Active Directory in this scenario, are referred to as proxy accounts because the proxy accounts are used to grant access the site, in lieu of the user accounts (stored in SQL Server) that were used to authenticate the user.

You must add code to the Login.asp page to map the user accounts (stored in a database, such as SQL Server) to proxy accounts (stored in Active Directory).

This section contains:

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Proxy Accounts
• Granting Access to Users using Proxy Accounts
• Enabling Proxy Accounts
• Allowing Users to Switch Proxy Accounts
• Using Proxy Accounts in a Web Farm
• Code to Implement Proxy Accounts
• Code to Implement Proxy Accounts in a Web Farm Scenario

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