single sign on usinf Microsoft windows login username/pin number

[newbieDev]

Hello everyone,

I have a few questions.

I currently have a ColdFusion application in which users are assigned a username and password to be able to access/use the application.
The problem is people are tired of entering different passwords for different applications and they would like a single sign on. Ussually before you can use your pc, you have to login with a username and password. Is there a way to figure out the pin number/username of the person trying to log into the application, and compare it with the pin number/username in the database - if in database - access, if not- no access.

Will appreciate any help.


Thanks

 

[philhege]

Is this an intranet app? I usually restrict access with integrated security, and read the auth_user CGI variable to identify the user and get the settings, preferences, etc. for the client.

Drawbacks to this approach are: the user must be logged in on the machine they request the application from; anyone can access the app from an unlocked workstation; etc.

Advantages: you take advantage of the security already in place instead of rolling your own; users don't need to know uid/pwd for the app because they've signed into the domain; etc.

Phil Hegedusich
Senior Programmer/Analyst
IIMAK

http://www.iimak.com

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Pity the insomniac dyslexic agnostic. He stays up all night, wondering if there really is a dog.

 

[newbieDev]

Thanks fo the response philhege -

Yes, it is an intranet App. Yeah, the problem is users sometimes have to use other workstations so we have to at least keep track of the username, and check it against the username and access level in the DB.

Is there a way to capture windows workstation varialbles (such as username) and use them in Access? If possible, when a user tries to acccess the app, the username variable will be checked and access given based on assigned access levels in the Database.

Thanks again!

 

[philhege]

Is there a way to capture windows workstation varialbles (such as username) and use them in Access? If possible, when a user tries to acccess the app, the username variable will be checked and access given based on assigned access levels in the Database.

There is; that's the auth_user variable in integrated security environments. But this won't help you if the user is not logged in on the workstation they're using. The client has to authenticate somehow: either through their network logon or through an application login scheme. If you want the user's app login to be the same as their network login, you can write a login function to query the LDAP store. I believe that the latest version of CF has such capability built in.

 

[newbieDev]

Thanks Phil,

Yes, the users may have to login at their workatation to use the application without entering their username and password - I think we may have something else for users who are not at their workatations to enter their username and passwords. This option will only show if the user is not in our database.

How do you use the auth_user variable?
Could you guide me in writing the login function?
In the meantime, I will attempt writting it.

Thanks again!