[Next] [Up] [Previous] [Contents]
Next: 7.2.2 [IMAGE ]How do Up: 7.2 GSS-API Previous: 7.2 GSS-API

7.2.1 What is GSS-API?

Linda Gricius (April, 1998):

Another important development in the field of Open distributed system security has been the Generic Security Services Application Program Interface (GSS-API). This interface hides from its callers the details of the specific underlying security mechanism, leading to better application portability, and moving generally in the direction of a better interworking capability. The GSS-API is independent of communications, and only produces opaque tokens that must be transported separately (by any convenient scheme, such as SECIOP/GIOP).

A GSS-API implementation is viable across virtually any communications method. GSS-API is an Internet and X/Open standard. SESAME is accessed through the GSS-API, extended to support features needed to provide distributed Access Control.