3.3.4 Fulfilling Roles and Functions of a Federation Model

Before · SP 800-63C

After · SP 800-63C-4

Fulfilling Roles and Functions of a Federation Model

Before · SP 800-63C

After · SP 800-63C-4

The roles in a federation transaction can be connected in a variety of ways, but several common patterns are anticipated by these guidelines. The expected trust agreement structure and connection between components will vary based on which pattern is in use.

Different roles and functions can be fulfilled by separate parties that integrate with each other. For example, a CSP can provide attributes of the subscriber account to an IdP that is not operated by the same party or organization as the CSP.

It is also possible for a single party to fulfill multiple roles within a given federation agreement. For example, if the CSP provides the IdP as part of its identity services, the CSP can provision the subscriber accounts at the IdP as part of the subscriber account establishment process. Similarly, the RP can also be in the same security and administrative domain as the IdP but still use federation technology to connect for technical, deployment, and account management benefits.

The same is true for other functions in the overall federation system, such as a federation authority and proxy. While the roles may seem similar, they are fundamentally distinct and do not need to be connected. A federation authority facilitates the establishment of a trust agreement between parties, and a proxy facilitates the connection of the federation protocol. The same entity can fulfill both the federation authority and proxy functions in the system, providing a means of establishing both trust agreements and technical connections between IdPs and RPs.