Native Authentication

How SPD Server Performs Native Authentication

Overview

Native authentication refers to an internal SPD Server user authentication process that accesses the SPD Server password database, either via psmgr commands, or via a GUI application such as the SAS Management console. SPD Server 5.2 still supports native authentication.

By default, whenever SPD Server needs to authenticate a user's identity, it accesses the SPD Server password database. This database contains relevant information about SPD Server users, such as the following:

SPD Server user ID
SPD Server password
SPD Server Groups
SPD Server Group Members
Special user privileges
date and time of last login
number of consecutive failed login attempts
account expiration information.

In default configuration, SPD Server validates the user by passing the user ID via a LIBNAME statement to the password database. This database contains all information pertaining to the user, including permissions and account management information. After validation, SPD Server allows access to the tables, groups, and rights that are appropriate for each user. Starting with version 5.2, SPD Server will be providing more flexible methods for user authentication.

To use native SPD Server authentication, do not include any authentication configuration options in the server parameter file.

How SPD Server Performs Native Authentication

The following describes how SPD Server performs native authentication:

SPD Server user issues a LIBNAME statement from SAS.
The SPD Server client passes the LIBNAME request to the SPD Server host, including user name and password information provided in the body of the LIBNAME statement.
SPD Server looks up the user in the password database, and verifies that the user ID and password are valid, and that the user account is in good standing.
Following authentication, SPD Server allows the user access and rights as indicated by the information contained in the password database.