Authentication and Authorization for Global Research Infrastructure (Lecture)

About

In today's interconnected world, authentication and authorization have become critical components of modern research infrastructure. This lecture will begin by exploring traditional methods, such as certificate-based authentication, before progressing to how initiatives like **WLCG**, **IRIS** (UK computing resource federation) and **SKA SRCNet** (Square Kilometre Array - SKA Regional Centres Network) leverage industry-standard, token-based **Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure** (AAI) to enable large-scale research federations.

Next, we will examine how modernised certificate-based PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) can complement token-based systems, creating a secure and user-friendly approach for accessing research resources. This hybrid model ensures both flexibility and robustness in managing identity and access across global collaborators.

The practical exercise will give attendees hands-on experience deploying a token issuer and a certificate authority using Kubernetes Helm charts. Participants will:

1. Obtain a token from the issuer and analyse its content to understand the underlying architecture. 2. Issue a certificate and explore how token information translates into certificate issued via automated certificated issuer and how the 2 technologies can be bridged. 3. Use the issued certificate to access research resources in a simulated environment, demonstrating secure and streamlined access workflows.

By the end of the session, attendees will gain both conceptual understanding and practical skills for implementing modern AAI solutions in global research infrastructures.

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