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SiteMinder Features

SiteMinder is a platform for secure portal, extranet, and intranet management. It provides key authentication, authorization, and personalization features for building and managing secure Web sites. SiteMinder can provide significant benefits for efficient application development and deployment, easier security management, and greater flexibility for centralized access control. It also provides tools to customize content to help retain user loyalty.

SiteMinder is a directory-enabled, standards-based system that can work with heterogeneous Web servers, operating systems, and application development platforms.

SiteMinder can do the following:

• Operate across multiple Web server platforms:
  • Microsoft IIS (Windows)
  • iPlanet Enterprise Web Server (Windows, Solaris, HP-UX)
  • Apache (Solaris)
• Centralize control of user access privileges
• Leverage existing user stores

  SiteMinder provides native integration with industry-standard LDAP directory servers, NT domains, and Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle databases for authentication and access control.

  In addition, SiteMinder can authenticate users against one directory and authorize users against another directory. This is particularly useful in environments that use legacy directories.

• Deliver an improved user experience

  Using personalization, user registration services, anonymous user support, and single sign-on, SiteMinder improves Web site usability for each user.

• Provide solutions for registering and managing users

  Registration Services include the following:

  • User Self Registration—Allows users to register themselves at your Web site using a set of customizable forms.
  • User Update of Profiles—Allows registered users to make changes to their own profile information.
  • Management of Registered Users—Allows administration of self-registered users through a set of customizable HTML forms.
• Scale for large or small sites

  SiteMinder can support very large sites, with millions of users and applications as well as extranets and intranets with a smaller user base.

• Integrate applications and improve workflow

  SiteMinder can integrate directories and external databases in its policies. This means that when a SiteMinder event occurs, for example, an authentication or authorization, SiteMinder can call external applications or libraries, and extract the necessary information from these sources. As a result, legacy applications and systems, such as mainframe applications, can still be used.

• Allow easier Web application development

  Web site developers can use SiteMinder to deliver secure personalized Web applications on time and within a budget by managing all of the complex security and entitlement requirements for those applications.

More information:

Overview

SiteMinder Components

Policy Server Overview

Policy Server Management