| US 7,395,311 B2 | ||
| Performing generic challenges in a distributed system | ||
| Christopher G. Kaler, Sammamish, Wash. (US); and Giovanni M. Della-Libera, Seattle, Wash. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 10, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/340,225. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0139152 A1, Jul. 15, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. G06F 15/16 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 709—203 | 36 Claims |
| 1. In a distributed system including a server message processor that is communicatively coupled to one or more other message
processors such that the server message processor and the one or more other message processors can communicate by transferring
electronic messages, a method for the server message processor to challenge a client message processor, the method comprising:
an act of receiving a first electronic request from the client message processor to access a service at the server message
processor;
an act of identifying a type of challenge from among a plurality of different types of challenges, each different type of
challenge having corresponding different algorithmic processing utilized for computing a response to the type of challenge;
an act of issuing a challenge along with a token to the client message processor, the challenge and token issued in accordance
with the identified type of challenge, the token containing state information related to the challenge such that the server
message processor is relieved from having to use system resources to maintain state information related to the challenge while
waiting for a response to the challenge;
an act of receiving a second electronic request to access the service from the client message processor, the second electronic
request including a response to the challenge and the token, the response containing an answer to the challenge; and
an act of comparing the contained answer to the state information contained in the token to determine if the answer represents
an appropriate answer to the challenge without referring to other maintained state information related to the challenge.
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