Grid security through delegation of roles

Abstract

Grid delegation is the process by which a user endows a grid-enabled program with the authority to the requisition and use of computational resources on behalf of the user. The large and geographically distributed, dynamic, hetero-geneous and scalable grid environment poses unique delegation requirements. Presently the standard mechanisms to guide grid delegation are inadequate in their support for delegation. Since Globus Tool Kit-supported credential delegation is inadequate in a dynamic grid environment, a new conceptual model is required to effectively formulate grid delegation requirements. Viewing grid delegation as an authorization issue, we present a flexible framework called Role-Based Grid Delegation Model (RB-GDM) for delegating access rights through roles in grids. It supports inter-domain and intra-domain role-based delegation in grids. © 2006 IEEE.