Oracle Previews Authentication Service for Linux

Oracle has its eyes on its Linux customer base with the beta release of Oracle Authentication Services for Operating Systems, a new offering within Oracle Identity Management.

The Aug. 8 release is meant to underscore Oracles commitment to making Linux deployment easier and faster for users and is designed to make user management in operating systems more efficient, secure and centralized. Combined with Oracle Internet Directory, an LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) directory that leverages the security features of the Oracle Database, Oracle, of Redwood Shores, Calif., is seeking to provide customers a pre-integrated, easy-to-install and configure, centralized user authentication and storage solution for Linux and Unix.

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"Ultimately, this solution is going to be expanded to cover operating systems beyond Linux," said Amit Jasuja, vice president of development, security and identity management at Oracle. "Our initial focus on Linux is to address concerns that weve heard from our own Linux customer base, and even our own data center, about the challenges with implementing this type of technology on Linux."

Jasuja said that the same technology is being used in Oracles database and Web-based authentication products.

"This is similar to wiring three outlets to a switch and controlling them centrally," he said. "Its just much more efficient and ensures that when you turn a user off, he or she doesnt have any lingering accounts."

The preview release of Oracle Authentication Services for Operating Systems enables administrators running Linux to use existing graphical and command-line user management tools to manage users—relieving them of the need to craft new processes for everything from adding a user to changing a password.

Oracle officials said the release comprises three key components. The first is PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules), which are standard operating modules available on most Linux and Unix-based systems that support externalized authentication. The second is Oracle Internet Directory, and the third is tools and automation—tools and scripts that configure both PAM and Oracle Internet Directory components, provide simplified user migration and help ensure strong native security between network endpoints.

The Oracle Authentication Services for Operating Systems preview is available for free download. The preview supports and integrates seamlessly with both Oracle Enterprise Linux and the fully compatible Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Editors Note: This article was corrected to reflect the correct title and spelling of Amit Jasuja, vice president of development, security and identity management at Oracle.

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