DoC Computing Support Group


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All CSG-maintained systems in the Department use the [[http://web.mit.edu/Kerberos/|Kerberos]] network authentication infrastructure deployed by the Department and the central College computing services, [[http://www.ict.imperial.ac.uk|ICT]], that allows you to use the same passphrase to access all standard university services, such as email, remote login and web services. We are aiming towards a single College password for each user, that allows you to access all standard university and Departmental services, such as email, remote login and web services.
Currently, all CSG-maintained Linux systems in the Department will accept
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Kerberos also enables the ability to use ''ticket-based'' automatic single sign-on across services that have been extended to support it. Departmental services that support ticket-based authentication include: EITHER:

   * your College password (actually a [[http://web.mit.edu/Kerberos/|Kerberos]] password stored in the College Active Directory domain),

OR

   * your DoC Kerberos password if you have one - up to 2007, people joining DoC were setup with a DoC kerberos password when they joined.

DoC Windows machines currently use their own Windows-specific passwords, but will hopefully accept College passwords by Xmas 2009.

Kerberos also enables the ability to use ''ticket-based'' automatic single sign-on across services that have been extended to support it. When
you login to (or unlock a locked session on) a DoC Linux machine, you receive a Kerberos ticket that lasts 8 hours. All the following services
will try your current ticket rather than asking you for your password again until your ticket expires after 8 hours:
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  * Departmental web pages accessed over HTTPS;
  * Secure mail access via IMAP;
  * Network filesystem access via Windows Networking (SMB/CIFS)
  * Departmental web pages accessed over HTTPS from Kerberos-aware browsers like Firefox;
  * Network filesystem access via Windows Networking (SMB/CIFS) - but using your DoC Windows AD/Kerberos ticket.

When your ticket has expired, you can give yourself another ticket from the College Kerberos/AD servers via

{{{
kinit xyz09@IC.AC.UK
}}}

[if your username is xyz09].

Note that "IC.AC.UK" is in upper case, and is not an email address, it's a Kerberos realm.

Authentication Services

We are aiming towards a single College password for each user, that allows you to access all standard university and Departmental services, such as email, remote login and web services. Currently, all CSG-maintained Linux systems in the Department will accept

EITHER:

  • your College password (actually a Kerberos password stored in the College Active Directory domain),

OR

  • your DoC Kerberos password if you have one - up to 2007, people joining DoC were setup with a DoC kerberos password when they joined.

DoC Windows machines currently use their own Windows-specific passwords, but will hopefully accept College passwords by Xmas 2009.

Kerberos also enables the ability to use ticket-based automatic single sign-on across services that have been extended to support it. When you login to (or unlock a locked session on) a DoC Linux machine, you receive a Kerberos ticket that lasts 8 hours. All the following services will try your current ticket rather than asking you for your password again until your ticket expires after 8 hours:

  • Remote login via Secure Shell (SSH);
  • Departmental web pages accessed over HTTPS from Kerberos-aware browsers like Firefox;
  • Network filesystem access via Windows Networking (SMB/CIFS) - but using your DoC Windows AD/Kerberos ticket.

When your ticket has expired, you can give yourself another ticket from the College Kerberos/AD servers via

kinit xyz09@IC.AC.UK

[if your username is xyz09].

Note that "IC.AC.UK" is in upper case, and is not an email address, it's a Kerberos realm.

 
 

services/authentication (last edited 2025-09-04 13:34:58 by ldk)