Identity Management for Virtual Organizations: An Experience-Based Model

Abstract

In this paper we present our Virtual Organization (VO) Identity Management (IdM) Model, an overview of 14 interviews that informed it, and preliminary analysis of the factors that guide VOs and Resource Providers (RPs) to choose a particular IdM implementation. This model will serve both existing and future VOs and RPs to more effectively understand and implement their IdM relationships. The Virtual Organization has emerged as a fundamental way of structuring modern scientific collaborations and has shaped the computing infrastructure that supports those collaborations. One key aspect of this infrastructure is identity management, and the emergence of VOs introduces challenges regarding how much of the IdM process should be delegated from the RP to the VO. Many different implementation choices have been made, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 different VOs or RPs regarding their IdM choices and the bases behind those decisions. We analyzed the interview results to extract common parameters and values, which we used to inform our VO IdM Model.