Published 2021 | Version v1
Journal article

Secure Command Line Solution for Token-based Authentication

  • 1. Scientific Computing Division, Fermilab, Batavia, IL (United States)
  • 2. Core Computing Division, Fermilab, Batavia, IL (United States)

Description

The WLCG is modernizing its security infrastructure, replacing X.509 client authentication with the newer industry standard of JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) obtained through the Open ID Connect (OIDC) protocol. There is a wide variety of software available using the standards, but most of it is for Web browser-based applications and doesn't adapt well to the command line-based software used heavily in High Throughput Computing (HTC). OIDC command line client software did exist, but it did not meet our requirements for security and convenience. This paper discusses a command line solution we have made based on the popular existing secrets management software from Hashicorp called vault. We made a package called htvault-config to easily configure a vault service and another called htgettoken to be the vault client. In addition, we have integrated use of the tools into the HTCondor workload management system, although they also work well independent of HTCondor. All of the software is open source, under active development, and ready for use.

Availability note (English)

Available from https://www.epj-conferences.org/articles/epjconf/pdf/2021/05/epjconf_chep2021_02036.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/26e2027e677c4473b09b8da01aaab313

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
EPJ. Web of Conferences
Journal Volume
251
Journal Page Range
vp.
ISSN
2100-014X

Conference

Title
25. International Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics
Acronym
CHEP 2021
Dates
17-21 May 2021
Place
Geneva (Switzerland)

INIS

Country of Publication
France
Country of Input or Organization
France
INIS RN
53090121
Subject category
S97: MATHEMATICAL METHODS AND COMPUTING;
Resource subtype / Literary indicator
Conference
Descriptors DEI
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE; COMPUTER CODES; IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS; PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Descriptors DEC
MANAGEMENT