The reason that CAS works across multiple domains (and most other Single
Sign On solutions don't) is due to the redirects instead of a cookie-based
implementation.

If using a cookie isn't possible due to multiple domains, your best bet that
I know of is to create enhanced clients that can filter the gateway feature
based on known bots.

-Scott

On Dec 20, 2007 11:47 PM, Kristin Coles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> I have just came to know that a cookie would not work for two top level
> domains but would work for a domain and its sub-domains. Now I understand
> exactly what Scott meant by a "Poor man's gateway". :) Thank you Scott. You
> are genius. :)
>
> In our case, we host xyz.com, subdomain.xyz.com and cas.xyz.com. So the
> "Poor man's Gateway" should fit our case fine.
>
> However, we have a plan to host multiple top-level domains in future.
> Hence this solution would be a good temporary fix. Meanwhile we will have to
> research what a long-term solution would be.
>
> Thanks for the help Scott. Any other ideas are welcome.
>
> Regards,
> Shashi
>
>
>
>
>
> On Dec 20, 2007 7:43 PM, Kristin Coles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > Scott, Dale and Russ,
> >
> > Thanks for the responses guys! I really really appreciate the feedback.
> >
> > I understood the UserAgent Idea which Scott suggested, which I have
> > outlined below. However I have not yet explicitly created a cookie on the
> > client end yet. So I do not completely understand the implications of "Poor
> > man's Gateway" idea that Scott suggested or the idea suggested by Dale
> > (employed by mod_auth_cas) as both involve setting cookies. I am sure its a
> > simple thing to learn and I will learn in soon. Probably this would be a
> > dumb question but would web crawlers allow you to create cookies?
> >
> > You've all got me moving once again. :) Will contact once I learn more
> > about the cookie idea. This is a great forum!!!
> >
> > cheers,
> > Kristin
> >
> > PS: UserAgent idea....
> > Step 1. Identify a crawler using the UserAgent string (with the help of
> > a UserAgent list for the important crawlers out there).
> > Step 2: If crawler then DO NOT redirect to CAS. Just create a
> > IS-A-CRAWLER=YES object in the HTTP session and let the crawler get the page
> > it wants.
> > Step 3: If not a crawler then create IS-A-CRAWLER=NO object in the
> > session and redirect to CAS as usual.
> >
> > For subsequent page requests by user/crawler, we will check for
> > IS-A-CRAWLER object and follow step 2 or step 3.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Dec 20, 2007 6:18 PM, Dale Ogilvie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >  Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the requirement but...
> > >
> > > The way some clients handle this is to utilize a application specific
> > > cookie for all user authentication after the first. The flow goes 
> > > something
> > > like this:
> > >
> > > 1. Client browses to secure app for the first time
> > > 2. App redirects to CAS because there is no valid "app user cookie"
> > > 3. CAS returns a service ticket
> > > 4. App validates ST, then sets user specific "app user cookie", and
> > > allows access
> > > 5. Client returns to app which accepts the passed "app user cookie" as
> > > the auth credential and allows access
> > >
> > > This is a one-time authentication with CAS, to obtain a application
> > > specific cookied credential which is used thereafter.
> > >
> > > mod_auth_cas uses this technique I believe.
> > >
> > > Dale
> > >
> > >  ------------------------------
> > > *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > ] *On Behalf Of *Kristin Coles
> > > *Sent:* Friday, 21 December 2007 12:46 p.m.
> > > *To:* [email protected]
> > > *Subject:* Are CAS redirects incompatible with Google web crawler?
> > >
> > >   Hi guys,
> > > I have a working Single Sign On solution (which wouldn't have been
> > > possible without this forum). However this made our webpages incompatible
> > > with Google's web crawler (Googlebot)? When I use "Google Webmaster tools"
> > > too see our website logs, I now see thousands of Redirect error messages
> > > (which weren't there before the Single Sign On).
> > >
> > > http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35157
> > >
> > > According to the above link, I should "Minimize the number of
> > > redirects needed to follow a link from one page to another" to avoid the
> > > Redirect error messages.
> > >
> > > Right now, I am redirecting 3 times for every page visit.
> > > 1. Redirect to the CAS server to get a ticket.
> > > 2. Redirect back to the page (service url) from the CAS server
> > > 3. Self-redirect without the ticket parameter
> > >
> > > Is this a common problem with a simple solution? Can anyone please
> > > tell me how to get over this hurdle.
> > >
> > > Thank you!
> > > Kristin
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Yale CAS mailing list
> > > [email protected]
> > > http://tp.its.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/cas
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Yale CAS mailing list
> [email protected]
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>
>


-- 
-Scott Battaglia

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbattaglia
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