Portal system components

A typical portal system consists of these basic components: authentication client, access device, portal authentication server, portal Web server, AAA server, and security policy server.

Figure 48: Portal system components

Authentication client

An authentication client is a Web browser that runs HTTP/HTTPS or a user host that runs a portal client application. Security check for the user host is implemented through the interaction between the portal client and the security policy server.

Access device

An access device refers to a broadband access device such as a switch or a router. An access device has the following functions:

Portal authentication server

The portal authentication server receives authentication requests from authentication clients and interacts with the access device to authenticate users.

Portal Web server

The portal Web server pushes the Web authentication page to authentication clients and forwards user authentication information (username and password) to the portal authentication server. The access device also redirects HTTP requests from unauthenticated users to the portal Web server.

The portal Web server can be integrated with the portal authentication server or an independent server.

AAA server

The AAA server interacts with the access device to implement authentication, authorization, accounting for portal users. In a portal system, a RADIUS server can perform authentication, authorization, accounting for portal users, and an LDAP server can perform authentication for portal users.

Security policy server

The security policy server interacts with the portal client and the access device for security check and authorization for users.