IVOA Recommendation: IVOA Credential Delegation Protocol Version 1.0

TL;DR

This paper specifies the IVOA Credential Delegation Protocol v1.0, enabling secure delegation of user credentials to services via a REST interface, with registration and discovery mechanisms within the IVOA framework.

Contribution

It introduces a standardized REST-based protocol for credential delegation in the IVOA, including registration and service discovery procedures.

Findings

Defines a secure REST protocol for credential delegation

Provides registration and discovery methods for delegation services

Enables services to act on behalf of users securely

Abstract

The credential delegation protocol allows a client program to delegate a user's credentials to a service such that that service may make requests of other services in the name of that user. The protocol defines a REST service that works alongside other IVO services to enable such a delegation in a secure manner. In addition to defining the specifics of the service protocol, this document describes how a delegation service is registered in an IVOA registry along with the services it supports. The specification also explains how one can determine from a service registration that it requires the use of a supporting delegation service.