Quest Debuts SSO Tool that Bridges Window and Unix Environments

Updated: February 17, 2006

by Alex Woodie

Quest Software this week unveiled a new single sign-on (SSO) product called Vintela Authentication Services 3.0 that will let some Unix and Linux users leverage identity credentials stored in Microsoft Active Directory, thereby streamlining identity management in heterogeneous IT environments.

Previously, users on Windows operating systems would have to enter additional user IDs and passwords to access some applications running on Unix or Linux servers. But with Vintela Authentication Services 3.0, Quest is "moving up the stack" to provide SSO support for applications, not just operating systems. With this release, some applications running on Unix or Linux servers can accept a user's credential from Active Directory, which reduces the need for additional logins, streamlines the user experience, and boosts security, the Aliso Viejo, California, company says.

At this point, there are two types of Unix- or Linux-based applications supported by Vintela Authentication Services 3.0, including SAP's enterprise applications and programs written on IBM's DB2 database middleware. However, the company is also publishing a new API that will open other applications to AD through Vintela; it's also working to support more applications out-of-the-box in the future. The product is available now; pricing in the U.S. starts at $325 per server and $45 per user.

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that application-level SSO support in Vintela Authentication Services 3.0 is a new feature. Previously, the product concentrated on providing OS-level SSO support.