Identity Management refers to the services and processes that provide for authenitcation, authorization, and (in some cases) provisioning of computer users and groups. Identity Management is also called "account management". The College is increasingly using GT credentials to access CoC resources and is working to migrate entirely over time to centralize and simplify services. Here is the Institute's password management policy, as well as the other IT policies that govern account use:

The identity management systems and services at the CoC and Georgia Tech are described below.

Authentication

TSO provides identity management services for faculty, staff, graduate students, and other affiliates on an "as-needed" basis. CoC accounts are primarily used to access aging research resources and are only created for Faculty and for students participating in Institute research.

Concurrently, OIT provides identity management services for all GT persons through a GT account, which provides access to many systems and services. CoC is currently in the process of converting the remaining CoC authenticated systems to use GT credentials.

A general breakdown of which account provides which service is as follows:

GT Account:

  • Access to CoC instructional computing resources
  • Access to the GT VPN
  • Access to mail.gatech.edu
  • Access to LAWN wireless networking and many other GT online resources

CoC Account:

  • Access to research computing resources
  • Access to CoC home directories via smb://ccsamba.cc.gatech.edu/
  • Access to cc.gatech.edu personal web space

TSO operates a Kerberos service to authenticate CoC accounts to provide authentication services for the last remaining s

OIT operates a Kerberos service and an LDAP service to provide authentication for GT accounts. Windows and Linux computers purchased by the College use this Kerberos service to authenticate users using their passwords. At the same time, Linux systems within the CoC also support SSH key-pair authentication. CoC systems that authenticate against the GT Kerberos or LDAP service must be registered with and be under the purview of TSO.

Authorization

Georgia Tech provides Active Directory and LDAP services for authorization. Authorizations manifest themselves as Windows or Unix groups. Membership in these groups is handled through requests to the TSO Help Desk, which will authorize your access with the groups' stewards.