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Data Avenue
Use-case1: The user uses Data Avenue web interface to organize data (create, rename dirs) and to transfer large data between Grid FTP sites, using his proxy generated by myproxy server. He however wishes more reliable data transfer. Data Avenue detects that such transfers (gsiftp-gsiftp, srm-srm) can be done using FTS services, so Data Avenue first delegates the user proxy being used to the FTS server and initiates the transfer using FTS services (installed locally, next to Data Avenue server). The fact that the tranfer is done through FTS is transparent to the user. All the time a transfer can be done through FTS, it will be chosen.
Use-case2: The user has his own CA issued certificate within his browser. He cannot create proxy in other way but does not want to expose his certificate to anyone. He wishes to use Data Avenue to transfer data between Grid FTP sites. So, when connecting to a Grid FTP site, he chooses "Browser generated proxy" authentication type. A proxy is generated on client-side, which proxy is sent to Data Avenue. Potential transfers are done using FTS services. The proxy is generated on merely client-side (no interaction with the server), or it is based on some key exchange (signing certificate request) between the Data Avenue server and the client browser.
Implementation. The above use cases require the following extensions to current implementations of FTS and Data Avenue:
(1) FTS should allow delegation of already available proxies - generated by myproxy or jsaga (different CNs may be appended when creating certificate chains). It may have some security implications (I am not an expert). The proxy is passed to Data Avenue in a secure way (HTTPS). Data Avenue will further delegate this proxy to FTS. If it increases security, FTS may be configured to accept such proxy delegations from a restricted set of sites (e.g., from Data Avenue server only). FTS server may be in an environment that only Data Avenue can access it.
(2) (a) JavaScript of WebFTS can be either modified to generate proxy without server interaction (if it is possible). The connection is made over HTTPS when the proxy is passed to Data Avenue, but as it diverges from RFC 3820, it may impose new security issues. Its risks and advantages should be considered. (b) Proxy generation is based on CSR. Data Avenue server has to be extended with servlets that create certificate request. JavaScript is modified to talk to Data Avenue when requesting CSR and sending proxy instead of FTS. Maybe the proxy can be delegated to both servers at the same time (Data Avenue and FTS). Maybe the proxy can be queried from FTS by Data Avenue.
What is your oppinion?