We have a problem, and that problem is authentication. In a not uncommonpattern, we have a central set of core services, run by a core group;email, fileservers, the login servers, and so on. Then we have a bunchof other people who want to build various web applications, rangingfrom departmental things all the way down to graduate students puttingtogether projects.

Many of these web applications need accounts and authentication. Thenatural and best logins and passwords to use are people's existingdepartmental