Identityflow

I recently had the opportunity to test out IdentityFlow, a software implementation that solves and describes Identity Tasks through its meta-model architecture. Essentially, Identity Tasks refer to tasks that are conducted by interactions between Actors across a network. To give you an idea, some examples of identity tasks include Single Sign-On (SSO), Single Sign-Off, Attribute Requests and Claim Verification - all of which can be modeled and developed through IdentityFlow Operations.

One of the standout features of IdentityFlow is its layered architecture, which encourages a waterfall design approach. This design consists of three levels - high level representation of identity task, top level technical representation of naive protocol flow and bindings, and low level operation implementation. The end product is a working implementation that can be further developed over time.

Another feature worth noting is the software's commitment to embracing standards and specifications without driving them. This means that IdentityFlow integrates seamlessly with industry-wide frameworks like Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) and Shibboleth- a huge plus for those of us leveraging the power of these frameworks.

IdentityFlow aims to maximize design and code reuse by building operations from logical building blocks. To make it even more usable, IdentityFlow is also SAML compliant by default, with a sample SSO operation and Redirect(GET)/POST binding implementations included. While there are currently only a few operations, profiles and bindings available, the goal is to expand these in the future.

Finally, IdentityFlow's design goal includes integrating 'hooks' - or trust infrastructure - into operations and identity task flow protocols. Overall, I found IdentityFlow to be a promising tool for developing and solving identity-related problems.