The TIER Reference Architecture assists executive stakeholders, campus IT architects and TIER community members n understanding the functional components for identity and access management in a higher education institution, and how those components relate to one another.
TIER’s Business Context
The TIER Architecture simplifies campus processes and advances inter-institutional collaboration and research through an open-source toolset and a set of campus architectural practices that answer the challenges posed by identity and access control at higher education institutions. The TIER Architecture provides tools, software and architectural patterns that enable institutions to effectively and securely manage access to institutional resources and to foster inter-institutional collaboration.
The TIER Reference Architecture
[Marlena's Narrative ]
Narrative Walkthroughs:
- New person from institutional source
- New person from institutional source, midPoint variant
- New person from Guest / Self Registration
- New person from Invitation Service
- Demographic / contact data update
- Existing person with new affiliation
- Existing person with changed affiliation (e.g. job change)
- Existing person losing affiliation (e.g. job ending)
- New user activating a credential
- Adding an additional external credential
- Request-based Provisioning
- Attestation and Compliance
- Merges / Splits
Glossary of TIER Reference Architecture Components
Earlier Work:
Initial sketch for DSAWG - 6/15/16 (PDF)
Revised Version of Reference Architecture
From the Entity Registries Working Group:
IAM Functional Model: https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/TIERENTREG/IAM+Functional+Model+and+IAM+Glossary
Backbone Usage Scenarios: https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/x/HwjcBQ
From TIER Executive Documents:
Case for TIER / State of TIER (see Figure 1 - Composite Block Diagram in the State of TIER): https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BzRHp0xie6WFUVRqQXBwd3VSa1U&usp=sharing#list
TIER Educause Presentation (Nov, 2015): https://www.internet2.edu/media/medialibrary/2015/11/06/TIER-Educause-Nov2015.pdf
CIFER Reference Architecture:
CIFER Solutions Reference Architecture: https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/cifer/CIFER+Solutions+Reference+Architecture
Component and Capability Reference Architecture: https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/cifer/Component+and+Capability+Reference+Architecture
Prior Work:
IAM Functions from I2 Middleware Initiative (2006): https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/download/attachments/91226442/mw-infosheet19.jpg?version=1&modificationDate=1463673400039&api=v2
