Authentication Server

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What Does Authentication Server Mean?

An authentication server is a type of network server that validates and authenticates remote users or IT nodes connecting to an application or service. It ensures that only authorized and authenticated nodes are provided access to the server, application, storage or any other IT resources behind the authentication server.

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Techopedia Explains Authentication Server

An authentication server is primarily used in enterprise IT environments to secure network/internet based applications and services. Typically, validating the identity and granting access of connecting nodes is the prime objective of an authentication server. These nodes can be general end-user, computer, server or an application.

An authentication server requires each node to provide valid authentication credentials before they are authorized access. Moreover, an authentication server can be a standalone server, firewall application, integrated with a switch or network access server.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.