Method and system for distributed retrieval of data objects within multi-protocol profiles in federated environments

A method is presented for transferring data objects between federated entities within a federation using artifacts. A first federated entity, such as a service provider, receives artifacts from a second federated entity, such as an identity provider, which generates data objects, such as assertions, for use at or by the first federated entity. The artifact references a data object that is locally stored by the second federated entity, which is implemented as a distributed data processing system with a set of data processing systems, each of which can generate artifacts and artifact-referenced data objects, and each of which can proxy data object retrieval requests to other data processing systems within the distributed data processing system. When the second federated entity receives a data object retrieval request with an artifact from the first federated entity, the artifact-referenced data object is retrieved from within the distributed data processing system using the artifact.