Public key infrastructure delegation

1. Technical Field An approach for allowing a server to act on behalf of an original requestor (originator) which includes an approach for indicating the chain of servers through which the original request came has been defined. This provides a mechanism for a server to act as a "delegate" for a request made by an originator. This approach uses PKI constructs and relies upon public-private key digital signatures for verifying the validity if the "delegation" information. The approach described here allows the originator some control over the extent to which its identity can be used on its behalf by servers that it contacts and servers that are contacted on its behalf. The entire "delegation chain" is contained within the construct, allowing examination of the "path" that a request has taken in getting to a server from which service was requested.