A method, system, and article of manufacture for providing an
authentication and authorization pipeline for use in a web server to
grant access to web resources to users. The server creates an entry
within an userID to roles database for each user who may access resources
present on the web server and creates an entry within the roles to
resource database for each resource that may be accessed on the web
server. The server then authenticates the identify of each user accessing
a resource on the web server using a userID, one or more authentication
parameters, and a resource access request, creates a data object having
an authenticated userID and one or more roles corresponding to the
authenticated userID obtained from the userID to roles database, and
authorizes access to a resource identified within the resource access
request if one or more roles within the data object correspond to an
access role corresponding to the roles listed within the roles to
resource database for the identified resource.