New on Sun Developer Network is an article, Federated Identity Through the Eyes of the Deployer, by identity luminary Eve Maler. The article answers these questions:

• What identity-related challenges do application deployers face?
• What considerations are involved in setting up a single sign-on solution so that users can authenticate elsewhere before accessing your application?
• What are the popular federated identity protocols?
• What questions must you ponder before adopting a standardized solution?

In addition, the article offers tips and guidance to help you make the right choice for an SSO architecture. You're invited to check out OpenSSO, whose "broad coverage addresses many protocol-related concerns in federation and Web access management."