Setting an Authentication Level for a Server Application

When you set an authentication level for an application, you determine what degree of authentication is performed when clients call into the application. Higher authentication levels provide greater security and data integrity, although usually with some performance degradation. For an overview of authentication in COM+, see Authentication in COM+.

To select an authentication level for a server application

1. Right-click the COM+ server application for which you are setting authentication, and then click Properties.
   
   
2. In the application properties dialog box, click the Security tab.
   
   
3. In the Authentication Level for Calls box, select the appropriate level. The levels are as follows, ordered from lowest to highest security:
   • None   No authentication occurs.
     
     
   • Connect   Authenticates credentials only when the connection is made.
     
     
   • Call   Authenticates credentials at the beginning of every call.
     
     
   • Packet   Authenticates credentials and verifies that all call data is received. This is the default setting for COM+ server applications.
     
     
   • Packet Integrity   Authenticates credentials and verifies that no call data has been modified in transit.
     
     
   • Packet Privacy   Authenticates credentials and encrypts the packet, including the data and the sender's identity and signature.
4. Click OK.

The authentication level you select takes effect the next time the application is started.