Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for sharing state information between a stateless server and a stateful client are provided. A client request to perform an action on the server is accompanied by an encrypted token which contains state information. The server receiving the client request decrypts the token using a symmetric key generated from variable data. The server verifies that the received token is valid and uses the state information contained therein to perform the requested action. The server also provides clients with encrypted tokens using a symmetric key generated from variable data.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for authorizing a client request to a web server to execute a CGI application are provided. A web server receives a client request to execute a CGI application from a client. Authentication routines shared by a set of CGIs are executed by the requested CGI application to determine if the request is accompanied by an authentication token. If one is not received, then the CGI attempts to authenticate the client. Upon successful authentication, the CGI creates an authentication token using an authentication key and transmits the token to the client. The authentication token contains token data which is verifiable by the CGI application. Subsequent client requests to execute this or other CGI applications in this set of CGIs instrumented with the authentication routines are accompanied by the authentication token. The requested CGI executes its authentication routines to validate the authentication token and returns the requested output.