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Distributed Access Control System
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<p>Distributed Access Control System (DACS) is a light-weight <a href="/facts/Single_sign-on/qqqLoB8h">single sign-on</a> and <a href="/facts/Attribute-based_access_control/G0e147WX">attribute-based access control</a> system for <a href="/facts/Web_server/A4GS6thA">web servers</a> and <a href="/facts/Server_(computing)/dEaYFD7r">server-based software</a>. DACS is primarily used with <a href="/facts/Apache_HTTP_Server/tcmWYYUq">Apache web servers</a> to provide enhanced access control for web pages, <a href="/facts/Common_Gateway_Interface/zWsLFXGJ">CGI</a> programs and <a href="/facts/Servlet/hf5LQVq1">servlets</a>, and other web-based assets, and to <a href="/facts/Federated_identity/uwW7GSVz">federate</a> Apache servers. </p><p>Released under an <a href="/facts/Open-source_license/FlFTwHmd">open-source license</a>, DACS provides a modular <a href="/facts/Authentication/64y4S69b">authentication</a> <a href="/facts/Software_framework/EWasA8sG">framework</a> that supports an array of common authentication methods and a rule-based <a href="/facts/Authorization/FYFAkCH2">authorization</a> engine that can grant or deny access to resources, named by <a href="/facts/Uniform_Resource_Locator/pPD5g7Wq">URLs</a>, based on the identity of the requestor and other contextual information. Administrators can configure DACS to identify users by employing authentication methods and user accounts already available within their organization. The resulting DACS identities are recognized at all DACS jurisdictions that have been federated. </p><p>In addition to simple web-based <a href="/facts/Application_Programming_Interface/GMlN4vUr">APIs</a>, <a href="/facts/Command_line/R9JpGmXQ">command-line interfaces</a> are also provided to much of the functionality. Most web-based APIs can return <a href="/facts/XML/clNgUfWk">XML</a> or <a href="/facts/JSON/bs1rUAhd">JSON</a> documents. </p><p>Development of DACS began in 2001, with the first open source release made available in 2005. </p>