OAuth for Mail Server Configuration

OAuth for Mail Server Configuration

Introduction  

OAuth is a standard authorization protocol that provides delegated access to a protected resource using web tokens instead of passwords. With OAuth, resource owners can configure separate permissions for each client requesting access to the same resource and modify/revoke the access at any point of time. 

To configure mail servers using OAuth, click here.

To learn more about OAuth, check out the FAQs on OAuth.

How does OAuth work  

OAuth authentication involves the following entities:

  • Resource Owner: The user who owns the protected resource.

  • Client: An end-user or application, requesting access to the resource.

  • Authorization Server: The server that generates the access token for the client with the resource owner's approval.

  • Resource Server: The server that hosts the protected resource. 

To access a protected resource, the client should obtain an authorization grant from the resource owner and pass it on to the authorization server. The authorization server validates the authorization grant and generates an access token with the approval of the resource owner. The client can use this token to access the protected resource hosted by the resource server.  


The authentication process with OAuth is explained in the flowchart below:

 In this case, SupportCenter Plus acts as the Client requesting access to the Mail Server (Resource Owner) and obtains the authorization grant. This authorization grant is processed through the Authorization Server of the corresponding mailbox (say G Suite for Gmail and Microsoft Azure for O365), which generates an access token with the Resource Owner's approval. Using this access token, SupportCenter Plus can access the Mail Server. 

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