Federering

Federering, in a general sense, refers to the process of forming or operating a federation: a union of multiple entities that agrees to cooperate under a common framework while preserving a degree of internal autonomy. The term can also describe a specific approach in information technology known as federated identity management, where multiple domains trust a shared identity provider to authenticate users.

In political science, a federation is a sovereign union of partly self-governing states or regions and a central government that handles duties such as defense, foreign policy, and often currency or interstate infrastructure. Member units retain authority in many domestic areas and have constitutional guarantees of their powers. Federation design varies by country, but common elements include a written constitution, a division of powers, representation of subnational units in the central government, and mechanisms for dispute resolution and constitutional amendment. A key distinction is that in a federation, sovereignty is constitutionally divided; in a confederation, the central authority tends to have limited powers and depends on member states for its resources.

In information technology, federation refers to federated identity management, where multiple domains trust a common identity provider to authenticate users. This enables cross-domain single sign-on and coordinated access control. Standards such as SAML, WS-Federation, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect are used to exchange authentication and authorization data. Benefits include improved user convenience and reduced credential sprawl, while challenges cover trust management, privacy, data minimization, and aligning governance across organizations.

Federering thus encompasses both political and technical arrangements that enable collaboration across autonomous entities within a shared framework, balanced by agreed powers, responsibilities, and safeguards. See also federation, confederation, and federated identity.