Discounting utilities and similar applications, most systems need to identify their users. Without this ability, a system would be incapable of ensuring its own security. Further, it would not be able to provide appropriate access levels, personalized services and functions, or usage tracking. User identification proves critical, especially in enterprise systems, systems built for businesses, and generally any system that needs to have accountability for its users. Unfortunately, it is also the most often overlooked feature during systems development.
This article describes Tapestry, a centralized user management system that allows developers to reuse the same set of users for every application system they build. Tapestry is a work in progress. For more information, visit the Tapestry Website.