Microsoft AzMan (Microsoft Authorization Manager)

Microsoft AzMan (Authorization Manager) is a role-based access and security framework for .NET applications. It offers a way for administrators to manage policies for authorization and runtimes that permit applications to execute access checks against those policies.

First introduced with Windows Server 2003, the AzMan administration is a snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console. Administrators can use AzMan to manage the access that roles have to certain tasks. Administrators can also make changes to these authorization policies without needing to change any business applications. Any applications that are federation-aware can use AzMan to make decisions about access by mapping AzMan roles' federation claims.

There are a number of benefits in using AzMan, Microsoft says. Some of these benefits include flexibility for storage options and authorization rules, a centralized administration for role-based access control and a potential reduction in maintenance costs and software development.