What does IDMSA mean?

What does IDMSA mean


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 13, iOS 16

Posted on Jun 23, 2023 7:36 AM

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Posted on Aug 2, 2023 11:06 PM

I believe it means either

IDentity Management System Authenticator, or

IDentity Management System Authentication. I believe the former is it though.


An IDMS basically is a system for managing identities. Contextually, Apple's IDMS architecture would provide for multiple IDMS components/modules. The component/module which authenticates online identities is what understandably would be referred to as the Authenticator, hence Apple's IDentity Management System Authenticator or IDentity Management System Authentication (if referring to the process).


Thanks.

17 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 2, 2023 11:06 PM in response to R-H-R711eieio

I believe it means either

IDentity Management System Authenticator, or

IDentity Management System Authentication. I believe the former is it though.


An IDMS basically is a system for managing identities. Contextually, Apple's IDMS architecture would provide for multiple IDMS components/modules. The component/module which authenticates online identities is what understandably would be referred to as the Authenticator, hence Apple's IDentity Management System Authenticator or IDentity Management System Authentication (if referring to the process).


Thanks.

Oct 17, 2024 11:34 AM in response to sinclairpublishingllc

sinclairpublishingllc wrote:

if Apple keeps a limited # of avenues to bring & keep customers happy; it also would avoid-fake avenues built by fake Engineers/ bankers. Please , please keep a strong trademark? What ever, to communicate with Apple, SAFELY and not wonder what IDMSA is.


Hello, and welcome to the thread.


This is a user-to-user forum. Apple may or may not read postings around here, and only rarely replies. Apple trademarks are way outside our portfolio, too.


IDMSA a cryptic acronym used as the collective name of the group of computer servers — computers larger, faster, and with more resources and capabilities for the billions of network connections happening — used to provide authentication services for controlling and accessing Apple apps and services. That includes the authentication services used to allow (or deny) access here to this Apple Communities.


Much like the network host names you have assigned to your own local computers and other devices, or the network host names that have been automatically generated and assigned, idmsa.apple.com is a network host name.


Here is a partial list of other network host names used by Apple, including the idmsa host:

Use Apple products on enterprise networks - Apple Support


As far as I know, idmsa is not a trademark nor service mark, and not a registered trademark or registered service mark. Nor seemingly intended or appropriate to be one. (But I’m also not a lawyer.)


On this (non-trademark, non-service mark) topic, we can easily get deeper into discussions of distributed authentication, of DNS, of IP routing, and other related topics here, of course. Past its simplistic use, explaining how DNS works or how IP routing or related topics works usually takes a few hours, and often includes an overview of distributed authentication and secure network connections and certificates and usually also involve side-trips into topics in cryptography.


Apr 7, 2024 6:32 PM in response to Funnyguy52

Funnyguy52 wrote:

explain like your talking to someone who knows nothing about domains subdomains etc please


It’s a cryptic acronym used as the collective name of the group of computer servers used to provide authentication services for Apple apps and services.


The authentication servers accept a user identity with proof of the possession of some secret, and then verify that the secret matches expectations. Increasingly, this authentication process also includes the use or possession or knowledge of some second factor, as well.


We can easily get deep into discussions of distributed authentication, of DNS, IP routing, and other related topics, of course. Past its simplistic use, explaining how DNS works or how IP routing or related topics works usually takes a few hours, and an overview of distributed authentication and secure network connections and certificates usually involve side-trips into topics in cryptography.

Jul 14, 2024 7:04 PM in response to Trabmada

Trabmada wrote:

Why does it sometimes have that url idmsa.apple.com at login and most of the time it doesn’t have it. I just got a fake looking one.(different colored apple logo and font) I canceled it out. Just now did it again. It apple font and a white apple logo.


Without seeing what displays or prompts or websites you’re looking at, it is difficult to determine what you’re encountering.


If this is a website, and you usually see idmsa or see some other Apple.com domain, because sometimes you’re already logged in, and sometimes your access needs to be authenticated, presumably.


If you’re clicking on links in text messages or mail messages, it is unclear what website you might encounter.


Your description could mean the iPhone or iPad crashed, too. That all gets a big white Apple logo when it restarts.


And this question doesn’t seem all that related to “What does IDMSA mean?”, too.

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What does IDMSA mean?

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