ASP.NET includes profiles, which allow storing and retrieving user-specific information from a database. Authentication is the process of determining a user's identity by entering credentials like a username and password, which are then verified. Authorization determines if an authenticated user has permission to perform a specific action. ASP.NET includes membership features that reduce the code needed to manage users, roles, authentication, and authorization.

2.  ASP.NET has more specialized type of state
management called profiles. Profiles allow you to store
and retrieve user-specific information from a database.
 The process of determining a user’s identity. This
involves entering credentials (typically a user name
and password) into some sort of login page or window.
These credentials are then authenticated against the
Windows user accounts on a computer, a list of users
in a file, or a back-end database.
 Once a user is authenticated, authorization is the
process of determining whether that user has sufficient
permissions to perform a given action (such as viewing
a page or retrieving information from a database).

3.  Configure a user profile provider
 Define the user profile
 Uniquely identify users
 Set and save a user profile
 Recognize a returning visitor

4.  One key feature of nearly every enterprise Web
application is the ability to manage users and their
access to the features of a site.
 This includes creating and editing users, managing
their passwords, authenticating users based on role,
and much more.
 ASP.NET includes membership features that reduce the
amount of code you have to write to perform above
mentioned tasks.

5.  Wizard-based configuration of user management
capabilities
 Browser-based user management and access control
configuration
 A set of ASP.NET controls that provides users with the
ability to log in, log out, create new accounts, and
recover lost passwords
 The Membership and Roles classes, which you can use to
access user management capabilities within your code

6.  ASP supports at least four types of authentication:
 Windows authentication enables you to identify users
without creating a custom page. Credentials are stored
in the Web server’s local user database or an Active
Directory domain. Once identified, you can use the
user’s credentials to gain access to resources that are
protected by Windows authorization.
 Forms authentication enables you to identify users
with a custom database, such as an ASP.NET
membership database. Alternatively, you can
implement your own custom database. Once
authenticated, you can reference the roles the user is in
to restrict access to portions of your Web site.

7.  Passport authentication relies on a centralized service
provided by Microsoft. Passport authentication
identifies a user using his or her e-mail address and a
password, and a single Passport account can be used
with many different Web sites. Passport authentication
is primarily used for public Web sites with thousands
of users.
 Anonymous authentication does not require the user to
provide credentials.