Flexible User Management and Access Control in Multitenant Microservice Systems

Microservice architectures have become the cornerstone for developing scalable and modular applications, particularly in complex systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. These systems often cater to large organizations with hierarchical structures, including parent companies that oversee multiple subsidiaries. A significant challenge arises in managing user access across such entities: some users require access to all subsidiaries, while others are restricted to specific ones. Flexible and secure access control is paramount to addressing this challenge. This paper presents an approach for flexible user management and access control in multitenant microservice environments. The proposed solution leverages JSON Web Tokens (JWT) with refresh and access tokens to dynamically manage and enforce user permissions across organizational boundaries. The architecture ensures seamless integration with microservices while maintaining robust security and scalability. This research highlights the practical implementation and benefits of the proposed approach in addressing complex user access requirements in multitenant ERP systems.