Hi ASP.NET experts,

 I am responsible for developing an enterprise class ASP.NET secured email application along the lines of Gmail.

 All this while, I have been a software engineer, to put it bluntly, just a coder for the past 7+ years who is quite good at Object-oriented programming and Gang of Four Design Patterns. I am just learning the ropes as far as software architecture is concerned.

 I have always been a self-taught person. I don't even know how the Gmail validates password. Used to wonder how thee wrong username/password is validated immediately, whereas entering the right username and password takes time to login.

Can you enlighten me about Gmail-like secured application architecture? 

I am just learning from these MSDN links: 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc301387.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff649357.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff649100.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee658124.aspx

Sorry if the question sounds so vague. Don't know what to learn or unlearn! I want to get myself rid of the coder tag, and wear a software architect's hat.

I am in the transition period. Please help.

Thanks

PS: Please don't forget to explain how Gmail username/password is validated immediately, whereas entering the right username and password takes time to login, behind the scenes.