A system and method for handling a request from a client device to access a service from a server. The method comprises receiving a request from a user using a client device to access a service from a server. The request is received by a network traffic management device having a local external access management (EAM) agent. The EAM agent directly communicates with an EAM server that provides authentication policy information of a plurality of users able to at least partially access the server. User credential information is sent from the EAM agent to the EAM server, whereby the EAM agent receives access policy information of the user from the EAM server. The system and method selectively controls access of the user's request to the server in accordance with the received access policy information at the network traffic management device.