Configure the client for identity assertion: collecting the authentication method
You can configure identity assertion authentication. The purpose of identity assertion is to assert the authenticated identity of the originating client from a Web service to a downstream Web service.
Overview
There is an important distinction between V5.x and V6 and later applications. The information in this article supports V5.x applications only that are used with WebSphere Application Server V6.0.x and later. The information does not apply to V6.0.x and later applications.
This task is used to configure identity assertion authentication. The purpose of identity assertion is to assert the authenticated identity of the originating client from a Web service to a downstream Web service. Do not attempt to configure identity assertion from a pure client. Identity assertion works only when you configure on the client-side of a Web service acting as a client to a downstream Web service.
In order for the downstream Web service to accept the identity of the originating client (just the user name), supply a special trusted BasicAuth credential that the downstream Web service trusts and can authenticate successfully. You must specify the user ID of the special BasicAuth credential in a trusted ID evaluator on the downstream Web service configuration. For more information on trusted ID evaluators, see Trusted ID evaluator.
Complete the following steps to specify how the client collects the authentication information:
Procedure
- Launch an assembly tool. For more information on the assembly tools, see Assembly tools.
- Switch to the J2EE perspective. Click Window > Open Perspective > J2EE.
- Click Application Client Projects > application > appClientModule > META-INF.
- Right-click the application-client.xml file, select Open with > Deployment descriptor editor.
- Click the WS Binding tab, which is located at the bottom of the Deployment Descriptor Editor within an assembly tool.
- Expand the Security request sender binding configuration > Login binding section.
- Click Edit to view the login binding information and select IDAssertion. The login binding dialog is displayed. Select or enter the following information:
- Authentication method
- The authentication method specifies the type of authentication that occurs. Select IDAssertion to use identity assertion.
- Token value type URI and Token value type Local name
- When you select IDAssertion, you cannot edit the token value type Universal Resource Identifier (URI) and the local name. Specifies custom authentication types. For IDAssertion authentication, leave these values blank.
- Callback handler
- Specifies the JAAS callback handler implementation for collecting the BasicAuth information. Specify the com.ibm.wsspi.wssecurity.auth.callback.NonPromptCallbackHandler implementation for IDAssertion.
- Basic authentication User ID and Basic authentication Password
- In this field, the trust mode entered in the extensions is BasicAuth. Timerusted user ID and password in these fields. The user ID specified must be an ID that is trusted by the downstream Web service. The Web service trusts the user ID if it is entered as a trusted ID in a trusted ID evaluator in the downstream Web service bindings. If the trust mode entered in the extensions is Signature, you do not need to specify any information in this field.
- Property name and Property value
- Specifies properties with name and value pairs, for use by custom callback handlers. For IDAssertion, you do not need to specify any information in this field.
What to do next
To use the identity assertion authentication method, specify the method in the Security extensions section of an assembly tool. See Configure the client for identity assertion: specifying the method if you have not previously specified this information.
Related concepts
Trusted ID evaluator
Related tasks
Configure the client for identity assertion: specifying the method
Configure the client security bindings using an assembly tool
Securing Web services for V5.x applications using identity assertion authentication