Configure the client for basic authentication: collecting the authentication information

Important distinction between Version 5.x and Version 6 applications

Note: The information in this article supports version 5.x applications only that are used with WebSphere Application Server Version 6. The information does not apply to version 6 applications.

BasicAuth refers to the user ID and the password of a valid user in the registry of the target server. Collection of BasicAuth information can occur in many ways including through a user interface prompt, a standard in (Stdin) prompt, or specified in the bindings, which prevents user interaction. For more information on BasicAuth authentication, see BasicAuth authentication method.

Complete this task to specify the authentication information needed for BasicAuth authentication:

1. Launch an assembly tool. For more information on the assembly tools, see Assembly tools.

2. Click Windows > Open perspective > Other > J2EE .

3. Click Application Client Projects > application_name > appClientModule > META-INF .

4. Right-click the application-client.xml file, select Open with > Deployment descriptor editor .

5. Click the WS Binding tab, which is located at the bottom of deployment descriptor editor within the assembly tool such as the Application Server Toolkit or Rational Web Developer.

6. Expand the Security request sender binding configuration > Login binding section.

7. Click Edit or Enable to view the login binding information. The login binding information displays and enter the following information:

   Authentication method

   The type of authentication. Select BasicAuth to use basic authentication.

   Token value type URI and Token value type local name

   When you select BasicAuth, you cannot edit the token value type URI and the local name values. Specifies values for custom authentication types. For BasicAuth authentication, leave these values blan.

   Callback handler

   The Java Authentication and Authorization Server (JAAS) callback handler implementation for collecting the BasicAuth information. You can use the following default implementations for the callback handler:

   com.ibm.wsspi.wssecurity.auth.callback.StdinPromptCallbackHandler

   This implementation is used for non-user interface console prompts.

   com.ibm.wsspi.wssecurity.auth.callback.GUIPromptCallbackHandler

   This implementation is used for user interface panel prompts.

   com.ibm.wsspi.wssecurity.auth.callback.NonPromptCallbackHandler

   This implementation is used when you plan to always enter the user ID and password in the BasicAuth user ID and password section that follows.

   Basic Authentication user ID and Basic Authentication password

   Specifies values for the BasicAuth user ID and password, regardless of the default callback handler indicated previously, these user ID and password values are used to authenticate to the server for the Web services security authentication. If you leave these values blank, use either the GUIPromptCallbackHandler or the StdinPromptCallbackHandler implementation, but only on a pure client. Always fill-in these values for any Web service that acts as a client to another Web service that you want to specify for BasicAuth for authentication downstream. If you want the client identity of the originator to flow downstream, configure the Web service client to use either ID assertion or Lightweight Third Party Authentication (LTPA).

   Property

   Specifies properties with name and value pairs for custom callback handlers to use. For BasicAuth authentication, you do not need to enter any information. To enter a new property, click Add and enter the new property and value.

Other basic authentication entries : There is a basic authentication entry in the Port Qualified Name Binding Details section. This entry is used for HTTP transport authentication, which might be required if the router servlet is protected.

Information specified in the Web services security basic authentication section overrides the basic authentication information specified in the Port Qualified Name Binding Details section for authorizing the Web service.

For a server that acts as a client, do not specify a user interface or non-user interface prompt callback handler. To configure BasicAuth authentication from one Web service to a downstream Web service, select the com.ibm.wsspi.wssecurity.auth.callback.NonPromptCallbackHander implementation and explicitly specify the BasicAuth user ID and password. If you want the client identity of the originator to flow downstream, configure the Web service client to use ID assertion.

What to do next

Related concepts
BasicAuth authentication method

Related tasks
Configuring the client for basic authentication: specifying the method
Configuring the client for identity assertion: specifying the method
Configuring the client for identity assertion: collecting the authentication method
Configuring the client for LTPA token authentication: specifying LTPA token authentication
Configuring the client for LTPA token authentication: collecting the authentication method information
Configuring the client security bindings using an assembly tool
Configuring the security bindings on a server acting as a client using the administrative console