Configure the client for basic authentication: specifying the method

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 password of a valid user in the registry of the target server. BasicAuth information can be collected in many ways including through an administrative console 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.

Attention: WebSphere Application Server supports nonce (randomly generated token) with BasicAuth authentication. For more information, see Nonce.

Complete the following steps to specify BasicAuth as the authentication method:

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 Extensions tab, which is located at the bottom of the deployment descriptor editor within the assembly tool.

6. Expand the Request sender configuration > Login configuration section. The only valid login configuration choices for a pure client are BasicAuth and Signature.

7. Select BasicAuth to authenticate the client using a user ID and a password. This user ID and password must be specified in the target user registry. The other choice, Signature, attempts to authenticate the client using the certificate used to digitally sign the message.

What to do next

• Configuring the client security bindings using an assembly tool

• Configuring the security bindings on a server acting as a client using the administrative console

After you specify the BasicAuth authentication method, specify how to collect the authentication information. See Configuring the client for basic authentication: collecting the authentication information.

Related concepts
Nonce, a randomly generated token

Related tasks
Configuring the client for basic authentication: collecting the authentication information
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
Configuring nonce for the application level
Configuring nonce for the server level
Configuring nonce for the cell level