Credential Vault
The Credential Vault service stores credentials that allow portlets to log in to applications outside the realm on behalf of the user. A portlet can retrieve a user's authentication identity, and then pass the information to a backend application.
Passive credentials retrieve stored secret data such as user ID and password or certificates. Portlet writers to manage their own connections and authentication to backend applications with the credentials retrieved from the Credential Vault.
Credential objects can also pass IBM Security Access Manager or CA eTrust SiteMinder single sign-on tokens to backend applications.
IBM WebSphere Portal provides one simple database vault implementation for mappings to secrets for other enterprise applications. By default, the Credential Vault contains an administrator-managed vault segment and a user-managed vault segment. Administrator-managed vaults allow users to update mappings; however, users cannot add new applications to this vault. The user-managed vault segment allows users to add application definitions, such as a POP3 mail account, under the user vault and store a mapping there. By default, the vault uses an encryption plug-in that encodes the passwords in Base 64.
WebSphere Portal initially provides two vault adapter configurations that write to the database:
default-release Default vault for administrator-managed vault segments that stores credentials in the release domain default-customization Default vault for user-managed vault segments that stores credentials in the customization domain
WebSphere Portal also supports the storage and retrieval of credentials from other vault services, such as Security Access Manager. WebSphere Portal includes a Credential Vault adapter for Security Access Manager. This plug-in works on the following operating systems:
- AIX
- Solaris
- Windows