Package javax.security.enterprise

Enum Class AuthenticationStatus

java.lang.Object
java.lang.Enum<AuthenticationStatus>
javax.security.enterprise.AuthenticationStatus
All Implemented Interfaces:
Serializable, Comparable<AuthenticationStatus>, Constable
public enum AuthenticationStatus extends Enum<AuthenticationStatus>
The AuthenticationStatus is used as a return value by primarily the HttpAuthenticationMechanism to indicate the result (status) of the authentication process.

For the result from HttpAuthenticationMechanism.validateRequest(javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest, javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse, javax.security.enterprise.authentication.mechanism.http.HttpMessageContext) an AuthenticationStatus must be transformed by the Java EE server into the corresponding JASPIC (JSR 196) AuthStatus according to the following rules:

  • AuthenticationStatus.NOT_DONE to AuthStatus.SUCCESS
  • AuthenticationStatus.SEND_CONTINUE to AuthStatus.SEND_CONTINUE
  • AuthenticationStatus.SUCCESS to AuthStatus.SUCCESS
  • AuthenticationStatus.SEND_FAILURE to AuthStatus.SEND_FAILURE

After the transformation as outlined above the transformed result has to be processed by the Java EE server as specified by the Servlet Container Profile of the JASPIC 1.1 spec (chapter 3).

Implementation note: while the JASPIC Servlet Container Profile is the authoritative source on how to process the AuthStatus.SUCCESS result and this specification puts no constraints of any kind on that, the expectation is that Java EE servers in practice will mainly look at the result being AuthStatus.SUCCESS or not AuthStatus.SUCCESS. Simply said, if the result is AuthStatus.SUCCESS the authenticated identity (if any) must be set (established) for the current HTTP request, otherwise not.

The return value of SecurityContext.authenticate(javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest, javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse, javax.security.enterprise.authentication.mechanism.http.AuthenticationParameters) , which is also of type AuthenticationStatus, strongly relates to the outcome of the HttpAuthenticationMechanism#validateRequest method as described above, but must be transformed by the Java EE server from the corresponding outcome of the HttpServletRequest.authenticate(javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse) call as follows:

  • true to AuthenticationStatus.SUCCESS
  • false to [last status] (see below)
  • ServletException or IOException to AuthenticationStatus.SEND_FAILURE

When an HttpAuthenticationMechanism was used [last status] must be the value returned by HttpAuthenticationMechanism#validateRequest.

When a JASPIC ServerAuthModule (SAM) was used and an HttpAuthenticationMechanism was not used Java EE servers are encouraged, but not required, to set [last status] to the value returned by ServerAuthModule#validateRequest transformed as follows:

  • AuthStatus.SEND_CONTINUE to AuthenticationStatus.SEND_CONTINUE
  • AuthStatus.SUCCESS to AuthenticationStatus.SUCCESS
  • AuthStatus.SEND_FAILURE to AuthenticationStatus.SEND_FAILURE
  • (all other outcomes) to AuthenticationStatus.NOT_DONE

When a Java EE Server proprietary identity store equivalent was used and an HttpAuthenticationMechanism was not used Java EE servers are encouraged, but not required, to set [last status] to a value that logically corresponds to the description of each enum constant of AuthenticationStatus. This outcome should never be depended on by application code as being portable.

Application code calling SecurityContext#authenticate is expected to act on all possible values of AuthenticationStatus.

  • Enum Constant Details

    • NOT_DONE

      public static final AuthenticationStatus NOT_DONE
      The authentication mechanism was called, but decided not to authenticate. This status would be typically returned in pre-emptive security; the authentication mechanism is called, but authentication is optional and would only take place when for instance a specific request header is present.

    • SEND_CONTINUE

      public static final AuthenticationStatus SEND_CONTINUE
      The authentication mechanism was called and a multi-step authentication dialog with the caller has been started (for instance, the caller has been redirected to a login page). Simply said authentication is "in progress". Calling application code (if any) should not write to the response when this status is received.

    • SUCCESS

      public static final AuthenticationStatus SUCCESS
      The authentication mechanism was called and the caller was successfully authenticated. After the Java EE server has processed this outcome, the caller principal is available.

    • SEND_FAILURE

      public static final AuthenticationStatus SEND_FAILURE
      The authentication mechanism was called but the caller was not successfully authenticated and therefor the caller principal will not be made available.

      Note that this status should be used to indicate a logical problem (such as a credential not matching or a caller ID that can not be found). Exceptions should be used for system level problems (such as a database connection timing out).

  • Method Details

    • values

      public static AuthenticationStatus[] values()
      Returns an array containing the constants of this enum class, in the order they are declared.
      Returns:
      an array containing the constants of this enum class, in the order they are declared

    • valueOf

      public static AuthenticationStatus valueOf(String name)
      Returns the enum constant of this class with the specified name. The string must match exactly an identifier used to declare an enum constant in this class. (Extraneous whitespace characters are not permitted.)
      Parameters:
      name - the name of the enum constant to be returned.
      Returns:
      the enum constant with the specified name
      Throws:
      IllegalArgumentException - if this enum class has no constant with the specified name
      NullPointerException - if the argument is null