Implementing a custom propagation token

This topic explains how you might create your own propagation token implementation, which is set on the running thread and propagated downstream.

Overview

• Isolate your attributes within your own implementation.

• Serialize the information using custom serialization. You must deserialize the bytes at the target and add that information back on the thread by plugging in a custom login module into the inbound system login configurations. This task also might include encryption and decryption.

To implement a custom propagation token, complete the following steps:

Procedure

1. Write a custom implementation of the PropagationToken interface. Many different methods are available for implementing the PropagationToken interface. However, make sure that the methods that are required by the PropagationToken interface and the token interface are fully implemented.

   After you implement this interface, you can place it in the profile_root/classes directory. The profile_root variable is the directory and name specified for the profilePath parameter at profile creation. For more information on classes, see Creating a classes subdirectory in your profile for custom classes.

   All of the token types that are defined by the propagation framework have similar interfaces. The token types are marker interfaces that implement the com.ibm.wsspi.security.token.Token interface. This interface defines most of the methods. If you plan to implement more than one token type, consider creating an abstract class that implements the com.ibm.wsspi.security.token.Token interface. All of your token implementations, including the propagation token, might extend the abstract class and then most of the work is complete.

   To see an implementation of the propagation token, see Example: com.ibm.wsspi.security.token.PropagationToken implementation.

2. Add and receive the custom propagation token during WebSphere Application Server logins. This task is typically accomplished by adding a custom login module to the various application and system login configurations. You also can add the implementation from an application. However, to deserialize the information, you need to plug in a custom login module, which is discussed in Propagating a custom Java serializable object. The WSSecurityPropagationHelper class has APIs that are used to set a propagation token on the thread and to retrieve the token from the thread to make updates.

   The code sample in Example: Custom propagation token login module shows how to determine if the login is an initial login or a propagation login. The difference between these login types is whether the WSTokenHolderCallback callback contains propagation data. If the callback does not contain propagation data, initialize a new custom propagation token implementation and set it on the thread. If the callback contains propagation data, look for your specific custom propagation token TokenHolder instance, convert the byte array back into your customer PropagationToken object, and set it back on the thread. The code sample shows both instances.

   You can add attributes any time your custom propagation token is added to the thread. If you add attributes between requests and the getUniqueId method changes, the Common Secure Interoperability V2 (CSIv2) client session is invalidated so that it can send the new information downstream. Adding attributes between requests can affect performance. In many cases, you want the downstream requests to receive the new propagation token information.

   To add the custom propagation token to the thread, call the WSSecurityPropagationHelper.addPropagationToken token. This call requires the WebSphereRuntimePerMission "setPropagationToken" Java 2 Security permission.

3. Add your custom login module to WebSphere Application Server system login configurations that already contain the com.ibm.ws.security.server.lm.wsMapDefaultInboundLoginModule login module for receiving serialized versions of your custom propagation token You can also add this login module to any of the application logins where you might want to generate your custom propagation token on the thread during the login. Alternatively, you can generate the custom PropagationToken implementation from within your application. However, to deserialize it, you need to add the implementation to the system login modules.

   For information on how to add your custom login module to the existing login configurations, see Custom login module development for a system login configuration.

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