org.ietf.jgss: public interface: GSSCredential

org.ietf.jgss
public interface: GSSCredential [javadoc | source]

All Implemented Interfaces:
Cloneable

All Known Implementing Classes:
GSSCredentialImpl

This interface encapsulates the GSS-API credentials for an entity. A credential contains all the necessary cryptographic information to enable the creation of a context on behalf of the entity that it represents. It may contain multiple, distinct, mechanism specific credential elements, each containing information for a specific security mechanism, but all referring to the same entity. A credential may be used to perform context initiation, acceptance, or both.

Credentials are instantiated using one of the createCredential methods in the GSSManager class. GSS-API credential creation is not intended to provide a "login to the network" function, as such a function would involve the creation of new credentials rather than merely acquiring a handle to existing credentials. The section on credential acquisition in the package level description describes how existing credentials are acquired in the Java platform. GSS-API implementations must impose a local access-control policy on callers to prevent unauthorized callers from acquiring credentials to which they are not entitled.

Applications will create a credential object passing the desired parameters. The application can then use the query methods to obtain specific information about the instantiated credential object. When the credential is no longer needed, the application should call the dispose method to release any resources held by the credential object and to destroy any cryptographically sensitive information.

This example code demonstrates the creation of a GSSCredential implementation for a specific entity, querying of its fields, and its release when it is no longer needed:

   GSSManager manager = GSSManager.getInstance();

   // start by creating a name object for the entity
   GSSName name = manager.createName("myusername", GSSName.NT_USER_NAME);

   // now acquire credentials for the entity
   GSSCredential cred = manager.createCredential(name,
                   GSSCredential.ACCEPT_ONLY);

   // display credential information - name, remaining lifetime,
   // and the mechanisms it has been acquired over
   System.out.println(cred.getName().toString());
   System.out.println(cred.getRemainingLifetime());

   Oid [] mechs = cred.getMechs();
   if (mechs != null) {
           for (int i = 0; i < mechs.length; i++)
                   System.out.println(mechs[i].toString());
   }

   // release system resources held by the credential
   cred.dispose();

Also see:

GSSManager#createCredential(int)

GSSManager#createCredential(GSSName, int, Oid, int)

GSSManager#createCredential(GSSName, int, Oid[], int)

dispose()

author: Mayank - Upadhyay

since: 1.4 -

Field Summary
public static final int	INITIATE_AND_ACCEPT	Credential usage flag requesting that it be usable for both context initiation and acceptance.
public static final int	INITIATE_ONLY	Credential usage flag requesting that it be usable for context initiation only.
public static final int	ACCEPT_ONLY	Credential usage flag requesting that it be usable for context acceptance only.
public static final int	DEFAULT_LIFETIME	A lifetime constant representing the default credential lifetime. This value it set to 0.
public static final int	INDEFINITE_LIFETIME	A lifetime constant representing indefinite credential lifetime. This value must is set to the maximum integer value in Java - Integer.MAX_VALUE .

Method from org.ietf.jgss.GSSCredential Summary:
add, dispose, equals, getMechs, getName, getName, getRemainingAcceptLifetime, getRemainingInitLifetime, getRemainingLifetime, getUsage, getUsage, hashCode

Method from org.ietf.jgss.GSSCredential Detail:
public void add(GSSName name, int initLifetime, int acceptLifetime, Oid mech, int usage) throws GSSException Adds a mechanism specific credential-element to an existing credential. This method allows the construction of credentials, one mechanism at a time. This routine is envisioned to be used mainly by context acceptors during the creation of acceptor credentials which are to be used with a variety of clients using different security mechanisms. This routine adds the new credential element "in-place". To add the element in a new credential, first call `clone` to obtain a copy of this credential, then call its `add` method. As always, GSS-API implementations must impose a local access-control policy on callers to prevent unauthorized callers from acquiring credentials to which they are not entitled. Non-default values for initLifetime and acceptLifetime cannot always be honored by the underlying mechanisms, thus callers should be prepared to call getRemainingInitLifetime and getRemainingAcceptLifetime on the credential.
public void dispose() throws GSSException Releases any sensitive information that the GSSCredential object may be containing. Applications should call this method as soon as the credential is no longer needed to minimize the time any sensitive information is maintained.
public boolean equals(Object another) Tests if this GSSCredential asserts the same entity as the supplied object. The two credentials must be acquired over the same mechanisms and must refer to the same principal.
public Oid[] getMechs() throws GSSException Returns a list of mechanisms supported by this credential. It does not tell us which ones can be used to initiate contexts and which ones can be used to accept contexts. The application must call the getUsage method with each of the returned Oid's to determine the possible modes of usage.
public GSSName getName() throws GSSException Retrieves the name of the entity that the credential asserts.
public GSSName getName(Oid mech) throws GSSException Retrieves a Mechanism Name of the entity that the credential asserts. This is equivalent to calling canonicalize on the value returned by the other form of getName .
public int getRemainingAcceptLifetime(Oid mech) throws GSSException Returns the lifetime in seconds for the credential to remain capable of accepting security contexts using the specified mechanism. This method queries the acceptor credential element that belongs to the specified mechanism.
public int getRemainingInitLifetime(Oid mech) throws GSSException Returns the lifetime in seconds for the credential to remain capable of initiating security contexts using the specified mechanism. This method queries the initiator credential element that belongs to the specified mechanism.
public int getRemainingLifetime() throws GSSException Returns the remaining lifetime in seconds for a credential. The remaining lifetime is the minimum lifetime amongst all of the underlying mechanism specific credential elements.
public int getUsage() throws GSSException Returns the credential usage mode. In other words, it tells us if this credential can be used for initiating or accepting security contexts. It does not tell us which mechanism(s) has to be used in order to do so. It is expected that an application will allow the GSS-API to pick a default mechanism after calling this method.
public int getUsage(Oid mech) throws GSSException Returns the credential usage mode for a specific mechanism. In other words, it tells us if this credential can be used for initiating or accepting security contexts with a given underlying mechanism.
public int hashCode() Returns a hashcode value for this GSSCredential.