org.acegisecurity
Interface RunAsManager

All Known Implementing Classes:

NullRunAsManager, RunAsManagerImpl

public interface RunAsManager

Creates a new temporary Authentication object for the current secure object invocation only.

This interface permits implementations to replace the Authentication object that applies to the current secure object invocation only. The AbstractSecurityInterceptor will replace the Authentication object held in the SecurityContext for the duration of the secure object callback only, returning it to the original Authentication object when the callback ends.

This is provided so that systems with two layers of objects can be established. One layer is public facing and has normal secure methods with the granted authorities expected to be held by external callers. The other layer is private, and is only expected to be called by objects within the public facing layer. The objects in this private layer still need security (otherwise they would be public methods) and they also need security in such a manner that prevents them being called directly by external callers. The objects in the private layer would be configured to require granted authorities never granted to external callers. The RunAsManager interface provides a mechanism to elevate security in this manner.

It is expected implementations will provide a corresponding concrete Authentication and AuthenticationProvider so that the replacement Authentication object can be authenticated. Some form of security will need to be implemented to ensure the AuthenticationProvider only accepts Authentication objects created by an authorized concrete implementation of RunAsManager.

Version:

$Id: RunAsManager.java,v 1.7 2005/11/17 00:55:49 benalex Exp $

Author:

Ben Alex

Method Summary

Authentication	buildRunAs(Authentication authentication, Object object, ConfigAttributeDefinition config) Returns a replacement Authentication object for the current secure object invocation, or null if replacement not required.
boolean	supports(Class clazz) Indicates whether the RunAsManager implementation is able to provide run-as replacement for the indicated secure object type.
boolean	supports(ConfigAttribute attribute) Indicates whether this RunAsManager is able to process the passed ConfigAttribute.

Method Detail

buildRunAs

Authentication buildRunAs(Authentication authentication,
                          Object object,
                          ConfigAttributeDefinition config)

Returns a replacement Authentication object for the current secure object invocation, or null if replacement not required.

Parameters:

authentication - the caller invoking the secure object

object - the secured object being called

config - the configuration attributes associated with the secure object being invoked

Returns:

a replacement object to be used for duration of the secure object invocation, or null if the Authentication should be left as is

supports

boolean supports(ConfigAttribute attribute)

Indicates whether this RunAsManager is able to process the passed ConfigAttribute.

This allows the AbstractSecurityInterceptor to check every configuration attribute can be consumed by the configured AccessDecisionManager and/or RunAsManager and/or AfterInvocationManager.

Parameters:

attribute - a configuration attribute that has been configured against the AbstractSecurityInterceptor

Returns:

true if this RunAsManager can support the passed configuration attribute

supports

boolean supports(Class clazz)

Indicates whether the RunAsManager implementation is able to provide run-as replacement for the indicated secure object type.

Parameters:

clazz - the class that is being queried

Returns:

true if the implementation can process the indicated class