Admin Console Integration for Users in a Custom Realm

Question

We are implementing a custom realm and are having troubles getting our Users to
show up in the User list.
Our user class extends weblogic.security.acl.User, and is forced to use the default
CTOR because our data access layer requires it.
Unfortunately, getName() returns null if the User(String) constructor is not used.
Furthermore, Identity::setName() is final, so it seems as though there is no
way to set the user's name after construction.
I am correct in this?
If so, any thoughts on whether it is worth going down the path of making my user
class implement Principal instead of extending weblogic.security.acl.User? I
would be forced to try to guess at what methods in User are required to integrate
with the admin console, I believe. I have not been able to find any documentation
that specifies what api/contract the console uses when it attempts to display
user, role, acl information for a custom realm.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
-chris

Answer 1

My comments mixed with your text
"Chris Goodacre" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
We are implementing a custom realm and are having troubles getting our
Users to
show up in the User list.
Our user class extends weblogic.security.acl.User, and is forced to use
the default
CTOR because our data access layer requires it.
Unfortunately, getName() returns null if the User(String) constructor
is not used.Yes.
Furthermore, Identity::setName() is final, so it seems as though there
is no
way to set the user's name after construction.
I am correct in this?Yes. Changing a user's name on a constructed user object is like mutating that
user to another user - a security hole. It isn't allowed.
>
If so, any thoughts on whether it is worth going down the path of making
my user
class implement Principal instead of extending weblogic.security.acl.User?I'd try to stay with extending weblogic.security.acl.User, but also implement
weblogic.security.acl.CredentialChanger, so you can change passwords through the
console (otherwise you get NullPointerExceptions).
You really want to get around not being able to supply a user name as part of
the ctor.
I
would be forced to try to guess at what methods in User are required
to integrate
with the admin console, I believe. I have not been able to find any
documentation
that specifies what api/contract the console uses when it attempts to
display
user, role, acl information for a custom realm.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
-chris1. Your realm should extend AbstractManageableRealm and implement DebuggableRealm
if you want to integrate with the console.
2. The only contract is to implement all the methods!
3. Check the type of the user and group objects being passed to your realm - if
they're not your user and group type, reject the call.
4. The documentation is indeed terrible, and often wrong. The examples shipped
are incomplete (the RBDMS realm shipped has approx 1/3 of the functionality).
You'll get good with jad.
Should all be better in 7.0 with JAAS. The realm interfaces is a dog.
Good luck,
simon.