[higgins-dev] Two proposed IdAS changes

[Jim Sermersheim <jimse@xxxxxxxxxx>]

1) We have a need for an IdAS consumer to be able to open a context 
using some authN materials, and then read the attributes of the DS 
representing the identity in the authN materials used to open the 
context.  These authN materials don't contain the cuid of the DS.  They 
may or may not contain attributes which could be used to search for the 
DS but this can't be relied on.  Therefore, we propose that 
IContext.open return a String which is the cuid of the DS representing 
the identity in the authN materials used to open the context (if any). 
The string may be null when the identity is not represented by any 
specific DS in the context. 

Existing CP's and IdAS consumers would need to be updated for this change.

2) We realized the current AuthNNamePasswordMaterials can be seen as 
similar to other kinds of AuthNMaterials.  One thing many different 
kinds of AuthNMaterials seem to have in common is that they contain a 
set of properties that identify the identity.  The proposal is to do this:
public interface org.eclipse.higgins.idas.IAuthNPropertiesMaterials 
extends IHasProperties
public class org.eclipse.higgins.idas.impl.AuthNPropertiesMaterials 
extends BasicPropertySet implements IAuthNPropertiesMaterials
public class org.eclipse.higgins.idas.impl.AuthNNamePasswordMaterials 
extends AuthNPropertiesMaterials
public class org.eclipse.higgins.idas.impl.AuthNSelfIssuedMaterials 
extends AuthNPropertiesMaterials

Where AuthNNamePasswordMaterials and AuthNSelfIssuedMaterials have 
get/set methods for name/pw and ppid/publicKey repectively, and where 
the implementations store these values as properties.

This way a Context Provider can implement IContext.open by examining the 
class of the passed identity.  If it's something specific like 
AuthNNamePasswordMaterials, it might know exactly what can be done with 
it.  Failing that, it may discover that it implements 
IAuthNPropertiesMaterials and therefore, the property set may be 
interrogated in order to see if it constitutes a set of attributes which 
are suitable for describing an identity which can be used to open the 
context.

Existing CP's and IdAS consumers currently implementing or making use of 
org.eclipse.higgins.idas.AuthNNamePasswordMaterials would need to be 
updated for this change.

Jim