Module jakarta.security.jacc

Package jakarta.security.jacc

Class PolicyContext

java.lang.Object

jakarta.security.jacc.PolicyContext

public final class PolicyContext
extends Object

This utility class is used by containers to communicate policy context identifiers and other policy relevant context to Policy providers. Policy providers use the policy context identifier to select the subset of policy to apply in access decisions.

The value of a policy context identifier is a String and each thread has an independently established policy context identifier. A container will establish the thread-scoped value of a policy context identifier by calling the static setContextID method. The value of a thread-scoped policy context identifier is available (to Policy) by calling the static getContextID method.

This class is also used by Policy providers to request additional thread-scoped policy relevant context objects from the calling container. Containers register container-specific PolicyContext handlers using the static registerHandler method. Handler registration is scoped to the class, such that the same handler registrations are active in all thread contexts. Containers may use the static method setHandlerData to establish a thread-scoped parameter that will be passed to handlers when they are activated by Policy providers. The static getContext method is used to activate a handler and obtain the corresponding context object.

The static accessor functions provided by this class allow per-thread policy context values to be established and communicated independent of a common reference to a particular PolicyContext instance.

The PolicyContext class may encapsulate static ThreadLocal instance variables to represent the policy context identifier and handler data values.

Author:

Ron Monzillo, Gary Ellison

See Also:

• PolicyContextHandler

Field Summary

Fields

Modifier and Type	Field	Description
static final String	HTTP_SERVLET_REQUEST	Key to use for getting an `jakarta.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest` from getContext(String) When this handler is activated, the container must return the `HttpServletRequest` object corresponding to the component request being processed by the container.
static final String	PRINCIPAL_MAPPER	Key to use for getting a `jakarta.security.jacc.PrincipalMapper` from getContext(String)
static final String	SOAP_MESSAGE	Key to use for getting an `jakarta.xml.soap.SOAPMessage` from getContext(String) If the request being processed by the container arrived as a SOAP request at the `ServiceEndpoint` method interface, the container must return the SOAP message object when this handler is activated.
static final String	SUBJECT	Key to use for getting a `javax.security.auth.Subject` from getContext(String) When this handler is activated as the result of a policy decision performed by a container before dispatch into a component, this handler must return a `Subject` containing the principals and credentials of the “caller” of the component.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
static <T> T	get(String key)	This method may be used by a Policy provider to activate the PolicyContextHandler registered to the context object key and cause it to return the corresponding policy context object from the container.
static <T> T	getContext(String key)	This method may be used by a Policy provider to activate the PolicyContextHandler registered to the context object key and cause it to return the corresponding policy context object from the container.
static String	getContextID()	This static method returns the value of the policy context identifier associated with the thread on which the accessor is called.
static Set<String>	getHandlerKeys()	This method may be used to obtain the keys that identify the container specific context handlers registered by the container.
static void	registerHandler(String key, PolicyContextHandler handler, boolean replace)	Method used to register a container specific PolicyContext handler.
static void	setContextID(String contextID)	Method used to modify the value of the policy context identifier associated with the thread on which this method is called.
static void	setHandlerData(Object data)	Method that may be used to associate a thread-scoped handler data object with the PolicyContext.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Details

SUBJECT

public static final String SUBJECT

Key to use for getting a `javax.security.auth.Subject` from getContext(String) When this handler is activated as the result of a policy decision performed by a container before dispatch into a component, this handler must return a `Subject` containing the principals and credentials of the “caller” of the component. When activated from the scope of a dispatched call, this handler must return a `Subject` containing the principals and credentials corresponding to the identity established by the container prior to the activation of the handler. The identity established by the container will either be the component’s `runAs` identity or the caller’s identity (e.g. when a Jakarta Enterprise Beans component calls `isCallerInRole`). In all cases, if the identity of the corresponding `Subject` has not been established or authenticated, this handler must return the value null.

See Also:

• Constant Field Values

PRINCIPAL_MAPPER

public static final String PRINCIPAL_MAPPER

Key to use for getting a `jakarta.security.jacc.PrincipalMapper` from getContext(String)

See Also:

• Constant Field Values

HTTP_SERVLET_REQUEST

public static final String HTTP_SERVLET_REQUEST

Key to use for getting an `jakarta.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest` from getContext(String) When this handler is activated, the container must return the `HttpServletRequest` object corresponding to the component request being processed by the container.

See Also:

• Constant Field Values

SOAP_MESSAGE

public static final String SOAP_MESSAGE

Key to use for getting an `jakarta.xml.soap.SOAPMessage` from getContext(String) If the request being processed by the container arrived as a SOAP request at the `ServiceEndpoint` method interface, the container must return the SOAP message object when this handler is activated. Otherwise, this handler must return the value

See Also:

• Constant Field Values

Method Details

setContextID

public static void setContextID(String contextID)

Method used to modify the value of the policy context identifier associated with the thread on which this method is called.

Parameters:

contextID - a String that represents the value of the policy context identifier to be assigned to the PolicyContext for the calling thread. The value null is a legitimate value for this parameter.

getContextID

public static String getContextID()

This static method returns the value of the policy context identifier associated with the thread on which the accessor is called.

Returns:

The String (or null) policy context identifier established for the thread. This method must return the default policy context identifier, null, if the policy context identifier of the thread has not been set via setContext to another value.

Throws:

SecurityException - if the calling AccessControlContext is not authorized by the container to call this method. Containers may choose to authorize calls to this method by any AccessControlContext.

setHandlerData

public static void setHandlerData(Object data)

Method that may be used to associate a thread-scoped handler data object with the PolicyContext. The handler data object will be made available to handlers, where it can serve to supply or bind the handler to invocation scoped state within the container.

Parameters:

data - a container-specific object that will be associated with the calling thread and passed to any handler activated by a Policy provider (on the thread). The value null is a legitimate value for this parameter, and is the value that will be used in the activation of handlers if the setHandlerData has not been called on the thread.

registerHandler

public static void registerHandler(String key,
 PolicyContextHandler handler,
 boolean replace)
                            throws PolicyContextException

Method used to register a container specific PolicyContext handler. A handler may be registered to handle multiple keys, but at any time, at most one handler may be registered for a key.

Parameters:

key - a (case-sensitive) String that identifies the context object handled by the handler. The value of this parameter must not be null.

handler - an object that implements the PolicyContextHandler interface. The value of this parameter must not be null.

replace - this boolean value defines the behavior of this method if, when it is called, a PolicyContextHandler has already been registered to handle the same key. In that case, and if the value of this argument is true, the existing handler is replaced with the argument handler. If the value of this parameter is false the existing registration is preserved and an exception is thrown.

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if the value of either of the handler or key arguments is null, or the value of the replace argument is false and a handler with the same key as the argument handler is already registered.

PolicyContextException - if an operation by this method on the argument PolicyContextHandler causes it to throw a checked exception that is not accounted for in the signature of this method.

getHandlerKeys

public static Set<String> getHandlerKeys()

This method may be used to obtain the keys that identify the container specific context handlers registered by the container.

Returns:

A Set, the elements of which, are the String key values that identify the handlers that have been registered and therefore may be activated on the PolicyContext.

Throws:

SecurityException - if the calling AccessControlContext is not authorized by the container to call this method. Containers may choose to authorize calls to this method by any AccessControlContext.

getContext

public static <T> T getContext(String key)
                        throws PolicyContextException

This method may be used by a Policy provider to activate the PolicyContextHandler registered to the context object key and cause it to return the corresponding policy context object from the container. When this method activates a handler, it passes to the handler the context object key and the handler data associated with the calling thread.

Parameters:

key - a String that identifies the PolicyContextHandler to activate and the context object to be acquired from the handler. The value of this parameter must not be null.

Returns:

the container and handler specific object containing the desired context. A null value is returned if the corresponding handler has been registered, and the value of the corresponding context is null.

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if a PolicyContextHandler has not been registered for the key or the registered handler no longer supports the key.

PolicyContextException - if an operation by this method on the identified PolicyContextHandler causes it to throw a checked exception that is not accounted for in the signature of this method.

get

public static <T> T get(String key)

This method may be used by a Policy provider to activate the PolicyContextHandler registered to the context object key and cause it to return the corresponding policy context object from the container. When this method activates a handler, it passes to the handler the context object key and the handler data associated with the calling thread.

Parameters:

key - a String that identifies the PolicyContextHandler to activate and the context object to be acquired from the handler. The value of this parameter must not be null.

Returns:

the container and handler specific object containing the desired context. A null value is returned if the corresponding handler has been registered, and the value of the corresponding context is null.

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if a PolicyContextHandler has not been registered for the key or the registered handler no longer supports the key.

IllegalStateException - if an operation by this method on the identified PolicyContextHandler causes it to throw a checked exception that is not accounted for in the signature of this method. The IllegalStateException may contain a PolicyContextException containing the actual cause.