Sun Java System Application Server Platform Edition 8.1 2005Q2 Update 2 Administration Guide

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### Glossary of Message Security Terminology

The terminology used in this document is described below. The concepts are also discussed in Configuring the Application Server for Message Security.

- Authentication Layer

  The authentication layer is the message layer on which authentication processing must be performed. The Application Server enforces web services message security at the SOAP layer.

- Authentication Provider

  In this release of the Application Server, the Application Server invokes authentication providers to process SOAP message layer security.

  - A client-side provider establishes (by signature or username/password) the source identity of request messages and/or protects (by encryption) request messages such that they can only be viewed by their intended recipients. A client-side provider also establishes its container as an authorized recipient of a received response (by successfully decrypting it) and validates passwords or signatures in the response to authenticate the source identity associated with the response. Client-side providers configured in the Application Server can be used to protect the request messages sent and the response messages received by server-side components (servlets and EJB components) acting as clients of other services.

  - A server-side provider establishes its container as an authorized recipient of a received request (by successfully decrypting it) and validates passwords or signatures in the request to authenticate the source identity associated with the request. A server-side provider also establishes (by signature or username/password) the source identity of response messages and/or protects (by encryption) response messages such that they can only be viewed by their intended recipients. Server-side providers are only invoked by server-side containers.

- Default Server Provider

  The default server provider is used to identify the server provider to be invoked for any application for which a specific server provider has not been bound. The default server provider is sometimes referred to as the default provider.

- Default Client Provider

  The default client provider is used to identify the client provider to be invoked for any application for which a specific client provider has not been bound.

- Request Policy

  The request policy defines the authentication policy requirements associated with request processing performed by the authentication provider. Policies are expressed in message sender order such that a requirement that encryption occur after content would mean that the message receiver would expect to decrypt the message before validating the signature.

- Response Policy

  The response policy defines the authentication policy requirements associated with response processing performed by the authentication provider. Policies are expressed in message sender order such that a requirement that encryption occur after content would mean that the message receiver would expect to decrypt the message before validating the signature.

See Also:

- Securing a Web Service

- Securing the Sample Application

- Configuring the Application Server for Message Security

- Previous: About Security Tokens and Security Mechanisms
- Next: Securing a Web Service

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