authenticator.java

JXTA&#8482 is a set of open, generalized peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols that allow any networked devi

/*
 * Copyright (c) 2001-2007 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
 *  
 *  The Sun Project JXTA(TM) Software License
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 *  modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
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 *     this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
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 *  3. The end-user documentation included with the redistribution, if any, must 
 *     include the following acknowledgment: "This product includes software 
 *     developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. for JXTA(TM) technology." 
 *     Alternately, this acknowledgment may appear in the software itself, if 
 *     and wherever such third-party acknowledgments normally appear.
 *  
 *  4. The names "Sun", "Sun Microsystems, Inc.", "JXTA" and "Project JXTA" must 
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 *     Project JXTA at http://www.jxta.org.
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 *  
 *  Please see the license information page at :
 *  <http://www.jxta.org/project/www/license.html> for instructions on use of 
 *  the license in source files.
 *  
 *  ====================================================================
 *  
 *  This software consists of voluntary contributions made by many individuals 
 *  on behalf of Project JXTA. For more information on Project JXTA, please see 
 *  http://www.jxta.org.
 *  
 *  This license is based on the BSD license adopted by the Apache Foundation. 
 */

package net.jxta.membership;


import net.jxta.credential.AuthenticationCredential;


/**
 * An Authenticator is returned by the
 * {@linkplain MembershipService#apply(AuthenticationCredential) apply()} to the
 * Membership Service of a peergroup. The Membership
 When the authenticator has been completed it is
 * returned to the Membership Service via the "Join" operation.
 *
 * <p/>The mechanism for completing the authentication object is unique for each
 * authentication method. (That's the whole point of writing a Membership
 * Service). The only common operation is <code>isReadyForJoin</code>, which
 * provides information as to whether you have completed the authenticator
 * correctly.
 *
 * @see net.jxta.membership.MembershipService
 * @see net.jxta.credential.Credential
 * @see net.jxta.credential.AuthenticationCredential
 */
public interface Authenticator {
    
    /**
     *  Returns the name of this authentication method. This should be the same
     *  name which was used in the Authentication credential.
     *
     *  @return String containing the name of this authentication method.
     **/
    public String getMethodName();
    
    /**
     * Return the Authentication Credential associated with this authenticator,
     * if any.
     *
     * @return the AutheticationCredential which was provided to the
     * {@link MembershipService#apply(AuthenticationCredential)}.
     **/
    public AuthenticationCredential getAuthenticationCredential();
    
    /**
     * Returns the service which generated this authenticator. This is the
     * service which provided this authenticator and the service which will
     * accept this authenticator when the authenticator is
     * completed.
     *
     * @return the MembershipService service associated with this authenticator.
     **/
    public MembershipService  getSourceService();
    
    /**
     * Returns true if this Authenticator has been satisfied and is ready
     * for submission to {@link MembershipService#join(Authenticator)}. Some
     * authenticators may behave asynchronously and this method can be used to
     * determine if the authentication process has completed.
     * <p/>This method provides no distinction between incomplete authentication
     * and failed authentication.
     *
     * @see MembershipService#join(Authenticator)
     *
     * @return true if the authenticator object is complete and ready for
     * submitting to the Membership Service service for 
     * {@link MembershipService#join(Authenticator)}, otherwise false.
     **/
    public boolean  isReadyForJoin();
}