Database as a Data Source for Authorization

To implement the authorization, you need three tables for managing users, roles, and rights in the database, each of which is connected to the others by an n:m relation. The wizard allows you to generate the appropriate entities. In addition, the entities are connected by mapping. This allows RapidClipse to handle entities and attributes of any name. If the default mapping does not match your data structure, you can define custom queries.

Even if you use the authentication via LDAP, you have to save the users in a database table to connect users and roles with each other. Users and roles must be synchronized at runtime.

  • Required data structure in general

    • Users - Save username, password, and any additional user-specific information. The designations used in RapidClipse APIs are User and Subject.

    • Roles - Save the roles/groups to which a user can belong. The designations used in RapidClipse APIs are Roles, Usergroups, and Userroles.

    • Rights - Save rights that can have a role. Here, you can also save the states or conditions that must be met. The designations used in RapidClipse APIs are Permissions and Resources.

  • Data structure generated by RapidClipse 

    • Entities

      EntityAttributeData typeExplanation
      UserusernameStringSaves the username as a string.
      passwordbyte[]Saves the password as a byte array, usually encrypted.
      rolesSet / ListList of all roles.
      Role


      nameStringSaves the name of the roles as a string.
      resourcesSet / ListList of all rights.
      childRolesSet / ListList of all roles.
      parentRolesSet / ListList of all roles.
      usersSet / ListList of all users.
      ResourcenameStringSaves the name of the rights as a string.
      rolesSet / ListList of all roles.


    • Data Access

      • UserDAO

      • RoleDAO

      • ResourceDAO

    • Database tables (using the example of MySQL) - Database tables generated by the (Hibernate) entity export function.

      EntityData fieldsData typeExplanation
      USERUSERNAMEvarchar(255)Saves user data, including username and password.

      passwordtinyblob
      ROLENAMEvarchar(255)Saves all roles.
      RESOURCENAMEvarchar(255)Saves all rights.
      ROLERESOURCENMROLEvarchar(255)Saves all role-right combinations. A role can have many rights, a right can occur in many roles.
      RESOURCEvarchar(255)
      ROLEROLENM CHILDROLEvarchar(255)Saves any role-role combination, thus allowing the nesting of roles.
      PARENTROLEvarchar(255)
      USERROLENMUSERvarchar(255)Saves all user-role combinations. A user can have many roles, a role can be taken by many users.
      ROLEvarchar(255)
  • Dealing with an existing USER table: If you have already developed a table for managing users, roles, and rights in your database, make sure there is an appropriate entity with corresponding DAO in Project Management in Entities or Data Access. If not, you can generate the missing entity and DAOs using the Create JPA entities from table import function. It is not a problem if the field and table names are different because mapping is performed later. 

Define/generate resource table

  1. Entity for rights already exists: Select your existing entity.
    No Resource Entity available yet: Click New Entity... to create a new Resource entity, including ResourceDAO DAO. 
  2. Select the respective attribute for the user rights Mapping > Resource name.
  3. Click Next >.
Options:
  • Resource name - Select the attribute to which the resource name is mapped for the user rights.


Note:
  • Mapping -  Once you have generated the Resource entity, you can apply the specified Resource.name attribute.

Result:
  • Project Management > Entities - The Resource.java entity class is generated or used by selecting an existing entity.

    EntityAttributesData type
    ResourcenameString
  • Project Management > Data Access - The ResourceDAO.java DAO class is generated. When selecting existing entities no new DAO is generated.

Define/generate roles table

  1. Table for roles (Roles) already exists - Select your existing Role entity.
    No role entity exists yet - Click New Entity... to create a new Role entity including the RoleDAO
  2. Select the attribute for saving the roles under Mapping > Role name
  3. Select the attribute for saving the rights under Mapping > Resources
  4. Select the attribute for saving the sub roles in Mapping > Child roles.
  5. Click Next >.
Options:
  • Role name - Select an attribute for the role names.

  • Resources - Selection of the attribute with the list (Set / List) of all rights for a role.

  • Child roles - Selection of the attribute with the list (Set / List) of all sub-roles for a role.

Note:
  • Mapping - If you generate the Role entity, you can apply the specified attributes.

Result:
  • Project Management > Entities 

    • Role - The entity class Role.java is generated or used by selecting an existing entity.

      EntityAttributeData type
      Role


      nameString
      resourcesSet / List
      childRolesSet / List
      parentRolesSet / List
    • Resource - The Resource.java entity class is enhanced with the roles attribute.

      EntityAttributeData type
      ResourcenameString
      rolesSet / List
  • Project Management > Data Access - It is the DAO class RoleDAO.java generated. When selecting an existing entity, no new DAO is generated.

Connecting Users and Roles

  1. Table for users (User) already exists - Select your already existing User entity.
    No user entity exists yet - Click New Entity... to create a new users entity.
  2. Select the attribute for the user name in Mapping > Subject name.
  3. Click Mapping > Roles and then click Create Attribute, to enhance the entity User with an attribute that connects the  User and Roles attributes to each other.
  4. Click on Finish.
Options:
  • Subject name - Select the attribute for the user name.

  • Roles - Select the attribute with the list of all roles for users. 

Result:
  • Project Management > Entities

    • Role - The Role.java entity class is extended with the users attribute.  

      EntityAttributeData type
      Role


      nameString
      resourcesSet / List
      childRolesSet / List
      parentRolesSet / List
      usersSet / List
    • User - The User.java entity class is enhanced by the users attribute.

      EntityAttributeData type
      UserusernameString
      passwordbyte[]
      rolesSet / List
  • Project Management > Data Access - The RoleDAO.java DAO class is generated. When selecting an existing entity, no new DAO is generated.

  • Project Management > Business Objects - The ExampleAuthorizationProvider.java class is generated.

    package com.company.example.business;
    
    import com.company.example.entities.Resource;
    import com.company.example.entities.Role;
    import com.company.example.entities.User;
    import com.xdev.security.authorization.AuthorizationConfiguration;
    import com.xdev.security.authorization.AuthorizationConfigurationProvider;
    import com.xdev.security.authorization.jpa.JPAAuthorizationConfigurationProvider;
    
    public class ExampleAuthorizationConfigurationProvider implements AuthorizationConfigurationProvider {
    	private static ExampleAuthorizationConfigurationProvider INSTANCE;
    
    	public static ExampleAuthorizationConfigurationProvider getInstance() {
    		if (INSTANCE == null) {
    			INSTANCE = new ExampleAuthorizationConfigurationProvider();
    		}
    
    		return INSTANCE;
    	}
    
    	private JPAAuthorizationConfigurationProvider provider;
    
    	private ExampleAuthorizationConfigurationProvider() {
    	}
    
    	@Override
    	public AuthorizationConfiguration provideConfiguration() {
    		if (this.provider == null) {
    			this.provider = new JPAAuthorizationConfigurationProvider(User.class, Role.class, Resource.class);
    		}
    
    		return this.provider.provideConfiguration();
    	}
    }

Create database tables

It is necessary to create appropriate tables in the database that match the newly generated User, Role and Resource entities in the database.

Entity > Database Export (Create tables)

Enter default data

For database tables, it is helpful to enter some default data in the UserRole, and Resource entities.

Data Source Explorer




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