ACL _ implementation

[Raghvendra Sharma]

I am into a team of developers who are trying to figure out an optimized way of implementing a user level security mechanism. We have thought of number of altenatives, likes of implementing relationship objects, Security objects for each object and then relating them at runtime etc.
Once a while it came to us that we can also use ACL for each object/user. I was wondering if i could get some information on how are these ACL's implemented ? Should i go for a user based one, or a object based one or the other way round.
If anybody can help me regarding the idea or any place where i can find information on this topic.
thanks in advance.

[Cindy Glass]

I assume that you are talking about ACL = Access Control List
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs/api/java/security/acl/Acl.html http://java.sun.com/javaone/javaone97/java1-97-security.html
This quote makes it look like they are expecting you to use directory and object based security.
from : http://java.sun.com/features/1997/aug/jws1.html

In addition to the Server Sandbox, Access Control Lists are a key feature of server security. ACLs are used for various levels of authentication and authorization in the server and in Java Servlets. There is a server-wide ACL (see sidebar on issues for Unix variations), and separate ACLs can be specified for any file or directory, or for a specific Java Servlet. Because all user information is passed to the Java Servlet as part of the HTTP request in the service routine, Java Servlets can implement additional authorization as a part of the service method. Remote Java Servlets can be signed or unsigned, and each signer has a set of privileges as described by the Java Servlet ACL in the Java ServletMgrRealm.

and not
ACL = Agent communication language http://java.sun.com/aboutJava/communityprocess/jsr/jsr_087_jas.html

[Raghvendra Sharma]

Thanks Cindy,
I have gone through your links and appreciate your help. But i have tried to refine my problem a bit further and has posted it as another new topic at -
<a href="http://www.javaranch.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000924.html"> Security System Design </a>
Please be kind enough to look at the link and give it a thought.
regards
raghav..