Implementing Form-based Authentication using LDAP on JSF pages in Websphere

[Stee Renwick]

Hi,
I have had the greatest amount of fun trying to implement a simple (because I want others to understand it) form-based authentication in websphere. Typically with JSP you set j_security_check on the action of your form, those who know j_security_check know that it likes to send you to the page you requested prior to being redirected to the login page, if you jump straight to the login page, after your authentciated chances are it will send you to the welcome page (index.jsp).
What I'd really love is to find that j_security_check servlet, and some how invoke the login/logoff methods it must have in the codebehind file. This would be nice, but there no meantion of it any where. the closest I got was meantion of a FormLoginServlet, which I have no idea how to get a hold of.
If any one can help me, you've no idea how greatful I'd be, this is slowly and painfully driving me la la!!
Stee

[David O'Meara]

If you want to provide programatic login, have a look for the SSOAuthenticator class. It is not the servlet you're looking for, but this class allows you to programatically log a user in. You can search this forum for some more information.
Dave

[Stee Renwick]

the SSOAuthenticator class is depricated according to an javadoc i found, it suggests JAAS as the new alternitive, I plan on upgrading this solution to 5.12 when its released, so I can't afford to use SSOAuthenticator, which seems to be a terrible pity because it looks like it would do the trick.
I have read up on JAAS and it looks like kligon, that wouldn't be a problem if it worked, but it seems that JAAS is more for EJB that JSP stuff, I just want to authenticate the user and add them to the session, so they can roam around the site, when there authenticated. I'm so amazed that this is so awkward unless, j_security_check is suitable, life gets hard.