Java

Custom authentication nodes in ForgeRock Access Manager (AM) 7.5 can significantly enhance your identity and access management strategies by allowing tailored authentication processes. However, developing these nodes can be tricky if you’re not familiar with the underlying architecture and best practices. In this post, I’ll walk you through the process, share some hard-won insights, and provide code examples to help you build robust custom nodes. The Problem ForgeRock AM provides a rich set of built-in authentication nodes to cover most use cases, but sometimes you need something unique. Maybe you want to integrate with a specific third-party service or implement a custom authentication mechanism. That’s where custom authentication nodes come in. But getting them right can be challenging, especially if you hit roadblocks during development and testing. ...

ForgeRock Access Management (AM) is a powerful platform for managing identity and access across various applications and services. One of its most flexible features is the ability to define and use custom callbacks, which allow developers to extend the platform’s functionality to meet specific business needs. In this article, we will explore how to implement and extend custom callbacks in ForgeRock AM, providing detailed examples and best practices. Understanding Callbacks in ForgeRock AM A callback in ForgeRock AM is a mechanism that allows the platform to interact with external systems or custom logic during the authentication or authorization process. Callbacks are typically used to collect additional information from the user, validate credentials, or integrate with third-party services. ...

deploying-15b60113.webp alt: “Helm for Java Microservices: Packaging & Deploying Made Easy” relative: false In the rapidly evolving landscape of cloud-native development, Java microservices have become a cornerstone of modern applications. However, the complexity of packaging and deploying these services on Kubernetes can be daunting. Enter Helm, a powerful tool that streamlines the process of packaging, configuring, and deploying applications on Kubernetes. In this blog post, we’ll explore how Helm can make your Java microservices deployment process more efficient and scalable. ...

Docker has become a cornerstone of modern software development, enabling developers to package applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers. For Java applications, writing an efficient and secure Dockerfile is crucial to ensure optimal performance, scalability, and maintainability. This blog post explores best practices for writing Java Dockerfiles, covering everything from minimizing image size to optimizing resource usage. 1. Use a Minimal Base Image The foundation of any Dockerfile is the base image. For Java applications, it’s essential to choose a base image that is both lightweight and secure. The Eclipse Temurin or AdoptOpenJDK images are excellent choices, as they are optimized for Java applications and regularly updated. ...

Visual Overview: sequenceDiagram participant User participant App as Client App participant AuthServer as Authorization Server participant Resource as Resource Server User->>App: 1. Click Login App->>AuthServer: 2. Authorization Request AuthServer->>User: 3. Login Page User->>AuthServer: 4. Authenticate AuthServer->>App: 5. Authorization Code App->>AuthServer: 6. Exchange Code for Token AuthServer->>App: 7. Access Token + Refresh Token App->>Resource: 8. API Request with Token Resource->>App: 9. Protected Resource OAuth 2.0’s Authorization Code Flow is the go-to standard for securing web applications that need to interact with identity providers on behalf of users. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to implement this flow in Java using industry-standard libraries — and explain each step along the way. ...

Visual Overview: sequenceDiagram participant User participant App as Client App participant AuthServer as Authorization Server participant Resource as Resource Server User->>App: 1. Click Login App->>AuthServer: 2. Authorization Request AuthServer->>User: 3. Login Page User->>AuthServer: 4. Authenticate AuthServer->>App: 5. Authorization Code App->>AuthServer: 6. Exchange Code for Token AuthServer->>App: 7. Access Token + Refresh Token App->>Resource: 8. API Request with Token Resource->>App: 9. Protected Resource Access tokens in OAuth 2.0 are short-lived by design. To maintain a seamless user experience without constantly re-authenticating users, OAuth provides a mechanism called refresh tokens. This guide walks you through how refresh tokens work, when to use them, and how to implement access token renewal in a Java backend. ...