A security exit forms a secure connection between two security exit programs, where one program is for the sending message channel agent (MCA), and one is for the receiving MCA. The program that initiates the secure connection, that is, the first program to get control after the MCA session is established, is known as the context initiator. The partner program is known as the context acceptor.
The following table shows some of the channel types that are context initiators and their associated context acceptors.
Context Initiator | Context Acceptor |
---|---|
MQCHT_CLNTCONN | MQCHT_SVRCONN |
MQCHT_RECEIVER | MQCHT_SENDER |
MQCHT_CLUSRCVR | MQCHT_CLUSSDR |
The security exit program has two entry points:
This uses NTLM authentication services, which provide one-way authentication. NTLM allows servers to verify the identities of their clients. It does not allow clients to verify a server's identity, or one server to verify the identity of another. NTLM authentication was designed for a network environment in which servers are assumed to be genuine.
This uses Kerberos mutual authentication services. The Kerberos protocol does not assume that servers in a network environment are genuine. Parties at both ends of a network connection can verify the identity of the other party. That is, servers can verify the identity of clients and other servers, and clients can verify the identity of a server.
This section describes what the SSPI channel-exit programs do.
The supplied channel-exit programs provide either one-way or two-way (mutual) authentication of a partner system when a session is being established. For a particular channel, each exit program has an associated principal (similar to a user ID, see WebSphere MQ access control and Windows principals). A connection between two exit programs is an association between the two principals.
After the underlying session is established, a secure connection between two security exit programs (one for the sending MCA and one for the receiving MCA), is established. The sequence of operations is as follows:
The access control that WebSphere MQ provides is based on the user and group. The authentication that Windows(R) provides is based on principals, such as user and servicePrincipalName (SPN). In the case of servicePrincipalName, there might be many of these associated with a single user.
The SSPI security exit uses the relevant Windows principals for authentication. If Windows authentication is successful, the exit passes the user ID that is associated with the Windows principal to WebSphere MQ for access control.
The Windows principals that are relevant for authentication vary, depending on the type of authentication used.
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