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 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.

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 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this

 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided

 * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.

 *

 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT

 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or

 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License

 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that

 * accompanied this code).

 *

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 * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,

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 *

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package javax.management.remote;

import java.security.Principal;

import javax.security.auth.Subject;

/**

 * <p>Interface to define how remote credentials are converted into a

 * JAAS Subject.  This interface is used by the RMI Connector Server,

 * and can be used by other connector servers.</p>

 *

 * <p>The user-defined authenticator instance is passed to the

 * connector server in the environment map as the value of the

 * attribute {@link JMXConnectorServer#AUTHENTICATOR}.  For connector

 * servers that use only this authentication system, if this attribute

 * is not present or its value is <code>null</code> then no user

 * authentication will be performed and full access to the methods

 * exported by the <code>MBeanServerConnection</code> object will be

 * allowed.</p>

 *

 * <p>If authentication is successful then an authenticated

 * {@link Subject subject} filled in with its associated

 * {@link Principal principals} is returned. Authorization checks

 * will be then performed based on the given set of principals.</p>

 *

 * @since 1.5

 */

public interface JMXAuthenticator {

    /**

     * <p>Authenticates the <code>MBeanServerConnection</code> client

     * with the given client credentials.</p>

     *

     * @param credentials the user-defined credentials to be passed

     * into the server in order to authenticate the user before

     * creating the <code>MBeanServerConnection</code>.  The actual

     * type of this parameter, and whether it can be null, depends on

     * the connector.

     *

     * @return the authenticated subject containing its associated principals.

     *

     * @exception SecurityException if the server cannot authenticate the user

     * with the provided credentials.

     */

    public Subject authenticate(Object credentials);

}