Sun GlassFish Enterprise Server v2.1.1 Administration Guide

About Digital Signatures

The Enterprise Server uses XML Digital signatures to bind an authentication identity to message content. Clients use digital signatures to establish their caller identity, analogous to the way basic authentication or SSL client certificate authentication have been used to do the same thing when transport layer security is being used. Digital signatures are verified by the message receiver to authenticate the source of the message content (which may be different from the sender of the message.)

When using digital signatures, valid keystore and truststore files must be configured on the Enterprise Server. For more information on this topic, read About Certificate Files.