How a Typical Request is Handled in Sample End-user Pages

Figure 7–1 Flow of a request made within the sample end-user pages.

1. The client requests a page. The servlet container invokes the authentication filter. The filter handles authentication and ensures that protected pages can only be accessed after successful authentication. If a client attempts to access a protected page without proper authentication, the filter redirects the client to the login page.

2. The Struts ActionServlet receives the request and acts according to the directions in the Struts configuration file.

3. For pages backed by Identity Manager forms, the Struts ActionServlet invokes the ProcessFormAction. The ProcessFormAction class is a Struts Action implementation and serves as an adapter to the forms engine. The action specifies the Identity Manager form class (page processor), the view handler, and the custom form.

4. The Struts ActionServlet may redirect the client in case the ProcessFormAction returns an ActionForward other than “success”. When a page first displayed, the “success” forward is followed.

5. The HTML content is generated with the help of the Tiles templating framework.

6. The generated HTML is passed back to the ActionServlet.

7. The authentication filter receives the content, but it does not alter it in any way.

8. The generated HTML page is returned to the client.