Presentation Layer

The Authentication Service implements a user interface that is separate from the Access Manager administration console. The Authentication Service user interface provides a dynamic and customizable means for gathering authentication credentials. When a user requests access to a protected resource, the Authentication Service presents a web-based login page. In the following figure. the default Access Manager login page is displayed and prompts the user for user name and password.

Once the credentials have been passed back to Access Manager and authentication is successful, the user can gain access based on the user's specific privileges:

• Administrators can access the administration portion of the Access Manager console to manage their realm’s identity data.

• Users can access their own profiles to modify personal data.

• A user can access a resource defined as a redirection URL parameter appended to the login URL.

• A user can access the resource protected by a policy agent.

Access Manager 7.0 provides customization support for the Authentication Service user interface. You can customize Java server pages (JSPs) and the file directory level for /org/service/locale/client_type. See the Sun Java System Access Manager 7 2005Q4 Developer’s Guide for more information.