Request Message Elements for the Security Authorization Service

The following table describes elements and their usage for request messages used in the security authorization service:

Element Usage Comments

SERVICEID

Differentiates different requests in the incoming message.

Required element.

This element is also used to map request messages to response messages, and is particularly useful for mapping sub-requests to sub-responses.

SERVICE_INSTID

Used by PeopleTools internally when multiple instances of the service are used.

Optional element.

SERVICE_TYPE

Service type for which authorization is required.

Required element.

Valid values are:

  • CREF. Content reference.

  • UPGE. Component.

  • PEP. Pagelet. (Embedded).

  • POP. Pagelet.

  • UQRY. Query.

  • USCR. iScript.

If none of the valid values are defined for the SERVICE_TYPE element in the request message an “Invalid Service Type” message appears in the response message.

NODE

Name of the service provider.

Optional element.

When specified the value is passes to the authorization application class. It does not play any other role in determining the security.

CREFID

Content reference ID for the content reference for which authorization is needed.

Required element for service type CREF.

This element is used to get the CREF authorization in the FindCrefById() function.

MENU

Menu name of the component.

Required element for service type UPGE.

COMPONENT

Component name.

Required element for service type UPGE

COMP_ITEM_NAME

Item name of the component.

Optional element.

The process the system uses to derive this value if one is not specified is described elsewhere in this topic.

See Request Messages for Authorizing Access to Components.

See PeopleCode API Reference: Implementing a Security Authorization Handler

MARKET

Market name of the transaction.

Optional element.

If this element is empty or if a node is not supplied, the value of this field defaults to GBL, (global).

PORTAL

Portal name of the provider system.

Optional element used for the following service types:

  • CREF.

  • UPGE.

If no value is defined for this element or if there is no value defined for the NODE element, the default portal of the default node is used as the value.

KEYVAL

Key/value pairs to pass to the authorization service.

Optional element use for the following service types to authorize row-level security access:

  • CREF.

  • UPGE.

The system uses this element mainly in data security to pass parameters to the Authorization class. It can also be used in basic authorization to send the action mode.

Use key/value pairs in the following scenarios:

  • Pass key/value pairs to the service.

  • In the Related Content framework, use this element to specify keys of a component.

  • In the Related Content framework and other cases, use this element to pass an action mode, using the key value ACTION.

There can be one or more values for each KEYVAL element. For example:

<KEYVAL>AE_PRODUCT=S3</KEYVAL>
<KEYVAL>CUSTOMERID=CATHYPACIFIC</KEYVAL>

Note: The value must not contain more than one equal sign (=). If more than one equal sign is specified for the element an error occurs and the system returns a message element (MSG) containing the message “Invalid Keyval value.”

For UPGE service types only, a special key/value with the key name ACTION is available through which action mode can be passed. The ACTION key/value specifies the action mode in which to check the authorization.

For the Related Content framework this value is passed as a service element as follows:

<KEYVAL>ACTION=U<KEYVAL>

The valid values for the ACTION element are:

  • A, Add.

    Constant value: %Action_Add

  • U. Update/Display.

    Constant value: %Action_UpdateDisplay

  • L. Update/Display All.

    Constant value: %Action_UpdateDisplayAll

  • C. Correction.

  • E. Data entry.

    Constant value: %Action_DataEntry

If you do not define a value for this element the systems ascertains in what mode, of all the available modes, the user has access to the component. If the user has access in multiple modes, the systems uses the mode with the greatest privilege. Though it makes no difference while determining the authorization, it will be of use inside the security application class , into which the action mode is passed via the Authorization Request object.

PAGELETID

Pagelet ID of the pagelet.

Required element for the following service types:

  • PEP.

  • POP.

In cases where the pagelet ID is not available but the content reference ID (CREFID) is available, you can authorize pagelet access by selecting CREF as the service type and specify the CREFID of the pagelet.

QUERY

Query name.

Required element for service type UQRY.

RECORD

iScript record name.

Required element for service type USCR.

FIELD

iScript field name.

Required element for service type USCR.

FUNCTION

iScript function name.

Required element for service type USCR.