New identity API - feedback needed

[bdaw]

Recently we started working on the next gen identity API for JBoss Portal. This effort currently happens under JBoss Identity initiative that may also serve other projects in the future - more in that subject will be announced soon. We are planning to ship new identity framework with JBP 2.8. Yesterday I tagged 1.0.0-Alpha1 version of the IDM component and would like to hear your opinions. Here are the most important links needed to check it out:

SVN: http://anonsvn.jboss.org/repos/jbossidentity/idm/tags/1.0.0-Alpha1/
Docs: http://www.jboss.org/community/docs/DOC-13258
Quick Start Guide: http://www.jboss.org/community/docs/DOC-13263
Design and Architecture: http://www.jboss.org/community/docs/DOC-13261

Sample Maven2 project:
http://anonsvn.jboss.org/repos/jbossidentity/idm/tags/1.0.0-Alpha1/example/maven2/
Maven2 repo jars:
http://repository.jboss.com/maven2/org/jboss/identity/idm/

1.0.0-Alpha1 release contains complete API and SPI implementation. The main goal is to let everyone interested to try the API out, start playing with the framework and give some feedback. Implementation contains Hibernate and LDAP support with examples showing simple mixed configuration of both identity stores. Many parts of code are still a bit prototype and not very efficient so please focus mainly on the API/SPI and the architecture review. My intention was to implement as much of the initial design and improve code later with more input from others.

The most important missing bits that I see at the moment and that should be addressed in the next component release:
- Caching and performance optimizations - some parts of code are still prototype and in "just to be implemented" stage. There is simply no caching mechanism. This is something I want to look at next.
- Current IdentitySessionFactory implementation is rather trivial and mostly usable for the framework tryout.
- Error handling is limited and often not very verbose.

If you see any bugs, NPEs etc. please use the jira:
https://jira.jboss.org/jira/browse/JBID
Also don't hesitate to contribute...

Please share with us how does proposed API fit your needs and what shortcomings or missing bits you see.

[theute]

First of all, thank you Bolek, this new identity model should (among other things) let JBoss Portal introduce the notion of groups/organization/... on top of rthe notion of roles we have today.

And this is theoretically *very* flexible, this is just begging to have a use-case that proves the opposite :)

The SPI to connect to any identity manager is also very important and this is a more mature version of what we have today in JBoss Portal (learnt from experience)

If you had requirements about groups/hierarchy of users/identity/identity server plugins/... now is the best time to check that what we'll bring you fits you

[anil.saldhana]

http://www.jboss.com/index.html?module=bb&op=viewtopic&p=4206426

Overall announcement.

Great work, Bolek. :)