This article is about how to replace default .properties realm geronimo-admin with SQL or LDAP realms.

By default, Geronimo is using a .properties file realm for authentication named geronimo-admin, which is used by JMX server, Administration Console, Online-deploy and MEJB applications. However, you may not want to use it for production use. Alternatively, you can use database or LDAP realms in a production environment. To demonstrate how to replace the default realm, we will use two samples as followed:

With a database-based realm

In this example, we will use an embedded Derby database as the security provider.

1. Create a database named SecurityDatabase using DB manager in the administration console.
2. Create two tables Users and Groups to store user credential and group information.

   create table users(username varchar(15),password varchar(15));
   create table groups(username varchar(15),groupname varchar(15));
   insert into users values('userone','p1');
   insert into users values('usertwo','p2');
   insert into users values('userthree','p3');
   insert into groups values('userone','admin');
   insert into groups values('usertwo','admin');
   insert into groups values('userthree','user');
   

   In the DB manager portlet copy and paste the above SQL into SQL Commands box and select the SecurityDatabase database and press Run SQL button to create the tables.

1. Create an Derby embedded XA database pool named SecurityDatabasePool using Database Pools portlet under Datasources in the console. Make sure to specify the Database Name as SecurityDatabase.
2. Stop the server and update module org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car in the $GERONIMO_HOME/var/config/config.xml file to enable the SQL realm. Make sure to substitute VERSION string with the appropriate Geronimo version.

   <module name="org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car">
           <gbean name="org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car?ServiceModule=org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car,j2eeType=LoginModule,name=security-realm" gbeanInfo="org.apache.geronimo.security.jaas.LoginModuleGBean">
               <attribute name="loginModuleClass">org.apache.geronimo.security.realm.providers.SQLLoginModule</attribute>
               <attribute name="options">dataSourceName=SecurityDatabasePool
                                         databasesourceApplication=null
                                         groupSelect=select username, groupname from groups where username=?
                                         userSelect=select username, password from users where username=?</attribute>
               <attribute name="loginDomainName">geronimo-admin</attribute>
           </gbean>
           <gbean name="geronimo-admin">
               <reference name="LoginModuleConfiguration">
                   <pattern>
                       <name>realm-login-use</name>
                   </pattern>
               </reference>
           </gbean>
           <gbean name="org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car?ServiceModule=org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car,j2eeType=LoginModuleUse,name=realm-login-use" gbeanInfo="org.apache.geronimo.security.jaas.JaasLoginModuleUse">
               <attribute name="controlFlag">REQUIRED</attribute>
               <reference name="LoginModule">
                   <pattern>
                       <name>security-realm</name>
                   </pattern>
               </reference>
           </gbean>
       </module>
   

   Where
   • geronimo_admin is the same realm name as the original one. You might use another name instead, by doing so, you have to replace the security realm name in all other applications that were using the same security constraint as console.
3. Restart the server and try to login with user name userone and password p1. You will see the newly created SQL realm working.

With a LDAP-based realm

To replace the default .properties file realm using a LDAP realm, the configuration is nearly identical to the sample above. The only difference is to use org.apache.geronimo.security.realm.providers.LDAPLogoinModule as LoginModuleClass. Here is the code snippet you can use in config.xml. Make sure to substitute VERSION string with the appropriate Geronimo version.

<module name="org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car">
        <gbean name="org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car?ServiceModule=org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car,j2eeType=LoginModule,name=security-realm" gbeanInfo="org.apache.geronimo.security.jaas.LoginModuleGBean">
            <attribute name="loginModuleClass">org.apache.geronimo.security.realm.providers.LDAPLoginModule</attribute>
            <attribute name="options">roleSearchMatching=uniqueMember={0}
                                      userSearchMatching=uid={0}
                                      userBase=ou=users,ou=system
                                      connectionUsername=uid=admin,ou=system
                                      roleName=cn
                                      userSearchSubtree=true
                                      authentication=simple
                                      initialContextFactory=com.sun.jndi.ldap.LdapCtxFactory
                                      roleBase=ou=groups,ou=system
                                      connectionPassword=secret
                                      connectionURL=ldap://9.186.10.16:10389
                                      roleSearchSubtree=true</attribute>
            <attribute name="loginDomainName">geronimo-admin</attribute>
        </gbean>
        <gbean name="geronimo-admin">
            <reference name="LoginModuleConfiguration">
                <pattern>
                    <name>realm-login-use</name>
                </pattern>
            </reference>
        </gbean>
        <gbean name="org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car?ServiceModule=org.apache.geronimo.framework/server-security-config/VERSION/car,j2eeType=LoginModuleUse,name=realm-login-use" gbeanInfo="org.apache.geronimo.security.jaas.JaasLoginModuleUse">
            <attribute name="controlFlag">REQUIRED</attribute>
            <reference name="LoginModule">
                <pattern>
                    <name>security-realm</name>
                </pattern>
            </reference>
        </gbean>
    </module>