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 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
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 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
 * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
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 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
 * accompanied this code).
 *
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 * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
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 *
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package javax.management.remote;

import java.security.Principal;
import javax.security.auth.Subject;

/** {@collect.stats}
 * <p>Interface to define how remote credentials are converted into a
 * JAAS Subject.  This interface is used by the RMI Connector Server,
 * and can be used by other connector servers.</p>
 *
 * <p>The user-defined authenticator instance is passed to the
 * connector server in the environment map as the value of the
 * attribute {@link JMXConnectorServer#AUTHENTICATOR}.  For connector
 * servers that use only this authentication system, if this attribute
 * is not present or its value is <code>null</code> then no user
 * authentication will be performed and full access to the methods
 * exported by the <code>MBeanServerConnection</code> object will be
 * allowed.</p>
 *
 * <p>If authentication is successful then an authenticated
 * {@link Subject subject} filled in with its associated
 * {@link Principal principals} is returned. Authorization checks
 * will be then performed based on the given set of principals.</p>
 *
 * @since 1.5
 */
public interface JMXAuthenticator {

    /** {@collect.stats}
     * <p>Authenticates the <code>MBeanServerConnection</code> client
     * with the given client credentials.</p>
     *
     * @param credentials the user-defined credentials to be passed
     * into the server in order to authenticate the user before
     * creating the <code>MBeanServerConnection</code>.  The actual
     * type of this parameter, and whether it can be null, depends on
     * the connector.
     *
     * @return the authenticated subject containing its associated principals.
     *
     * @exception SecurityException if the server cannot authenticate the user
     * with the provided credentials.
     */
    public Subject authenticate(Object credentials);
}