NWDSLogin(3nw)


NWDSLogin -- performs all authentication operations needed to establish a client's connection to the network and to the network's authentication service

Synopsis

   #include <nwnet.h> 
   or 
   #include <nwdsasa.h> 
   

NWDSCCODE N_API NWDSLogin (NWDSContextHandle context, nflag optionsFlag, pnstr8 objectName, pnstr8 password, nuint32 validityPeriod);

Description

The parameters are as follows:

context
(IN) Specifies the Directory context for the request.

optionsFlag
Reserved; pass in zero.

objectName
(IN) Points to the name of the object logging into the network.

password
(IN) Points to the client's password.

validityPeriod
Reserved for future use to indicate, in seconds, the period during which authentication will be valid with other servers. Pass in zero (0).

Return values

0x0000
SUCCESSFUL

Negative Value
Negative values indicate errors. For errors returned by Directory Services, see ``Directory Services OS Errors'' (-001 to -255), ``Directory Services Client Library Errors'' (-301 to -399), or ``Directory Services Agent in the Server Errors'' (-601 to -699).

Notices

NWDSLogin caches authentication information locally to be used by other functions and in background authentication to additional services.

password points to the client's current password in clear text. If there is no password for the client, it value should point to a zero-length string (``'').

validityPeriod specifies the time interval during which the client's authentication information remains valid. If the value is 0, the authentication service supplies a default value. Also, if this value exceeds the default value supplied by the authentication service, the default value is applied.

The validation period begins by calling NWDSLogin. The minimum recommended period is 60 seconds. Shorter times may cause the authenticator to expire before it can be used. If the authenticator expires before the client logs out, the log out process is NOT completed.

If an application has a local copy of any password value, the value should be erased as soon as possible to prevent compromising the security of the password.

Until an authenticated connection is established, the client can access only Directory information classified as public.

Services

Directory

NCP calls

None

References

NWDSAuthenticate(3nw), NWDSLogout(3nw)
30 January 1998
© 1998 The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. All rights reserved.