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User Authentication Modules

Client User Authentication Modules

Client user authentication modules (UAMs) are used by AppleTalk Filing Protocol (AFP) clients to implement custom user authentication methods for connecting to and authenticating with an AFP server.

Currently, a UAM is called when the following actions occur:

The user uses the Chooser to log on to an AFP server that supports the UAM that the user has selected.
The user is already connected to an AFP server and is using the Chooser to connect to another volume made available by that AFP server.
A program calls PBVolumeMount and specifies that a particular UAM is to be used.

Client UAMs must implement a UAMCall routine that can be called by an AFP client or by any other application that needs to authenticate a user. The UAMCall routine must implement the following commands:

UAMOpen , to open a session with an AFP server
UAMLogin , to log on to an AFP server
UAMClose , to close a session with an AFP server

Client UAMs can optionally implement the following additional commands:

UAMPWDlog , to display a dialog box that allows the user to enter his or her password
UAMVSDlog , to display a dialog box that allows the user to select the volumes he or she wants to connect to
UAMChgPassDlg , to display a dialog box that allows the user to enter a new password
UAMChgPass , to send a command to the server UAM to change the user's password
UAMGetInfoSize , to get the size of persistent authentication information
UAMGetInfo , to get the persistent authentication information for a connection to a particular AFP server

IMPORTANT

The UAMCall routine is always called at system task time.

Client UAMs use callback routines to communicate with an AFP client. The AFP client makes following callback routines available:

GetClientInfo , to obtain information about what the client, such as the versions of AFP the client supports, Gestalt values, and the default user name
OpenSession , to open a session with a server
SendMessage , to send a message to a server once a session has been opened with that server
CloseSession , to close a session with a server
SetMic , to set the message integrity code key
EventProc , to handle events that the client UAM does not handle

UAM files reside in the AppleShare Folder inside the System Folder and have a type code of 'uams'.

Setting bit 12 (gestaltAFPClientUAMv2 ) of the high word of the 'afps' Gestalt response indicates that an AFP client supports the UAM interface described in this chapter.