3. Data types

There are three data types to be used for carrying a negotiated security layer--a mechanism, a client parameter and an authentication step.

3.1 Mechanisms

A mechanism (sasl-mechanism object) is a schema of the SASL authentication mechanism driver.

Variable: sasl-mechanisms

A list of mechanism names.

Function: sasl-find-mechanism mechanisms

Retrieve an apropriate mechanism. This function compares MECHANISMS and sasl-mechanisms then returns apropriate sasl-mechanism object.

(let ((sasl-mechanisms '("CRAM-MD5" "DIGEST-MD5"))) (setq mechanism (sasl-find-mechanism server-supported-mechanisms)))

Function: sasl-mechanism-name mechanism

Return name of mechanism, a string.

If you want to write an authentication mechanism driver (4. Backend drivers), use sasl-make-mechanism and modify sasl-mechanisms and sasl-mechanism-alist correctly.

Function: sasl-make-mechanism name steps

Allocate a sasl-mechanism object. This function takes two parameters--name of the mechanism, and a list of authentication functions.

(defconst sasl-anonymous-steps '(identity ;no initial response sasl-anonymous-response)) (put 'sasl-anonymous 'sasl-mechanism (sasl-make-mechanism "ANONYMOUS" sasl-anonymous-steps))

3.2 Clients

A client (sasl-client object) initialized with four parameters--a mechanism, a user name, name of the service and name of the server.

Function: sasl-make-client mechanism name service server

Prepare a sasl-client object.

Function: sasl-client-mechanism client

Return the mechanism (sasl-mechanism object) of client.

Function: sasl-client-name client

Return the authorization name of client, a string.

Function: sasl-client-service client

Return the service name of client, a string.

Function: sasl-client-server client

Return the server name of client, a string.

If you want to specify additional configuration properties, please use sasl-client-set-property.

Function: sasl-client-set-property client property value

Add the given property/value to client.

Function: sasl-client-property client property

Return the value of the property of client.

Function: sasl-client-set-properties client plist

Destructively set the properties of client. The second argument is the new property list.

Function: sasl-client-properties client

Return the whole property list of client configuration.

3.3 Steps

A step (sasl-step object) is an abstraction of authentication "step" which holds the response value and the next entry point for the authentication process (the latter is not accessible).

Function: sasl-step-data step

Return the data which STEP holds, a string.

Function: sasl-step-set-data step data

Store DATA string to STEP.

To get the initial response, you should call the function sasl-next-step with the second argument nil.

(setq name (sasl-mechanism-name mechanism))

At this point we could send the command which starts a SASL authentication protocol exchange. For example,

(process-send-string
 process
 (if (sasl-step-data step)		;initial response
     (format "AUTH %s %s\r\n" name (base64-encode-string (sasl-step-data step) t))
   (format "AUTH %s\r\n" name)))

To go on with the authentication process, all you have to do is call sasl-next-step consecutively.

Function: sasl-next-step client step

Perform the authentication step. At the first time STEP should be set to nil.

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