How to Create Custom Authentication Handler in CQ

Use Case:

• You want to use custom Authentication handler instead of OOTB one for authentication. 
• Custom User Registration

Pre requisite:

• http://sling.apache.org/site/authentication.html
•  http://sling.apache.org/site/authentication-authenticationhandler.html
• http://sling.apache.org/apidocs/sling6/org/apache/sling/auth/core/spi/AuthenticationHandler.html

Available Authentication Handler in CQ:

How to create your Own:

1) Create custom class extending Sling Authentication Handler and override available methods

2) Create a form (Your custom Login form) 

which will be something like this

String action = currentPage.getPath() +"/j_mycustom_security_check";

<form method="POST" action="<%= xssAPI.getValidHref(action) %>"> 

Enter User Name: <input  name="j_username" type="text" />

Enter Passord: <input  name="j_password" type="text" />

<input type="button" name="Click Here to login">

</form>

You can also use Ajax post or something to see if response is 200 (Which mean successful login)

3) Then under apache sling post servlet, Make sure that you allow parameter you are posting. In this case j_*

4) Add your custom authentication prefix to sling authenticator service

5) Once you have your bundle deployed, You should see your additional authentication handler. 

Integrate it with Custom Pluggable Login Module (AEM 6)

Step1 : create pluggable login Module


Step2 : Plug it in your custom auth handler



Example: https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/sling/trunk/bundles/auth/form/src/main/java/org/apache/sling/auth/form/impl/

Example of Open Source Extended Authentication Handler:

http://sling.apache.org/site/openid-authenticationhandler.html

http://sling.apache.org/site/form-based-authenticationhandler.html

CQ OOTB Extended authentication Handler

Day CRX Sling - Token Authenticationcom.day.crx.sling.crx-auth-token)Adobe Granite SSO Authentication Handlercom.adobe.granite.auth.sso)Day Communique 5 PIN Authentication Handlercom.day.cq.cq-pinauthhandler

There are a lot of things needed for creating your custom user registration process (You might / Might not) Need following,

1) Custom Login Module http://www.wemblog.com/2012/06/how-to-add-custom-login-module-in-cq55.html to sync users / group in CQ from third party system

2) Custom Authentication handler as above

3) Reverse replication to sync user across (If user registration is in publish)

Note: Above code is just Pseudo code. Please test, You might have to add your custom logic for this to work.

Let me know if you have any question or comment.