User Registration Guide

You can browse the public content of a registry. However, both access to private objects and write access to public objects require that you are logged in and are authorized to perform that action on that object.

You must register with a registry before you can log-on to that registry and perform secure operations such as object publishing, update and removal. Registration involves two main steps:

  1. Creating a User Account
  2. Loading User Credentials into the Web Browser
  3. Loading Client Certificate to JAXR provider (optional)

1. Creating a User Account

There are 2 possible ways to create an user account in the registry:

NOTE: The credentials generated by Registry Browser Java UI will not be accepted for autentication when using the Web UI. This is because these credentials have not been signed by the RegistryOperator. We recommend that you use the Web UI user registration so that you'll have valid credentials for both web browser and JAXR provider.

2. Loading User Credentials into Web Browser

The Registry authenticates Web UI clients using client certificates. The Registry receives your certificate via your web browser. In order for this to happen, you must load the certificate into your browser. Please complete the steps according to your web browser type.

Mozilla/FireFox

  1. Click menu options Edit -> Preferences.
  2. Click Advanced category in sidebar to expand options.
  3. Click Security tab.
  4. Click View Certificates button.
  5. The Your Certificates tab should appear. Click the Import button.
  6. Use the File Name to Restore file dialog to select your .p12 certificate file. Note: this file is either provided by a third-party Certificatge Authority, or it is generated by the Registry as part of the registration process. Click this file and click the Open button.
  7. In the Prompt Dialog, enter an account password for the 'master password for the Software Security Device'. Note: this password is browser account specific and assigned by browser profile owner. A good convention is to use same password as the login account on the client machine.
  8. In the Password Entry Dialog, enter the certificate password. This password is used to protect the client certificate.

    Note: if you decided to have the Registry create a self-signed certificate for you, it is the same password you used in the Registration Wizard.
  9. You should see an Alert dialog with the message: 'Successfully restored your security certificate(s) and private key(s). Click the OK button.
  10. Close the Certificate Manager and Preferences dialogs.

Netscape

(Not documented yet; please report the steps to the user's list).

Opera

  1. Open the preferences window from the Tools - Preferences menu, or by pressing CTRL+F12.
  2. In the Advanced tab, choose Security from the left panel.
  3. Click the Manage Certificates button. The Certificate Manager window should pop up.
  4. In the Personal tab, click the Import button. Select your .p12 file.
  5. Enter the certificate password. This password is used to protect the client certificate.

    Note: if you decided to have the Registry create a self-signed certificate for you, it is the same password you used in the Registration Wizard.
  6. Now enter your password for the Opera Certificate Store. If it does not yet exist, you will be asked to give and confirm the password
  7. You should now see your certificate in the certificate list. Close the Certificate Manager and Preferences Window.

Internet Explorer

  1. In Windows Explorer, double click your .p12 file. The Certificate Import Wizard should pop up. Click next twice.
  2. Enter the certificate password. This password is used to protect the client certificate.

    Note: if you decided to have the Registry create a self-signed certificate for you, it is the same password you used in the Registration Wizard.

    At your choice, enable or disable strong private key protection or the exportable private key option.
  3. In the next window, let the wizard automatically select the certificate store. Click next and finish the wizard

Mac OS X

  1. After you downloaded the certificate, start the application "Keychain Access" (under Applications/Utilities)
  2. Go to File -> Import
  3. Import the certificate file that you just downloaded. During import you will be asked for the password that you chose in step 3 of the registration wizard.
  4. That's it, from now on the web browser should automatically authenticate you.

Loading Client Certificate to JAXR provider

This step makes your newly registered certificate (and its private key) available to the JAXR provider for use with the Registry Browser Java UI and other JAXR applications. See Registry Browser Java UI load credentials to JAXR for more details.

User Authentication

See the following documents for how user authentication happens: