---
title:  Authentication
---

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A client is authenticated when it connects with valid credentials to a <%=vars.product_name%> cache server that is configured with the client `Authenticator` callback.
For details on the server's role in authentication and what it expects from the client, see [Implementing Authentication](geodeman/managing/security/implementing_authentication.html) in the *<%=vars.product_name%> User Guide*.

Examples of various implementations can be found in the Native Client source distribution's `../templates/security` directory.

In your application, authentication credentials must be set when creating the cache. In practice,
this means setting the authentication credentials when you create the CacheFactory.

### .NET Authentication Example

The following excerpt is taken from the .NET example provided with your Native Client distribution in the `../examples/dotnet/AuthInitialize` directory.
In this C# authentication example, credentials are implemented in the GetCredentials member function of the ExampleAuthInitialize class, which implements the IAuthInitialize interface.


```cs
  class ExampleAuthInitialize : IAuthInitialize
  {
    public ExampleAuthInitialize()
    {
      // TODO initialize your resources here
      Console.Out.WriteLine("ExampleAuthInitialize::ExampleAuthInitialize called");
    }

    public void Close()
    {
      // TODO close your resources here
      Console.Out.WriteLine("ExampleAuthInitialize::Close called");
    }

    public Properties<string, object> GetCredentials(Properties<string, string> props, string server)
    {
      // TODO get your username and password
      Console.Out.WriteLine("ExampleAuthInitialize::GetCredentials called");

      var credentials = new Properties<string, object>();
      credentials.Insert("security-username", "root");
      credentials.Insert("security-password", "root");
      return credentials;
    }
  }

```

### C++ Authentication Example

In this C++ authentication example, credentials are implemented in the getCredentials member function of the AuthInitialize abstract class.

```cpp
class UserPasswordAuthInit : public AuthInitialize {
public:
  UserPasswordAuthInit() = default;
  
  ~UserPasswordAuthInit() noexcept override = default;
  
  std::shared_ptr<Properties> getCredentials(
    const std::shared_ptr<Properties> &securityprops,
    const std::string &) override {
    std::shared_ptr<Cacheable> userName;
    if (securityprops == nullptr ||
      (userName = securityprops->find(SECURITY_USERNAME)) == nullptr) {
      throw AuthenticationFailedException(
      "UserPasswordAuthInit: user name "
      "property [SECURITY_USERNAME] not set.");
    }
  
    auto credentials = Properties::create();
    credentials->insert(SECURITY_USERNAME, userName->toString().c_str());
    auto passwd = securityprops->find(SECURITY_PASSWORD);
    if (passwd == nullptr) {
      passwd = CacheableString::create("");
    }
    credentials->insert(SECURITY_PASSWORD, passwd->value().c_str());
    return credentials;
  }

  void close() override { return; }
};

```