docs/geode-native-docs/security/authentication.html.md.erb

---
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.

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

An `AuthenticationRequiredException` is thrown when the server is configured with security and the
client does not present its credentials while attempting to connect.

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
using System;
using Apache.Geode.Client;

namespace Apache.Geode.Examples.AuthInitialize
{
  class Program
  {
    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("username", "john");
	    credentials.Insert("password", "secret");
	    return credentials;
	}
      }

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
      var cacheFactory = new CacheFactory()
          .Set("log-level", "none")
          .SetAuthInitialize(new ExampleAuthInitialize());

      var cache = cacheFactory.Create();
      var poolFactory = cache.GetPoolFactory()
          .AddLocator("localhost", 10334);
      poolFactory.Create("pool");
      var regionFactory = cache.CreateRegionFactory(RegionShortcut.PROXY)
          .SetPoolName("pool");
      var region = regionFactory.Create<string, string>("region");

      region["a"] = "1";
      region["b"] = "2";

      var a = region["a"];
      var b = region["b"];

      Console.Out.WriteLine("a = " + a);
      Console.Out.WriteLine("b = " + b);

      cache.Close();
    }
  }
}

```

### C++ Authentication Example

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

```cpp
#include <iostream>

#include <geode/CacheFactory.hpp>
#include <geode/PoolManager.hpp>
#include <geode/RegionFactory.hpp>
#include <geode/RegionShortcut.hpp>
#include <geode/AuthInitialize.hpp>

using namespace apache::geode::client;

constexpr auto SECURITY_USERNAME = "security-username";
constexpr auto SECURITY_PASSWORD = "security-password";

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; }
};

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
  auto config = Properties::create();
  config->insert(SECURITY_USERNAME, "root");
  config->insert(SECURITY_PASSWORD, "root");

  auto cacheFactory = CacheFactory(config);
  auto authInitialize = std::make_shared<UserPasswordAuthInit>();
  cacheFactory.set("log-level", "none");
  cacheFactory.setAuthInitialize(authInitialize);

  auto cache = cacheFactory.create();
  auto poolFactory = cache.getPoolManager().createFactory();

  poolFactory.addLocator("localhost", 10334);
  auto pool = poolFactory.create("pool");
  auto regionFactory = cache.createRegionFactory(RegionShortcut::PROXY);
  auto region = regionFactory.setPoolName("pool").create("example_userinfo");

  region->put("rtimmons", "Robert Timmons");
  region->put("scharles", "Sylvia Charles");

  auto user1 = region->get("rtimmons");
  auto user2 = region->get("scharles");
  std::cout << "  rtimmons = "
            << std::dynamic_pointer_cast<CacheableString>(user1)->value()
            << std::endl;
  std::cout << "  scharles = "
            << std::dynamic_pointer_cast<CacheableString>(user2)->value()
            << std::endl;

  cache.close();
}
```