Logging into Content Navigator from external application

I'm trying to access a PluginService on Content Navigator from my Java Application (Event Action Handler in FileNet P8). The application uses the JAXRS logon service to receive the security_token from the Content Navigator server. However, if I try to call the PluginService I get a response that my login has expired.

I'm able to get the security token, as described in this code block:

URL logonUrl = new URL("http://icn-host:9081/jaxrs/logon"
    + "?userid=user"
    + "&password=password"
    + "&desktop=admin"
    + "&contextPath=%2Fnavigator");
HttpURLConnection logonConnection = (HttpURLConnection)logonUrl.openConnection();
logonConnection.setRequestMethod("POST");
logonConnection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type",
    "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
logonConnection.setDoOutput(true);
InputStream logonResponse = logonConnection.getInputStream();
String responseText = IOUtils.toString(logonResponse, "UTF-8")
    .replaceFirst("^\\{}&&", "");
JSONObject responseJson = JSONObject.parse(responseText);
return (String)responseJson.get("security_token");

But when I try to make another request, I get an error response:

URL requestUrl = new URL("http://icn-host:9081/plugin.do"
    + "?plugin=myPlugin&action=myPluginService&myRequestProps=foobar");
HttpURLConnection requestConnection =
    (HttpURLConnection)requestUrl.openConnection();
requestConnection.setRequestMethod("GET");
String securityToken = getSecurityToken(); // calls above code
requestConnection.setRequestProperty("security_token", securityToken);
equestConnection.setDoOutput(true);
InputStream responseStream = requestConnection.getInputStream();
String responseText = IOUtils.toString(responseStream, "UTF-8")
    .replaceFirst("^\\{}&&", "");
log.info("response was: " + responseText);

I always get the following response:

{
  "messagesEncoded":true,
  "errors": [
    {
      "adminResponse":null,
      "moreInformation":null,
      "explanation":"Your session expired because of inactivity.",
      "number":"1003",
      "userResponse":"Log in again.",
      "text":"Your session expired."
    }
  ]
}

I've also tried to set the cookies, but no success.

java.net.CookieManager cookieManager = new java.net.CookieManager();
Map<String, List<String>> headerFields = logonConnection.getHeaderFields();
List<String> cookiesHeader = headerFields.get("Set-Cookie");
if (cookiesHeader != null) {
  for (String cookie : cookiesHeader) {
    cookieManager.getCookieStore().add(null, HttpCookie.parse(cookie).get(0));
  }
}

// ...

StringBuilder cookieHeader = new StringBuilder();
List<HttpCookie> cookies = cookieManager.getCookieStore().getCookies();

for (int i = 0; i < cookies.size(); i++) {
  if (i > 0) {
    cookieHeader.append(";");
  }

  HttpCookie cookie = cookies.get(i);
  log.info("Cookie " + i + ": " + cookie.toString());
  cookieHeader.append(cookie.toString());
}

requestConnection.setRequestProperty("Cookie", cookieHeader.toString());

I tried to replicate the request using XMLHttpRequest in a Content Navigator window and it works as expected:

var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
xhr.open("GET", "plugin.do" +
    "?plugin=myPlugin" +
    "&action=myPluginService" +
    "&myRequestProps=foobar");
xhr.setRequestHeader("security_token", ecm.model.Request._security_token);
xhr.send();

Solution

I had a similar challenge for a client a few months ago where i had to automate the process of installing plugins and applying configuration for CI purposes.

I discovered it is key to obtain the desktop as the first api call after login for the session to become 'valid'.

So first jaxrs/logon, then jaxrs/getDesktop, then your service invoke.

A little sidenote: If you plan on having container managed authentication later on, the process will be different. The jaxrs/logon won't work, and instead the jaxrs/getDesktop will deliver the security_token.

A little remark though: wouldn't it be a better solution to have a shared library that you'd be able to use both from your Event Action as the ICN service?