Monday, May 26, 2008

WSO2 WSF/C 1.3.0

WSO2 Web Services Framework for C version 1.3.0 has been released.
The new release came with many improvements including memory leak fixes and bug fixes. Also it has changed the default parser to Guththila, which is optimized for SOAP processing.
Get more details from the project home page about the latest release.
WSO2 WSF/C is the base framework for many web services frameworks including WSO2 WSF/PHP.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Web services in scripting langauges. PHP, Perl and Ruby

I have done survey to compare features of three scripting languages related to web services implementations. Those three languages are PHP, Perl and Ruby. This comparison also contrasts WSF/* family of products with other implementations. For example WSF/PHP vs nuSOAP. Please note that the features are compared to the latest released versions mentioned below.


And here is the feature comparison.


Not Implemented
Implemented
Experimental

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Trip of the life time

Wake up 3 AM
2 hr flight to ATL
13 hr transit in ATL
15 hr flight to DXB
7 hr transit in DXB (TODO)
3 hr flight to CMB (TODO)

forums/mailing-lists/LOST/youtube/facebook/blog/flickr/burgers/ice cream/Tetris/dizzy/dots-on-the-walls/blurring-faces/...

Gosh... when is 8 AM Saturday...?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

How to obtain a remote X509 certificate?

Have you ever tried to obtain an X509 certificate from a remote site? This is quite required when you need to write a PHP client to securely access a web service using WSF/PHP. Or may be a Ruby client using WSF/Ruby.
Naaah...!!! this is not only for WSF or for web services stuff. But also if you need simply to encrypt locally and send the file as an attachment to a remote party via mail or to verify a signature of an attachment.
OK. This is how you do it. Simply enter the following command. Here we are going to obtain the google's certificate. Never forget to have openssl installed in your system.

echo | openssl s_client -connect 64.233.161.103:443 2>&1 | sed -ne '/-BEGIN CERTIFICATE-/,/-END CERTIFICATE-/p' > cert.cert


Note that we are saving the file as cert.cert. You are free to use any file name.
OK. Now by simply replacing the ip address (64.233.161.103) from yours, you can obtain the X509 certificate of your desired site.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Apache Rampart/C 1.2.0 unleashed

Unleashed to secure Apache Axis2/C 1.4.0.
Download Apache Rampart/C here

Key features of the release includes
1. Ability to send and verify UsernameTokens with
- Username and PlainText password
- Username and Digested password

2. Ability to send Timestamp tokens

3. SOAP message encryption
- With derived key support for improved security
- Symmetric and Asymmetric modes of operations
- Support for AES and Tripple DES encryption
- Signature encryption
- Keys encryption

4. SOAP message signature
- XML signature with RSA-SHA1
- Message authentication with HMAC-SHA1
- Signature confirmation support
- SOAP Header signing

5. WS-Security Policy (spec 1.1) based configurations
- Support for both Symmetric as well as Asymmetric policy bindings
- Support for different modes of key identifiers
- Support for different algorithm suites
[Basic128, Basic 192, Basic256, TrippleDES, Basic128Rsa15, Basic192Rsa15,Basic256Rsa15, TripleDesRsa15]
- Support for IssuedToken assertion in client side.
- Support for SAMLToken assertion.

6. Replay detection support
- Easy to use built-in replay detection module
- Ability to deploy a customized replay detection module

7. Different protection orders
- Encrypt before signing
- Sign before encrypting

8. Extensible modules
- Password callback module
- Authentication module
- Credentials module

9. Keys management
- Support for X509 token profile
- Support for Key identifiers, Thumb prints, Issuer/Serial pairs, Embedded and Direct references

10. WS-Secure Conversation Language support (Experimental)
- Establishing Security Context and thereby maintaining a session
- Per message key derivation
- Support for stored securtiy context token

11. WS-Trust Language support (Experimental)
- Security Token Services (STS)
- STS Client
- Server and Client entrophy support

12. SAML Support
- Support for Creation and Processing of SAML Core 1.1 Assertions
- SAML Token as Sign Supporting Token

10. Other
- Easy to use deployment scripts
- A comprehensive set of samples

Friday, May 09, 2008

Trip to Kandy, Matale and Anuradhapura

... Could find some time to enjoy a trip with our parents and family ones during the last weekend.:-)
First we went to Kandy and then to Matale alu-viharaya (Viharaya=Temple). Most of you might've known about Kandy. Compared to that Aluwiharaya is a little known and less described. But it's importance is not overshadowed by the fact that its not a popular shrine. Alu-viharaya is the place where the well known Buddist Tipitaka inscribing took place. And still this inscribing is taking place in 'Ola' leaves in the traditional way. Matale, which was battered by many wars against British invaders is north of Kandy. The library was completely destroyed later due to the 1848 rebellion lead by "Puran Appu" against British rulers.

One who takes Kandy-Jaffna A9 highway can easily reach the temple, which is adjacent to the main road. The temple is built on a rock, where one can get a very good view over the surrounding valley. Whilst few new modifications and additions has done some damage to its historical look, the cave temple, the old carvings and secret signs keeps the proud and mystic scenery intact.
Here are some pics.

Later we went to the ancient capital city, Anuradhapura. Have been there numerous times but seems this is like the best time to be there. One reason is that this is the time everybody is getting ready for the high season, which is starting from June. The second is that due to heavy rains during the last month there is no dust and lakes/tanks are very beautiful.
Will write more when I get time. Meanwhile enjoy these memories.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Seven things to know about FEDi

FEDi is
- about authentication and to enable single sign on in a federated environment
- to establish the trust between entities in different security realms
- based on Apache Axis2/C and Apache Rampart/C
- to provide the infrastructure to develop identity enabled web services
- is an effort to implement WS-Trust, SAML and WS-Federation specifications in C language


FEDi is NOT
- a product/application. It's a framework that can be used to implement the final product/application.
- an alternative to Identity Solution. It's an effort to extend the capabilities to federated environment

Need to know more check this out

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Closed his eyes forever


Suffering from fever for couple of days and irrespective of all the treatments, Terry closed his moody eyes, forever. A very sorry morning for all of us. :(