Procurement user authentication and registration

WebSphere Commerce provides support for authenticating the requests from procurement systems and registering the requisitioning users on the fly.

Requisitioning user authentication is done using the following steps:

  1. Each procurement request coming to WebSphere Commerce must specify an administrator's logon credentials.  This is handled differently based on the protocol type. The authentication type used by the protocol should be specified by the AUTHTYPE column in the PROCPROTCL database table.
    For protocols using XML/HTTP, the administrator's credentials are specified in the XML message. The XML template used to parse the message maps the credential information to the WebSphere Commerce logonId and logonPassword parameters. These credentials are then verified by the HTTP Program Adapter.
    For protocols that use HTTP over a browser, the Logon command is called from the PunchOutSetup command to verify the administrator user under whom the commands are running. These protocols should provide the logonId and logonPassword parameters as part of their URL request.

    Note: A procurement Buyer Administrator role must be created at setup time when a buyer organization is configured as a procurement system buyer in WebSphere Commerce. Only the procurement Buyer Administrator can access or execute the procurement system integration related commands and register requisitioning users for the buyer organization.

  2. The AuthenticationHelper command verifies the buyer and supplier identities against the ORGCODE table.
  3. The AuthenticationHelper command verifies the relationship between the buyer and supplier in the BUYSUPMAP table.
  4. Once the administrator user is authenticated and the buyer supplier identities and relationship are verified, access control policies are used to determine whether the user has the authority to register requisitioning users for the buyer and supplier. If authentication is successful and it is the users first time logging on, the requisitioning user is registered as a new user in WebSphere Commerce. Requisitioning users are identified by the ORG_ID, and REQUISITIONER_ID fields in the BUSPROF table.

    Note: In order to integrate with the Member subsystem, a unique logonid, using the requisitioning users id, is assigned during registration.