NAME

Apache::AuthenCache - Authentication caching used in conjuction with a primary authentication module (Apache::AuthenDBI, etc.)

SYNOPSIS

# In your httpd.conf
PerlModule Apache::AuthenCache

# In httpd.conf or .htaccess:
AuthName Name
AuthType Basic
PerlAuthenHandler Apache::AuthenCache <Primary Authentication Module> Apache::AuthenCache::manage_cache
<Limit GET>
require valid-user # Limited to valid-user or user
</Limit>

# Optional parameters
PerlSetVar AuthenCache_cache_size     100 # Maximum number of entries in cache (no default)
PerlSetVar AuthenCache_cache_time      900 # Number of seconds cache is good for (no default)
PerlSetVar AuthenCache_nopasswd       on  # Allows authentication with out a password (defaults to off)
PerlSetVar AuthenCache_encrypted      off # Uses plaintext passwords (defaults to on)
PerlSetVar AuthenCache_casesensitive  off # Allows for Windows-like case-insensitivity (defaults to on)

DESCRIPTION

This module implements a caching mechanism in order to speed up authentication and to reduce the usage of system resources. It must be used in conjunction with a regular mod_perl authentication module. (It was designed with AuthenDBI in mind.) For mod_perl authentication modules see:

http://www.perl.com/CPAN-local/modules/by-module/Apache/apache-modlist.html

When an access controlled request is received AuthenCache::handler looks up the username in the cache and compares the cached password to the sent password. A new cache is created for the first request or if the cache has expired. If the passwords match the remaing Authen handlers are removed from the stack and OK is returned. If the passwords don't match DECLINED is returned and the next Authen handler is called.

After the primary authentication handler authenticates the user, AuthenCache::manage_cache adds the new user to the cache and removes the oldest user if AuthenCache_cache_size is set and the size of the cache is greater than AuthenCache_cache_size.

PREREQUISITES

mod_perl 1.11_01 is required. The following call-back hooks need to be enabled when making mod_perl:

perl Makefile.PL PERL_AUTHEN=1 PERL_STACKED_HANDLERS=1 PERL_GET_SET_HANDLERS

Tie::IxHash is also required.

TODO

• Make cache LRU

SEE ALSO

Apache, mod_perl

AUTHOR

Jason Bodnar <jcbodnar@mail.utexas.edu>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 1998, Jason Bodnar

This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.