CSI REST Interface Authorisation

Rees Howel

I'm building an experimental application in VB.NET to test how easy (or otherwise) it is to import/export data via the REST API.  I've built a Form to hold the URL (http://<server>/IDORequestService), Username, Password and required Configuration and have also used TimBoyden's PySyteline site(https://pysyteline.boyden.app/) for a bit of guidance.

The first step is to query the server for a list of available Configurations and to validate that the required Configuration exists.  This bit works fine.  I have a set of message boxes to show me what is going to be sent and what comes back.

The problem comes when I try to get the session token for which the response is 401 Unauthorised.  Tim's example code appears to hand the credentials on in plaintext.  I've seen other examples on the web which suggest I should specify Basic authentication and encode the credentials in Base64.

I've tried both but get the same response each time.  So I'm presumably being dumb or it's something in CSI.  I'm using the sa account so privileges shouldn't be an issue but I have a dim recollection from previous experiments with the .NET ASMX interface that there are some permission setup requirements.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

Public TokenSuffix As String = "/json/token/"

…...

Try

RESTUrl = txtURL + TokenSuffix + txtConfig

MessageBox.Show(RESTUrl)

'Get Session Token from Webservice

'Create the initial request for the Configuration List

Dim TokenRequest As HttpWebRequest = HttpWebRequest.Create(RESTUrl)

TokenRequest.Proxy = Nothing

TokenRequest.UserAgent = "Test"

Dim Encoded As String = System.Convert.ToBase64String(System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(txtUser + ":" + txtPassword))

TokenRequest.Headers.Add("Authorization", "Basic " + Encoded)

'TokenRequest.Headers.Add("UserId:" + txtUser + "Password:" + txtPassword)

'Create the Response and Reader

Dim TokenResponse As HttpWebResponse = TokenRequest.GetResponse

Dim TokenResponseStream As System.IO.Stream = TokenResponse.GetResponseStream

'Create new Stream Reader

Dim TokenStreamReader As New System.IO.StreamReader(TokenResponseStream)

Data = TokenStreamReader.ReadToEnd

TokenStreamReader.Close()

MessageBox.Show(Data)

 

 

Catch Weberror As Exception

'Expected exception is Invalid Credentials

MessageBox.Show(Weberror.Message)

End Try

 

Attachment_4331.zip

b-28190.zip

rconversionfiles_035260.zip

unknown

This is C# code but it should be similar to the VB code:

// Clear the current HttpClient request headers:

client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Clear();

// Set the response format in the Accept request header:

client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Accept.Add(new MediaTypeWithQualityHeaderValue("application/" + responseFormat));

// Set the UserId and Password request headers:

client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("UserId", userId);

client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Password", password);

You have to reset the headers by issuing a Clear() statement. You have to set the Accept header for response format you want (json or xml). Then the UserId and Password headers are set separately. They are not encoded in Base64.

Attached is the documentation from mongoose.infor.com.

 

[View:/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/80/Mongoose-REST-Service.pdf:320:240]