Re: Store database users in custom table - Mailing list pgsql-admin

From Scott Mead
Subject Re: Store database users in custom table
Date
Msg-id d3ab2ec81003221109i10591e69x31db24de79ebcc39@mail.gmail.com
Whole thread Raw
In response to Store database users in custom table  (Antoine POPINEAU <apognu@akegroup.org>)
List pgsql-admin
2010/3/19 Antoine POPINEAU <apognu@akegroup.org>
Hi,

I am developping a Java application, and using a PostgreSQL backend database. Theorically, there might be lots of users, each with potentially different permissions over the different tables.

I could add those user to the database with a classic CREATE USER, but that doesn't seem efficient to me, since I've already got a custom table with users data and, amongst others, password.

So my question is simple (the answer might not be, though): is there a possibility to tell Postgres to fetch user logins and passwords in a custom table (perhaps respecting a certain schema) instead of the default location?

There isn't, but the question to ask yourself is:

 Do you want application level users to be able to login to the database directly???

 If the answer is yes, then you may want to use a centralized authentication mechanism like LDAP. (postgres can use LDAP authentication).


  If the answer is no, then build your own auth scheme in the application and have the application login to the database as a specific user ... i.e.

user bob.foo logins to web interface
provides password: login123

  java app says:  Connect to database,
 user: app_read
 pass: %32sd$s2
 
   Java app says, select user_id, password from users where user_name = 'bob.foo'
    java app runs:
 if result.password = user_entered_password
    then
        login allowed
    else
         denied
    end if

  Obviously, you'd want to use a hash of the password to avoid sending it over the wire, but I think you get the idea.


--Scott M
   
           

 --Scott M

Thank you.

Antoine POPINEAU.

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