Authentication Service

The Authentication Service provides robust mechanisms for verifying the identity of users and clients accessing MSDN resources. It supports various authentication protocols and integration patterns.

Core Concepts

Tokens

The service utilizes industry-standard tokens, such as JWT (JSON Web Tokens), for secure authentication. Tokens are issued upon successful login and are used to authorize subsequent requests.

Scopes

Permissions are managed through scopes, which define the specific resources or actions a user or client is allowed to access. Tokens can be granted specific scopes based on their role and privileges.

Session Management

The Authentication Service handles the lifecycle of authentication sessions, including creation, validation, and expiration, ensuring security and preventing unauthorized access.

API Endpoints

Authentication Endpoints

Method	Path	Description
POST	/auth/v1/login	Initiates the login process. Requires credentials (e.g., username/password, API key). Returns an authentication token.
POST	/auth/v1/refresh-token	Refreshes an existing authentication token using a refresh token.
POST	/auth/v1/logout	Invalidates the current authentication token and ends the user session.
POST	/auth/v1/register	Registers a new user account.

Token Validation

Method	Path	Description
GET	/auth/v1/validate-token	Validates an authentication token. Returns user information and scopes if the token is valid.

Request and Response Examples

Login Request (POST /auth/v1/login)

{
  "username": "user@example.com",
  "password": "secure_password123"
}
        

Login Response (Success)

{
  "accessToken": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "refreshToken": "abc123xyz789...",
  "expiresIn": 3600,
  "tokenType": "Bearer"
}
        

Supported Protocols

• OAuth 2.0
• OpenID Connect
• API Key Authentication

Client Integration

The Authentication Service can be integrated with various client applications, including web applications, mobile apps, and server-to-server integrations. SDKs are available for popular programming languages.

Error Handling

The service returns standard HTTP status codes and detailed error messages in JSON format for any issues encountered during authentication.

Status Code	Meaning
400 Bad Request	Invalid input or malformed request.
401 Unauthorized	Authentication failed (invalid credentials, expired token).
403 Forbidden	Authenticated user does not have permission for the requested action.
500 Internal Server Error	An unexpected server error occurred.