OSID - osid.authentication.process.Authentication Service Interface Definition

Interface	osid.authentication.process.Authentication
Implements	`osid.OsidObject`
Description	`Authentication` represents an authentication credential which contains set of `bytes` and a format Type. Once an `Authentication` is created from the `AuthenticationValidationSession,` the credential data can be extracted and sent to the remote peer for validation. The remote peer gets another `Authentication` object as a result of validating the serialized credential data. An `Authentication` may or may not be valid. `isValid()` should be checked before acting upon the `Agent` identity to which the credential is mapped.
Method	getAgentId
Description	Gets the `Id` of the `Agent` identified in this authentication credential.
Return	`osid.id.Id`		the `Agent Id`
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.
Provider Notes	The Agent should be determined at the time this credential is created.
Method	getAgent
Description	Gets the `Agent` identified in this authentication credential.
Return	`osid.authentication.Agent`		the `Agent`
Errors	OPERATION_FAILED		unable to complete request
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.
Method	isValid
Description	Tests whether or not the credential represented by this `Authentication` is currently valid. A credential may be invalid because it has been destroyed, expired, or is somehow no longer able to be used.
Return	`boolean`		`true` if this authentication credential is valid, `false` otherwise
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.
Provider Notes	Any problem in determining the validity of this credential should result in `false.`
Method	hasExpiration
Description	Tests if this authentication has an expiration.
Return	`boolean`		`true` if this authentication has an expiration, `false` otherwise
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.
Method	getExpiration
Description	Gets the expiration date associated with this authentication credential. Consumers should check for the existence of a an expiration mechanism via `hasExpiration().`
Return	`timestamp`		the expiration date of this authentication credential
Errors	ILLEGAL_STATE		`hasExpiration()` is `false`
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.
Method	hasCredential
Description	Tests if this authentication has a credential for export.
Return	`boolean`		`true` if this authentication has a credential, `false` otherwise
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.
Method	getCredential
Description	Gets the credential represented by the given `Type` for transport to a remote service.
Parameters	`osid.type.Type`	`credentialType`	the credential format `Type`
Return	`object`		the credential
Errors	ILLEGAL_STATE		`hasCredential()` is `false`
	NULL_ARGUMENT		`credentialType` is `null`
	UNSUPPORTED		the given `credentialType` is not supported
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.
Provider Notes	A provider may support multiple credential formats for a variety of applications.
Method	getAuthenticationRecord
Description	Gets the authentication record corresponding to the given authentication record `Type.` This method is used to retrieve an object implementing the requested record. The `authenticationRecordType` may be the `Type` returned in `getRecordTypes()` or any of its parents in a `Type` hierarchy where `hasRecordType(authenticationRecordType)` is `true` .
Parameters	`osid.type.Type`	`authenticationRecordType`	the type of authentication record to retrieve
Return	`osid.authentication.process.records.AuthenticationRecord`		the authentication record
Errors	NULL_ARGUMENT		`authenticationRecordType` is `null`
	OPERATION_FAILED		unable to complete request
	PERMISSION_DENIED		authorization failure occurred
	UNSUPPORTED		`hasRecordType(authenticatonRecordType)` is `false`
Compliance	`mandatory`		This method must be implemented.