java.security.cert
Class CertStore

java.lang.Object
  java.security.cert.CertStore

public class CertStore

extends Object

A class for retrieving Certificates and CRLs from a repository.

This class uses a provider-based architecture, as described in the Java Cryptography Architecture. To create a CertStore, call one of the static getInstance methods, passing in the type of CertStore desired, any applicable initialization parameters and optionally the name of the provider desired.

Once the CertStore has been created, it can be used to retrieve Certificates and CRLs by calling its getCertificates and getCRLs methods.

Unlike a KeyStore, which provides access to a cache of private keys and trusted certificates, a CertStore is designed to provide access to a potentially vast repository of untrusted certificates and CRLs. For example, an LDAP implementation of CertStore provides access to certificates and CRLs stored in one or more directories using the LDAP protocol and the schema as defined in the RFC service attribute. See Appendix A in the Java Certification Path API Programmer's Guide for more information about standard CertStore types.

Concurrent Access

All public methods of CertStore objects must be thread-safe. That is, multiple threads may concurrently invoke these methods on a single CertStore object (or more than one) with no ill effects. This allows a CertPathBuilder to search for a CRL while simultaneously searching for further certificates, for instance.

The static methods of this class are also guaranteed to be thread-safe. Multiple threads may concurrently invoke the static methods defined in this class with no ill effects.

Since:

1.4

Constructor Summary

protected

CertStore(CertStoreSpi storeSpi, Provider provider, String type, CertStoreParameters params) Creates a CertStore object of the given type, and encapsulates the given provider implementation (SPI object) in it.

Method Summary

Collection	getCertificates(CertSelector selector) Returns a Collection of Certificates that match the specified selector.
CertStoreParameters	getCertStoreParameters() Returns the parameters used to initialize this CertStore.
Collection	getCRLs(CRLSelector selector) Returns a Collection of CRLs that match the specified selector.
static String	getDefaultType() Returns the default CertStore type as specified in the Java security properties file, or the string "LDAP" if no such property exists.
static CertStore	getInstance(String type, CertStoreParameters params) Returns a CertStore object that implements the specified CertStore type and is initialized with the specified parameters.
static CertStore	getInstance(String type, CertStoreParameters params, Provider provider) Returns a CertStore object that implements the specified CertStore type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters.
static CertStore	getInstance(String type, CertStoreParameters params, String provider) Returns a CertStore object that implements the specified CertStore type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters.
Provider	getProvider() Returns the provider of this CertStore.
String	getType() Returns the type of this CertStore.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

CertStore

protected CertStore(CertStoreSpi storeSpi,
                    Provider provider,
                    String type,
                    CertStoreParameters params)

Creates a CertStore object of the given type, and encapsulates the given provider implementation (SPI object) in it.

Parameters:

storeSpi - the provider implementation

provider - the provider

type - the type

params - the initialization parameters (may be null)

Method Detail

getCertificates

public final Collection getCertificates(CertSelector selector)
                                 throws CertStoreException

Returns a Collection of Certificates that match the specified selector. If no Certificates match the selector, an empty Collection will be returned.

For some CertStore types, the resulting Collection may not contain all of the Certificates that match the selector. For instance, an LDAP CertStore may not search all entries in the directory. Instead, it may just search entries that are likely to contain the Certificates it is looking for.

Some CertStore implementations (especially LDAP CertStores) may throw a CertStoreException unless a non-null CertSelector is provided that includes specific criteria that can be used to find the certificates. Issuer and/or subject names are especially useful criteria.

Parameters:

selector - A CertSelector used to select which Certificates should be returned. Specify null to return all Certificates (if supported).

Returns:

A Collection of Certificates that match the specified selector (never null)

Throws:

CertStoreException - if an exception occurs

getCRLs

public final Collection getCRLs(CRLSelector selector)
                         throws CertStoreException

Returns a Collection of CRLs that match the specified selector. If no CRLs match the selector, an empty Collection will be returned.

For some CertStore types, the resulting Collection may not contain all of the CRLs that match the selector. For instance, an LDAP CertStore may not search all entries in the directory. Instead, it may just search entries that are likely to contain the CRLs it is looking for.

Some CertStore implementations (especially LDAP CertStores) may throw a CertStoreException unless a non-null CRLSelector is provided that includes specific criteria that can be used to find the CRLs. Issuer names and/or the certificate to be checked are especially useful.

Parameters:

selector - A CRLSelector used to select which CRLs should be returned. Specify null to return all CRLs (if supported).

Returns:

A Collection of CRLs that match the specified selector (never null)

Throws:

CertStoreException - if an exception occurs

getInstance

public static CertStore getInstance(String type,
                                    CertStoreParameters params)
                             throws InvalidAlgorithmParameterException,
                                    NoSuchAlgorithmException

Returns a CertStore object that implements the specified CertStore type and is initialized with the specified parameters.

If the default provider package provides an implementation of the specified CertStore type, an instance of CertStore containing that implementation is returned. If the requested type is not available in the default package, other packages are searched.

The CertStore that is returned is initialized with the specified CertStoreParameters. The type of parameters needed may vary between different types of CertStores. Note that the specified CertStoreParameters object is cloned.

Parameters:

type - the name of the requested CertStore type

params - the initialization parameters (may be null)

Returns:

a CertStore object that implements the specified CertStore type

Throws:

NoSuchAlgorithmException - if the requested type is not available in the default provider package or any of the other provider packages that were searched

InvalidAlgorithmParameterException - if the specified initialization parameters are inappropriate for this CertStore

getInstance

public static CertStore getInstance(String type,
                                    CertStoreParameters params,
                                    String provider)
                             throws InvalidAlgorithmParameterException,
                                    NoSuchAlgorithmException,
                                    NoSuchProviderException

Returns a CertStore object that implements the specified CertStore type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters.

The CertStore that is returned is initialized with the specified CertStoreParameters. The type of parameters needed may vary between different types of CertStores. Note that the specified CertStoreParameters object is cloned.

Parameters:

type - the requested CertStore type

params - the initialization parameters (may be null)

provider - the name of the provider

Returns:

a CertStore object that implements the specified type, as supplied by the specified provider

Throws:

NoSuchAlgorithmException - if the requested type is not available from the specified provider

InvalidAlgorithmParameterException - if the specified initialization parameters are inappropriate for this CertStore

NoSuchProviderException - if the provider has not been configured

IllegalArgumentException - if the provider is null

getInstance

public static CertStore getInstance(String type,
                                    CertStoreParameters params,
                                    Provider provider)
                             throws NoSuchAlgorithmException,
                                    InvalidAlgorithmParameterException

Returns a CertStore object that implements the specified CertStore type, as supplied by the specified provider and initialized with the specified parameters. Note: the provider doesn't have to be registered.

The CertStore that is returned is initialized with the specified CertStoreParameters. The type of parameters needed may vary between different types of CertStores. Note that the specified CertStoreParameters object is cloned.

Parameters:

type - the requested CertStore type

params - the initialization parameters (may be null)

provider - the provider

Returns:

a CertStore object that implements the specified type, as supplied by the specified provider

Throws:

NoSuchAlgorithmException - if the requested type is not available from the specified provider

InvalidAlgorithmParameterException - if the specified initialization parameters are inappropriate for this CertStore

IllegalArgumentException - if the provider is null

getCertStoreParameters

public final CertStoreParameters getCertStoreParameters()

Returns the parameters used to initialize this CertStore. Note that the CertStoreParameters object is cloned before it is returned.

Returns:

the parameters used to initialize this CertStore (may be null)

getType

public final String getType()

Returns the type of this CertStore.

Returns:

the type of this CertStore

getProvider

public final Provider getProvider()

Returns the provider of this CertStore.

Returns:

the provider of this CertStore

getDefaultType

public static final String getDefaultType()

Returns the default CertStore type as specified in the Java security properties file, or the string "LDAP" if no such property exists. The Java security properties file is located in the file named <JAVA_HOME>/lib/security/java.security, where <JAVA_HOME> refers to the directory where the SDK was installed.

The default CertStore type can be used by applications that do not want to use a hard-coded type when calling one of the getInstance methods, and want to provide a default CertStore type in case a user does not specify its own.

The default CertStore type can be changed by setting the value of the "certstore.type" security property (in the Java security properties file) to the desired type.

Returns:

the default CertStore type as specified in the Java security properties file, or the string "LDAP" if no such property exists.