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PropertyMeaning
acl:accessTothe URI of the protected resource
acl:agentthe user (in the W3C specWebAC ontology, the user is named with a URI, but Fedora's implementation uses string usernames insteadsupports both URI- and string-based usernames)
acl:modethe type of access (WebAC defines several modes: acl:Readacl:Writeacl:Append, and acl:Control; Fedora implements acl:Read and acl:Write)
acl:accessToClassan RDF class of protected resources
acl:agentClassa group of users (defined as a foaf:Group resource listing its users with the foaf:member property)

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  1. The user userA can Read document foo

    Code Block
    languagetext
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
        acl:accessTo </foo> ;
        acl:mode acl:Read;
        acl:agent "userA" .


  2. Users in NewsEditor group can Write to any resource of type ex:News

    Code Block
    languagetext
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    @prefix ex: <http://example.org/ns#> .
    
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
        acl:accessToClass ex:News ;
        acl:mode acl:Read, acl:Write;
        acl:agentClass </agents/NewsEditor> .


    Code Block
    languagetext
    title/agents/NewsEditors
    @prefix foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/> .
    
    <> a foaf:Group;
        foaf:member "editor1", "editor2".

Storing WebAC ACLs in Fedora 4

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  1. The user userB can Read document foo (This involves setting a system property for the servlet container, e.g. -Dfcrepo.auth.webac.userAgent.baseUri=http://

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  1. example.

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  1. org/agents/)

    Code Block
    languagetext
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
        acl:accessTo </foo> ;
        acl:mode acl:Read;
        acl:agent <http://example.org/agents/userB> .


Storing WebAC ACLs in Fedora 4

In Fedora 4, an ACL is a ldp::BasicContainer resource with the additional RDF type of http://fedora.info/definitions/v4/webac#Acl. This class is part of the Fedora WebAC ontology. Its children should each be resources of type acl:Authorization. It is given the namespace prefix webac: by convention.

Protecting Resources

A resource specifies the location of its ACL using the acl:accessControl property. If a resource itself does not specify an ACL, its parent containers are inspected, and the first specified ACL found is used as the ACL for the requested resource. If no ACLs are found, a filesystem-based ACL will be checked, the default policy of which is to deny access to the requested resource.

Example Scenarios

These scenarios assume that Fedora has been configured to use fcrepo.auth.webac.userAgent.baseUri=http://example.org/agent/ and fcrepo.auth.webac.groupAgent.baseUri=http://example.org/group/

Protecting Resources

A resource specifies the location of its ACL using the acl:accessControl property. If a resource itself does not specify an ACL, its parent containers are inspected, and the first specified ACL found is used as the ACL for the requested resource. If no ACLs are found, the default policy is to deny access to the requested resource.

Steps in determining the effective authorization

Finding the ACL:
  1. Get the ACL of the requested resource, if exists, else.
  2. Get the ACL of the next ancestor recursively (using either ldp:contains or fedora:hasParent), if exists, else.
  3. If no more ancestor exist (root node reached) and no ACL is found: check a file-system or classpath-based acl:Authorization. The default action of this acl:Authorization is to Deny access.
Finding the effective authorization:
  1. Find union of authorizations that specify access for the requesting user. This includes:
    1. authorizations that specify accessTo to the requested resource.
    2. authorizations that specify accessToClass of the requested resource type.
    3. If authorizations exist for user, go to step 6, else go to next step.
  2. Find union of authorizations that specify access for the requesting user's group. This includes:
    1. authorizations that specify accessTo to the requested resource.
    2. authorizations that specify accessToClass of the requested resource type.
    3. If authorizations exist for group, go to step 6, else go to next step.
  3. Find union of authorizations that specify access for the requesting user. This includes:
    1. authorizations that specify accessToto the requested resource's ancestor.
    2. authorizations that specify accessToClass of to the requested resource's ancestor type.
    3. If authorizations exist for user, go to step 6, else go to next step.
  4. Find union of authorizations that specify access for the requesting user's group. This includes:
    1. authorizations that specify accessTo to the requested resource's ancestor.
    2. authorizations that specify accessToClass of to the requested resource's ancestor type.
    3. If authorizations exist for group, go to step 6, else go to next step.
  5. If no authorization exists for user or group: Deny Access.
  6. Use the most permissive from the set of authorizations found.
    1. if the authorizations permit requested access mode: Grant access.
    2. if the authorizations do not permit requested access mode: Deny access.

Example Request Authorization Flow

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  1. I want to allow a user with username "smith123" to have read, write access to resource http://localhost:8080/rest/webacl_box1.

    Expand

    Using the two "files" below to create our Authorization and ACL resources.

    Code Block
    titleAcl.ttl
    @prefix webac: <http://fedora.info/definitions/v4/webac#> .
    <> a webac:Acl .
    


    Code Block
    titleAuthorization.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent "smith123"<http://example.org/agent/smith123> ;
       acl:mode acl:Read, acl:Write ;
       acl:accessTo <http://localhost:8080/rest/webacl_box1> .

    We would execute the following commands.

    Code Block
    > curl -X POSTPUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Acl.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Authorization.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1
    
    > echo "PREFIX acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    INSERT DATA {
    <> acl:accessControl <http://localhost:8080/rest/acl> .
    }" | curl -X PATCH -H "Content-type: application/sparql-update" --upload-file - "http://localhost:8080/rest/webacl_box1"



  2. I want to let the group "Editors" have read, write access on all the items in the collection "http://localhost:8080/rest/box/bag/collection"

    Expand

    Using the two "files" below to create our Authorization and ACL resources.

     

    Code Block
    titleAcl.ttl
    @prefix webac: <http://fedora.info/definitions/v4/webac#> .
    <> a webac:Acl .


    Code Block
    titleAuthorization.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent "Editors"<http://example.org/group/Editors> ;
       acl:mode acl:Read, acl:Write ;
       acl:accessTo <http://localhost:8080/rest/box/bag/collection> .

    We would execute the following commands.

    Code Block
    > curl -X POST -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Acl.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Authorization.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1
    
    > echo "PREFIX acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    INSERT DATA {
    <> acl:accessControl <http://localhost:8080/rest/acl> .
    }" | curl -X PATCH -H "Content-type: application/sparql-update" --upload-file - "http://localhost:8080/rest/box/bag/collection"



  3.  I would like the collection http://localhost:8080/rest/dark/archive to be viewable only by the groupId "Restricted", but I would like to allow anyone to view the resource http://localhost:8080/rest/dark/archive/sunshine.

    Expand

    Using the three "files" below to create our Authorization and ACL resources.

    Code Block
    titleAcl.ttl
    @prefix webac: <http://fedora.info/definitions/v4/webac#> .
    <> a webac:Acl .


    Code Block
    titleAuth_restricted.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent "Restricted"<http://example.org/group/Restricted> ;
       acl:mode acl:Read ;
       acl:accessTo <http://localhost:8080/rest/dark/archive> .


    Code Block
    titleAuth_open.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    @prefix foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent foaf:Agent ;
       acl:mode acl:Read ;
       acl:accessTo <http://localhost:8080/rest/dark/archive/sunshine> .

    The I would execute the following commands.

    Code Block
    > curl -X POST -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Acl.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_lock
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Auth_restricted.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_lock/auth1"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_lock/auth1
    
    > echo "PREFIX acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    INSERT DATA {
    <> acl:accessControl <http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_lock> .
    }" | curl -X PATCH -H "Content-type: application/sparql-update" --upload-file - "http://localhost:8080/rest/dark/archive"
    
    > curl -X POST -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Acl.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_open
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Auth_open.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_open/auth2"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_open/auth2
    
    > echo "PREFIX acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    INSERT DATA {
    <> acl:accessControl <http://localhost:8080/rest/acl_open> .
    }" | curl -X PATCH -H "Content-type: application/sparql-update" --upload-file - "http://localhost:8080/rest/dark/archive/sunshine"



  4. The collection http://localhost:8080/rest/public_collection should be readable by anyone but only editable by users in the group Editors.

    Expand

    Using the three "files" below to create our Authorization and ACL resources.

    Code Block
    titleAcl.ttl
    @prefix webac: <http://fedora.info/definitions/v4/webac#> .
    <> a webac:Acl .


    Code Block
    titleAuth1.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    @prefix foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent foaf:Agent ;
       acl:mode acl:Read ;
       acl:accessTo <http://localhost:8080/rest/public_collection> .


    Code Block
    titleAuth2.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent "Editors"<http://example.org/group/Editors> ;
       acl:mode acl:Read, acl:Write ;
       acl:accessTo <http://localhost:8080/rest/public_collection> .

    I would execute the following code:

    Code Block
    > curl -X POST -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Acl.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Auth1.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Auth2.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth2"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth2
    
    > echo "PREFIX acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    INSERT DATA {
    <> acl:accessControl <http://localhost:8080/rest/acl> .
    }" | curl -X PATCH -H "Content-type: application/sparql-update" --upload-file - "http://localhost:8080/rest/public_collection"



  5. Only the ex:publicImage type objects in the container http://localhost:8080/rest/mixedCollection are viewable by anyone, all others are only viewable by the group Admins.

    Expand

    Using the three "files" below to create our Authorization and ACL resources.

    Code Block
    titleAcl.ttl
    @prefix webac: <http://fedora.info/definitions/v4/webac#> .
    <> a webac:Acl .


    Code Block
    titleAuth_restricted.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent 'Admins'<http://example.org/group/Admins> ;
       acl:mode acl:Read ;
       acl:accessTo <http://localhost:8080/rest/mixedCollection> .


    Code Block
    titleAuth_open.ttl
    @prefix acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#> .
    @prefix foaf: <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/> .
    <> a acl:Authorization ;
       acl:agent foaf:Agent ;
       acl:mode acl:Read ;
       acl:accessToClass ex:publicImage .

    I would execute the following commands:

    Code Block
    > curl -X POST -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Acl.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Auth_restricted.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth1
    
    > curl -X PUT -H "Content-type: text/turtle" --data-binary "@Auth_open.ttl" "http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth2"
    
    http://localhost:8080/rest/acl/auth2
    
    > echo "PREFIX acl: <http://www.w3.org/ns/auth/acl#>
    INSERT DATA {
    <> acl:accessControl <http://localhost:8080/rest/acl> .
    }" | curl -X PATCH -H "Content-type: application/sparql-update" --upload-file - "http://localhost:8080/rest/mixedCollection"

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