How to generate correct auth tokens

Question

I am trying to use the Android account manager for creating my app's own account, so I have studied the example provided in the SDK. However, I have a little problem understanding how I have to manage the authentication token on the server.

From what I understood when studying the example and reading some tutorials is that the user will have to provide his login and password when he will first log in. Then the account manager will ask my server for a token associated to the user credentials. This token will be stored as the password in the account on the Android device (so the real password is never stored on the device).

Because the tokens expire regularly, I understand that my server has to be able to generate a new token with a login and an expired token. Is that correct? How can I generate a new token from an old one?

Moreover, what should be the structure of the token? How do I generate it? Has the expire time to be stored in the token itself or on my server?

EDIT: If someone has a simple working example to show me, it would help me very much. Also, if you have other information than the answer below, please post it, as Amokrane Chentir's answer did not help me. Indeed, calling AccountManager#getAuthToken() results in calling the method getAuthToken() I have to implement in my AbstractAccountAuthenticator's subclass.

EDIT2: I'm still interested by a solution to this problem, 5 months later :)

Amokrane Chentir · Answer 1 · 2013-01-09T17:10:31.410

0

You can call the method AccountManager#invalidateAuthToken to request a new Auth Token. Also, you don't need to generate an Auth Token yourself, you have to use AccountManager#getAuthToken.

edited Jan 09 '13 at 17:10

answered Jan 09 '13 at 17:04

Amokrane Chentir

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I don't understand, since the `Authenticator` (that extends `AbstractAccountAuthenticator`) has to define and implement the method `public Bundle getAuthToken(AccountAuthenticatorResponse response, Account account, String authTokenType, Bundle loginOptions) throws NetworkErrorException`. In the SDK example, this method connects to a server which returns an auth token. So it is our work generating it – Romain Guidoux Jan 10 '13 at 07:56
Have you got a link to a working example of a simpler project than in the SDK? – Romain Guidoux Jan 12 '13 at 09:50
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Yep I happened to do it on a previous project. Will get you a snippet later today, hang in there :) – Amokrane Chentir Jan 12 '13 at 10:42
Have you the link you talked about? – Romain Guidoux Jan 15 '13 at 18:59
Sorry, completely forgot about it. Let me do it tonight ok? – Amokrane Chentir Jan 15 '13 at 19:31
Well, do someone else have an example project or another answer? – Romain Guidoux Jan 21 '13 at 17:30

How to generate correct auth tokens

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