In this blog post, we will explore how to efficiently implement JSON Web Tokens (JWT) in combination with Spring Security and Spring Boot. This guide serves as a demo to get you started on your journey into secure web applications.

Understanding the Basics

JSON Web Tokens (JWT) act like a passport for secure transactions over the web. Just as a passport proves your identity to border officials, a JWT verifies your user identity to an application. When a user logs in, they’re issued a token that must be presented for further requests. This enhances security while also making it easy to manage user sessions.

Getting Started

This demo is built using Maven 3.6.x and Java 11. Let’s go step-by-step through the setup process.

Setting Up Your Environment

• Ensure you have Maven 3.6.x and Java 11 installed.
• Clone the repository or download the project files.

Run Your Application

To start the application, navigate to the project directory and run:

mvn spring-boot:run

Your application will be live at http://localhost:8080.

Exploring the Database

This demo comes with an embedded H2 database. You can explore it through the H2-Console at:

http://localhost:8080/h2-console

Use the following user accounts to test different levels of access:

• Admin – username: admin, password: admin
• User – username: user, password: password
• Disabled – username: disabled, password: password (this user is deactivated)

Endpoints Overview

The demo exposes the following API endpoints:

• /api/authenticate – Authentication endpoint with unrestricted access.
• /api/user – Returns information for authenticated users (JWT required).
• /api/persons – Restricted to users with ROLE_USER (JWT required).
• /api/hiddenmessage – Restricted to users with ROLE_ADMIN (JWT required).

Implementing Database Integration

The demo uses an embedded H2 database, but you can easily integrate other databases. To connect to a different database like MySQL, configure the application.yml file as follows:

spring:
  jpa:
    hibernate:
      ddl-auto: create-drop
  datasource:
    url: jdbc:mysql://localhost/myDatabase
    username: myUser
    password: myPassword
    driver-class-name: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver

Keep in mind that for other databases, you may have to change the ID generation strategy to AUTO or IDENTITY.

Generating Secure Passwords

Passwords are encoded using bcrypt. You can generate password hashes using this handy tool: Bcrypt Generator.

Using Docker

This project also includes a Docker image. Explore it at: Docker Hub.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues or have project-related questions, check out the past questions or create a new ticket. For common questions not directly related to this project, sites like StackOverflow are great resources.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

Happy coding!