File-permission problem on a multi-user system

Dear JavaRanch members,
I’m working on a new Java EE application, which will operate as a common user-interface for our native unix-applications. These unix-applications are installed on single server instance with several file-servers attached to it and the unix-profiles of our customers are also on that server instance – and that’s the problem.

Any application-call and file-access made by the Java application server (Glassfish) will be performed as www user, which is in fact not that what we want. And becoming another user on a CentOS server is not that easy, because the setuid system-call requires a root privileged process (and running Glassfish as root is also not that what we want).

The work-around I developed out looks like this:

Create a native application which calls setuid and creates another process with the user privileges. This application will take a path to a JAR file.

This JAR file is an executable JAR and will create a helper-daemon.

The EJB inside Glassfish will establish a RMI connection to the daemon and performs some operations.

Every function in the helper-daemon will require some credentials (generated hash or username-hash combo) to avoid connections from 3nd processes.

The helper-process will be killed at the same time where the user-session ends.

Alternatively: Create and kill the helper-process any time when the EJB requires it.

Because this sounds a bit tricky and dirty, I would be grateful if you could tell me if this is the good solution and/or if this is the only solution.

Regards,
Temes the Warrior

Hi

Is my question too noby or is there another reason why i dont get any reply?

Regards
War