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Like many REST frameworks, the The BSN REST API uses a refresh-token system the OAUTH 2.0 framework to handle client authentication. This page describes how to build token authorization for BSN into a client application.

Authorization Workflow

These steps outline how to a client application should carry out authorization with the BSN REST API:

1. The client application makes a POST call to the /Token/ endpoint. The POST body includes, among other parameters, a username and password pair entered by the user.
   1. If the user entered the network name along with his or her username and password, the client application includes the network name is included in the username (e.g. "username=exampleNetwork/exampleUser@brightsignexampleUser@brightsign.biz"). Otherwise, the network will need to be specified in a second POST call (see step 2a below).
2. If the credentials are valid, the server returns a code 200 with a response body that includes access_token, expires_in, and refresh_token values. 
   1. The If a network name was not specified in step 1, the response body includes will also include a networkNames array that lists networks associated with the specified username. The client application provides the list of networks to the user and allows him or her to select one. It then makes a second POST to the /token/ endpoint with network name included in the username (e.g. "username=exampleNetwork/exampleUser@brightsign.biz").
3. If less than half of the expires_in time has elapsed (in seconds), and the client application has retained the access_token value in local storage, it includes the access_token in the header of each request to a BSN endpoint.
   1. If more than half of the expires_in time has elapsed, or if the access_token is not located in local storage, the client application makes a POST call to the /token/ endpoint with the refresh_token value.
   2. If the refresh_token is not located in local storage, or if the expires_in time has elapsed (indicated by a 401 return from the server), the application indicates to the user that access to the BSN connection has been dropped (without loss of unsaved user data). It then prompts the user to enter access credentials again and returns to step 1 of the authentication process.

Example Requests and Responses

Person Authentication Request

POST https://ast.brightsignnetwork.com/2017/01/REST/Token HTTP/1.1
Host: ast.brightsignnetwork.com
Content-Type: application/www-form-urlencoded
Content-Length: 158
Accept: application/xml

grant_type=password&client_id=AuthenticationTest&client_secret=9955ED3C-7F6E-4AF9-BFFE-CD6AAB42347B&username=exampleUser@brightsign.biz&scope=self

Person Authentication Response – Success

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Server: nginx/1.8.0
Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2017 23:02:00 GMT
Content-Type: application/json;charset=UTF-8
Content-Length: 688
Connection: keep-alive
Vary: Accept-Encoding
Cache-Control: no-cache
Pragma: no-cache
Expires: -1
Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *

{
"access_token":"N8VVpu1fefCtgKjxmD79pvmVMh5yB69xROUlGUJQLhDDpIN_k_qs3AuW5NvG22SWCBL-cPGuWeGUKDW-e0RUbyavL6I",
"token_type":"bearer",
"expires_in":899,
"refresh_token":"ee6c055a441047e99e5e2c3dde63fa4c",
"scope":"Self",
"userLogin":"authtest@brightsign.biz",
"personId":13898,
"networkNames":"AuthenticationTest1,AuthenticationTest2,AuthenticationTest3",
".issued":"Fri, 03 Feb 2017 23:02:00 GMT",
".expires":"Fri, 03 Feb 2017 23:17:00 GMT"
}