<httpDigest> Element

Specifies a digest type credential used when authenticating the client to a service.

<configuration>
  <system.serviceModel>
    <behaviors>
      <endpointBehaviors>
        <behavior>
          <clientCredentials>
            <httpDigest>

Syntax

<httpDigest impersonationLevel="Identification/Impersonation/Delegation/Anonymous/None" />

Attributes and Elements

The following sections describe attributes, child elements, and parent elements.

Attributes

Attribute Description
impersonationLevel Sets the impersonation preference that the client communicates to the server. The impersonation mode that the client selects is not enforced on the server. Valid values include the following:

- Identification: The server can get the identity and privileges of the client, but cannot impersonate the client.
- Impersonation: The server can impersonate the client's security context on the local system.
- Delegation: The server can impersonate the client's security context on remote systems.
- Anonymous: The server cannot impersonate or identify the client.
- None: An impersonation level is not assigned.

The default is Identification. This attribute is of type TokenImpersonationLevel.

Child Elements

None

Parent Elements

Element Description
<clientCredentials> Specifies the credentials used to authenticate a client to a service.

Remarks

A digest is a hash determined by using an algorithm and a set of inputs. The authenticator and the authenticated agree upon an algorithm and exchange the data used as inputs. The client can calculate the hash and send it to the service. The service also calculates the hash and compares the values. A match validates the client.

This feature must be enabled with Active Directory on Windows and Internet Information Services (IIS). For more information, see Digest Authentication in IIS 6.0.

See also