/**********************************************************************************
 * $URL: https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/user/tags/sakai_2-3-1/user-api/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/user/api/AuthenticationManager.java $
 * $Id: AuthenticationManager.java 7194 2006-03-29 02:18:22Z ggolden@umich.edu $
 ***********************************************************************************
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2005, 2006 The Sakai Foundation.
 * 
 * Licensed under the Educational Community License, Version 1.0 (the "License"); 
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. 
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 * 
 *      http://www.opensource.org/licenses/ecl1.php
 * 
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software 
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, 
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. 
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and 
 * limitations under the License.
 *
 **********************************************************************************/

package org.sakaiproject.user.api;

/**
 * <p>
 * AuthenticationManager provides authentication of end-users.
 * </p>
 */
public interface AuthenticationManager
{
	/**
	 * Attempt to authenticate a user by the given evidence. Success produces the authenticated user id. Failure throws an exception.
	 * 
	 * @param e
	 *        The collected evidence to authenticate.
	 * @return The authentication information if authenticated.
	 * @throws AuthenticationException
	 *         if the evidence is not understood or not valid.
	 */
	Authentication authenticate(Evidence e) throws AuthenticationException;
}
