Demystifying OAuth 2.0: A Comprehensive Guide for MuleSoft Developers

Break it down in simple terms

Imagine you have a super-secret clubhouse with cool toys, and you want your friends to come in and play with you. But you don’t want to give them the clubhouse’s secret code because it’s too important.

Here’s how OAuth is like your clubhouse adventure:

The Secret Clubhouse: You have a secret clubhouse filled with awesome toys and games, and you want to invite your friends to play with you.

The Special Door: Your clubhouse has a special door with a secret code. You can’t just tell anyone the code because it’s a big secret.

Your Trusted Buddy: You have a super-trusted friend named Buddy who knows the secret code to the clubhouse. You tell your friends, “I trust Buddy, and if Buddy says you’re cool, you can come in.”

Asking Buddy for Help: Your friends go to Buddy and say, “Our friend wants us to play in their clubhouse. Can you vouch for us?”

Buddy’s Approval: Buddy knows you trust them, so if your friends are nice and you want them to play, Buddy gives them a special sticker.

Showing the Sticker: Your friends come back to your clubhouse and show you the sticker Buddy gave them. You check it and say, “Oh, Buddy trusts you, so you can come in and play with us!”

Having Fun Together: Now, your friends can join you in the clubhouse and play with all the cool toys, and you didn’t have to give away the secret code.

So, OAuth is like having a super-secret clubhouse with a special door and your trusted friend Buddy to vouch for your friends. It lets them come in and play without revealing the big secret code, keeping everything safe and fun!

How to setup Mule OAuth 2.0 Provider

Begin by creating a new project in Anypoint Studio.

In the Mule Palette, locate the “Create Client” operation and drag it into your project. Configure the OAuth2 Provider Config. If you can’t find the “Create Client” operation, add the OAuth Provider module from the Exchange.

Add the OAuth2 Provider configuration.

Implement OAuth 2.0 using the Mule OAuth2 Provider.

Configure the HTTP Listener.

Configure a client object store to prevent potential downtime of the Mule OAuth 2.0 Provider. This object store caches valid client applications (client credentials) for which tokens are requested.

Specify the supported grant types as CLIENT_CREDENTIALS and set the path as “/token” to obtain the token. Configure the token object store to store the token value. You can adjust the token’s Time To Live (TTL) as needed; the default value is used, and set the refresh token strategy as “No Refresh Token,” also using the default value.

Your completed configuration should resemble the following.

Configure the details for creating a client.

Deploy the application on CloudHub. The OAuth provider application is now successfully running and will be used in the next part to obtain the access token.