JBoss.orgCommunity Documentation
PicketLink IDM aims to provide a common identity model for various JBoss projects. As every project has it's own specific needs it's hard to design a common API and identity model that will fit all of them. Therefore PicketLink IDM architecture consists of two main parts:
Core SPI with an abstract identity model that provides the flexibility for defining different identity object types and possible relationships between them.
Common API with a simpler identity model that fits most common use cases. Identity model has more strictly defined object types and possible relationships.
PicketLink IDM architecture
Too much abstraction in the API layer would confuse people using the framework. One of the goals is to make the design easily extendible. Framework adopters should be able to remove the API layer and reuse core SPI implementation if needed.