Cookie Authentication

Cookie authentication is similar to forms authentication, but it can be used by OWIN applications. As an example, we create an ASP.NET web application with MVC template, then

• install package Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb
• install package Microsoft.Owin.Security.Cookies
• create Startup.cs

public class Startup {
    public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app) {
        ConfigureOAuth(app);
    }
    public void ConfigureOAuth(IAppBuilder app) {
        app.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions {
            AuthenticationType = "AppCookie",
            LoginPath = new PathString("/Home/Login"),
        });
    }
}

• create a login form, first create the action methods in the Home controller:

public class HomeController : Controller {
    [HttpGet]
    public ActionResult Login() {
        return View();
    }

    [HttpPost]
    public ActionResult Login(LoginModel model) {
        if (model.UserName == "test" && model.Password == "test") {
            var claims = new List<Claim>();
            claims.Add(new Claim(ClaimTypes.Name, model.UserName));
            var id = new ClaimsIdentity(claims, "AppCookie");
            var ctx = Request.GetOwinContext();
            var authenticationManager = ctx.Authentication;
            authenticationManager.SignIn(id);
            return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
        }
        return View(model);
    }

    [Authorize]
    public ActionResult Index() {
        return View();
    }
}

• and the corresponding view

<h2>Login</h2>
@using (Html.BeginForm("Login", "Home", FormMethod.Post)) {
    @Html.ValidationSummary(true)
  <fieldset>
    @Html.LabelFor(m => m.UserName):
    @Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.UserName)
    <br />
    @Html.LabelFor(m => m.Password):
    @Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.Password)
    <br />
    <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
  </fieldset>
}

• LoginModel class is defined as

public class LoginModel {
    public string UserName { get; set; }
    public string Password { get; set; }
}

• then we want to show the current login status by adding the following to _Layout.cshtml

    @User.Identity.Name