Using Java SDK

4 min

The Kron PAM Java SDK provides a simple interface for integrating Kron PAM Vault’s credential retrieval and management functions directly into Java-based applications.

It enables applications to securely fetch dynamic credentials, interact with the PAM Vault, and maintain compliance with automated password rotation policies—without embedding static credentials in code.

The SDK uses gRPC for communication with the AAPM Agent and supports direct HTTP(S) communication with the Kron PAM server when the Agent is unavailable.

It is compatible with OpenJDK 8 or later and included with the Kron PAM Secrets Management Agent package or available as a standalone library (aapm-sdk-1.0.0.jar).

Key Features

Secure retrieval of dynamic credentials without embedding passwords in code.

Transparent integration with Kron PAM Vault for compliance with password rotation policies.

Dual communication support:

gRPC with AAPM Agent (preferred)

HTTP(S) direct access to Kron PAM if Agent is offline

Built-in error handling and response formatting via Response class.

Example Implementation

Below is an example test class demonstrating how to call the SDK and retrieve credentials dynamically.

package com.sample;

import com.kron.aapm.access.PasswordManager;
import com.kron.aapm.access.Response;
import com.kron.aapm.access.ValidResponseType;

public class ApplicationTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        // Kron PAM Server Configuration
        String serverAddress = "https://KRON_PAM_IP_ADDRESS";
        String token = "7bbb10be-83d2-44e2-9a08-b0951deabfe5";

        // Account and Vault Parameters
        String accountName = "lstprdodb01";
        String accountPath = "/Databases";
        String comment = "Production DB password";
        String passwdExpirationTime = "5";
        boolean passwdChangeRequired = false;
        boolean prettify = false;
        ValidResponseType responseType = ValidResponseType.TEXT;
        boolean showUsername = true;

        // Secrets Management Agent Configuration (Optional)
        String agentAddress = "AgentIPAddress";
        int agentPort = 6396;

        try {
            // Initialize PasswordManager with Agent address and port
            PasswordManager manager = PasswordManager.instance(agentAddress, agentPort);
            // (Optional) Direct fallback to PAM server
            manager.httpAddress(serverAddress);
            // Retrieve credentials from Kron PAM Vault
            Response passwdResponse = manager.getPassword(accountName, token, accountPath);
            // Print the result
            if (!passwdResponse.hasError()) {
                System.out.println("Rpc response success = [" + passwdResponse.getValue() + "]");
            } else {
                System.out.println("Rpc response error = [" + passwdResponse.getErrValue() + "]");
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

If using Maven, define your dependency as follows:

<dependency>
  <groupId>com.kron.aapm</groupId>
  <artifactId>aapm-sdk</artifactId>
  <version>1.0.0</version>
</dependency>

When executed successfully, the SDK retrieves the live credentials from the PAM Vault and returns them in the RPC response:

Rpc response success = [username: aioc, password: l1g3hs0J]
Process finished with exit code 0

Configuration Parameters

Parameter	Description
serverAddress	Kron PAM endpoint URL
token	Kron PAM AAPM token assigned for account
accountName	Account name registered in Kron PAM Vault
accountPath	Account path within the Vault (e.g., /Databases/SharedAccouts, /Windows)
comment	Optional descriptive comment for the fetching password
passwdExpirationTime	Duration before password expiration (in minutes)
passwdChangeRequired	Whether to force a new password rotation upon retrieval
responseType	Format of the response (JSON or TEXT)
prettify	Enables formatted response output
showUsername	Include username in response (true/false)
agentAddress	Kron PAM Secrets Management Agent IP Address (hostname)
agentPort	Kron PAM Secrets Management Agent Port Number