---
title: Authorize a user for a role with caller-controlled domain order
summary: IsAuthorized2 end-to-end process on SAIF.Services.WCF.Services.Security.SecurityService.
status: draft
owner: SAIF Doc Gen
last_reviewed: 2026-09-22
operation_id: OP-016
trigger: Caller invokes `IsAuthorized2` over the `Security` route, or `IsAuthorized` calls it internally with `tryInternalDomainFirst = true`.
---

# OP-016: Authorize a user for a role with caller-controlled domain order

IsAuthorized2 is invoked over the `Security` route on `SAIF.Services.WCF.Services.Security.SecurityService`; this page documents the process end to end, from route dispatch to the message the caller receives.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| **Operation ID** | OP-016 |
| **Trigger** | Caller invokes `IsAuthorized2` over the `Security` route, or `IsAuthorized` calls it internally with `tryInternalDomainFirst = true`. |
| **Entry operation** | [`IsAuthorized2`](../contracts/security-service.md#isauthorized2) |
| **Owning component** | `SAIF.Services.WCF.Services.Security.SecurityService.IsAuthorized2` |
| **Inputs** | Request message parts listed below |
| **Outputs** | Whether `userId` is authorized for `role`. |
| **Failure behavior** | Generic SOAP fault, per [Faults and error pipeline](../faults.md) |

## Request and response

| Direction | Element | Type | Declared in | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Request | `userId` | `string` | BCL (`System`) | Account to check; validated non-blank. (Yes) |
| Request | `role` | `string` | BCL (`System`) | Role/group name to check; validated non-blank. (Yes) |
| Request | `tryInternalDomainFirst` | `bool` | BCL (`System`) | Whether the internal (`Windows`) domain is checked before the external LDAP domain. (Yes) |
| Response | `bool` | `bool` | BCL (`System`) | Whether `userId` is authorized for `role`. |

<!-- Types declared in `SAIF.Services.WCF.Contracts` are attributed to `SAIF.Framework.Core`, inferred from source and package references and marked `*`; their members are not enumerated because the external declaration was not read, marked `**`. -->

## Steps

1. Constructor reads `LOG_REQUEST_DETAILS` and `LDAP_EXTERNAL_KEY` from `appSettings` inside an empty `catch`, resolves the external LDAP host with a literal fallback, opens the Oracle `EXTUR` unit of work, constructs `UserFactory`, and calls `AuthorizationCacheService.Init` when the cache is not ready ([BR-WCF-018](../business-rules.md#br-wcf-018-external-ldap-host-falls-back-to-a-literal-default), [BR-WCF-029](../business-rules.md#br-wcf-029-authorization-answers-are-cached-per-user-role-and-domain)).
2. `LogRequestDetails` appends the operation name and its arguments — including `userId` and `role` — to the IIS log ([BR-WCF-032](../business-rules.md#br-wcf-032-every-security-operation-logs-its-request)).
3. `Enforce.ArgumentNotNullOrWhiteSpace` on `userId` and `role`; the third guard passes `role` under the label `"domain"`, so `domain` is never actually validated ([BR-WCF-023](../business-rules.md#br-wcf-023-required-arguments-are-presence-checked-before-work)).
4. When `tryInternalDomainFirst` is `true`, the internal check runs first and the external check only on a `false` internal answer; when `false`, the order is reversed under the same cache/exception rules ([BR-WCF-030](../business-rules.md#br-wcf-030-internal-domain-is-tried-before-external-domain), [BR-WCF-031](../business-rules.md#br-wcf-031-disabled-accounts-are-never-authorized)).
5. `AuthorizationCacheService.IsAuthorized` caches the outcome as described above ([BR-WCF-029](../business-rules.md#br-wcf-029-authorization-answers-are-cached-per-user-role-and-domain)).
6. Return the boolean.
   - On failure: directory exceptions other than the two handled `SecurityException` shapes are logged by the installed error handler and surfaced as a generic SOAP fault with exception detail included.

## Process flow

The following diagram visualizes this process's control flow.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A["Initialize dependencies and<br>authorization cache"]
    B["Log request details"]
    C["Validate userId and role"]
    D1{"tryInternalDomainFirst"}
    D2["Internal check runs first,<br>then the external check runs<br>only on a false internal answer<br>(same cache/exception rules)"]
    D3["External check runs first,<br>then the internal check runs<br>only on a false external answer<br>(same cache/exception rules)"]
    E["Cache the authorization outcome"]
    F["Return the boolean."]
    A --> B
    B --> C
    C --> D1
    D1 -->|"true"| D2
    D1 -->|"false"| D3
    D2 --> E
    D3 --> E
    E --> F
```

## Transaction and side effects

| Aspect | Finding |
| --- | --- |
| Unit of work | `OracleUnitOfWorkFactory` (`EXTUR`), opened but not used for this decision path |
| Commit point | Not applicable |
| Records written | None for this path |
| Downstream calls | Active Directory (`corp.saif.com` and the external LDAP host); ASP.NET `HttpContext.Current.Cache` |
| Shared state touched | Reads and, on a cache miss, mutates the process-wide `AuthorizationCacheService` cache and the mutable `ldap_external` field |
| Repeat-call behavior | A cached result short-circuits the directory calls for the TTL window |

## Logging

| Surface | Written content |
| --- | --- |
| `HttpContext.Current.Response.AppendToLog` (`LogRequestDetails`) | Writes IIS request-detail log lines when `LOG_REQUEST_DETAILS` is enabled; populates the shared authorization cache |
| `ErrorLogErrorHandler` → `LogService` | Failure-path exception logging only, carrying method signature, calling user and exception detail; see [Faults and error pipeline](../faults.md) |

## Faults and error handling

| Failure | Fault type the caller receives | Produced by | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `SecurityException` (uncategorized) | `Generic SOAP fault` | The `ErrorLogErrorHandler` installed by `[LogErrorBehavior]` | src/WCF/SAIF.Services.WCF.Host/Services/Security/SecurityService.cs |
| Directory or Oracle/NHibernate exception | `Generic SOAP fault` | The `ErrorLogErrorHandler` installed by `[LogErrorBehavior]` | src/WCF/SAIF.Services.WCF.Host/Services/Security/SecurityService.cs |

## Authorization

| Requirement | Enforced by | Source | Applies to |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [None in code](../authentication-authorization.md#authorization-enforcement) | IIS authentication on the deployment (see [Activation and hosting](../activation-hosting.md)) | `src/WCF/SAIF.Services.WCF.Host/Services/Security/SecurityService.cs` | This operation |

## Related documentation
- [Index](../index.md)
- [Overview](../overview.md)
- [Architecture](../architecture.md)
- [Activation and hosting](../activation-hosting.md)
- [Operations](../operations.md)
- [Faults and error pipeline](../faults.md)
- [Authentication and authorization](../authentication-authorization.md)
- [Dependencies](../dependencies.md)
- [Configuration](../configuration.md)
- [Operations and processes](../operations-processes.md)
- [Business rules](../business-rules.md)
- [Data model](../data-model.md)
- [Operational runbook](../operational-runbook.md)
- [Tech debt](../tech-debt.md)

> **Note:** Statements marked with `*` were inferred from code structure, naming
> conventions, or contextual evidence where direct confirmation was not available
> in source artifacts. Statements marked with `**` could not be confirmed; treat
> as unknown until verified.

## Sources
- src/WCF/SAIF.Services.WCF.Host/Services/Security/SecurityService.cs