Resource ordering

Resources have one or more path patterns. When handling requests, PingAccess determines the path pattern that matches and associates the proper resource. When one or more path patterns matches a request, PingAccess uses the first matching pattern it identifies. As such, the order in which path patterns are evaluated is important.

By default, PingAccess orders path patterns automatically so that the most specific patterns are matched first. However, if more explicit control is needed, or if regular expressions are to be used, you can configure manual resource ordering to specify the order in which path patterns are evaluated.

For example, an application may have three resources, such as:

  • /images/logo.png (Basic)
  • /images/* (Basic)
  • /.+/[a-z]\.png (Regex)

A request to resource /images/logo.png is matched by all 3 path patterns, yet each resource can have different policy requirements. Manual resource ordering allows you to specify which of these path patterns is parsed first, further allowing you to control the policy that is applied to a particular request.