clinch/docs/RODAUTH_DECISION_GUIDE.md

Rodauth-OAuth Decision Guide

TL;DR - Make Your Choice Here

Option A: Keep Your Rails Implementation

Best if: Authorization Code + PKCE is all you need, forever

• Keep your current 450 lines of OIDC controller code
• Maintain incrementally as needs change
• Stay 100% in Rails ecosystem
• Time investment: Ongoing (2-3 months to feature parity)
• Learning curve: None (already know Rails)

Option B: Switch to Rodauth-OAuth

Best if: You need enterprise features, standards compliance, low maintenance

• Replace 450 lines with plugin config
• Get 34 optional features on demand
• OpenID Certified, production-hardened
• Time investment: 4-8 weeks (one-time)
• Learning curve: Medium (learn Roda/Rodauth)

Option C: Hybrid (Recommended if Option B appeals you)

Best if: You want rodauth-oauth benefits without framework change

• Run Rodauth-OAuth as separate microservice
• Keep your Rails app unchanged
• Services talk via HTTP APIs
• Time investment: 2-3 weeks (independent services)
• Learning curve: Low (Roda is isolated)

---

Decision Matrix

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Do you need features beyond Authorization Code + PKCE?          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                YES ─→ Go to Question 2                          │
│                NO  ─→ KEEP YOUR IMPLEMENTATION                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Can your team learn Roda (different from Rails)?                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                YES ─→ SWITCH TO RODAUTH-OAUTH                   │
│                NO  ─→ Go to Question 3                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                              ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Can you run separate services (microservices)?                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                YES ─→ USE HYBRID APPROACH                       │
│                NO  ─→ KEEP YOUR IMPLEMENTATION                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

Feature Roadmap Comparison

Scenario 1: You Need Refresh Tokens (Common)

Option A (Keep Custom):

• Implement refresh token endpoints
• Add refresh_token columns to DB
• Token rotation logic
• Estimate: 1-2 weeks of work
• Ongoing: Maintain refresh token security

Option B (Rodauth-OAuth):

• Already built and tested
• Just enable: :oauth_authorization_code_grant (includes refresh)
• Token rotation: Configurable options
• Estimate: Already included
• Ongoing: Community maintains

Option C (Hybrid):

• Rodauth-OAuth handles it
• Your app unchanged
• Same as Option B for this feature

Scenario 2: You Need Token Revocation

Option A (Keep Custom):

• Build /oauth/revoke endpoint
• Implement token blacklist or DB update
• Handle race conditions
• Estimate: 1-2 weeks
• Ongoing: Monitor revocation leaks

Option B (Rodauth-OAuth):

• Enable :oauth_token_revocation feature
• RFC 7009 compliant out of the box
• Estimate: Already included
• Ongoing: Community handles RFC updates

Option C (Hybrid):

• Same as Option B

Scenario 3: You Need Client Credentials Grant

Option A (Keep Custom):

• New endpoint logic
• Client authentication (different from user auth)
• Token generation for apps without users
• Estimate: 2-3 weeks
• Ongoing: Test with external clients

Option B (Rodauth-OAuth):

• Enable :oauth_client_credentials_grant feature
• All edge cases handled
• Estimate: Already included
• Ongoing: Community maintains

Option C (Hybrid):

• Same as Option B

---

Architecture Diagrams

Current Setup (Your Implementation)

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│   Your Rails Application    │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ app/controllers/            │
│   oidc_controller.rb        │ ← 450 lines of OAuth logic
│                             │
│ app/models/                 │
│   OidcAuthorizationCode    │
│   OidcAccessToken          │
│   OidcUserConsent          │
│                             │
│ app/services/               │
│   OidcJwtService           │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│     Rails ActiveRecord      │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│   PostgreSQL Database       │
│   - oidc_authorization_codes
│   - oidc_access_tokens
│   - oidc_user_consents
│   - applications
└─────────────────────────────┘

Option B: Full Migration

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│   Roda + Rodauth-OAuth App   │
├──────────────────────────────┤
│ lib/rodauth_app.rb           │ ← Config (not code!)
│   enable :oidc,              │
│   enable :oauth_pkce,        │
│   enable :oauth_token_...    │
│                              │
│ [Routes auto-mounted]        │
│   /.well-known/config        │
│   /oauth/authorize           │
│   /oauth/token               │
│   /oauth/userinfo            │
│   /oauth/revoke              │
│   /oauth/introspect          │
├──────────────────────────────┤
│    Sequel ORM                │
├──────────────────────────────┤
│   PostgreSQL Database        │
│   - accounts (rodauth)
│   - oauth_applications
│   - oauth_grants (unified!)
│   - optional feature tables
└──────────────────────────────┘

Option C: Microservices Architecture (Hybrid)

┌──────────────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────────────┐
│  Your Rails App          │     │  Rodauth-OAuth Service   │
├──────────────────────────┤     ├──────────────────────────┤
│ Normal Rails Controllers │     │ lib/rodauth_app.rb       │
│ & Business Logic         │     │   [OAuth Features]       │
│                          │     │                          │
│ HTTP Calls to →──────────┼─────→ /.well-known/config     │
│ OAuth Service   OAuth    │     │ /oauth/authorize         │
│                 HTTP API │     │ /oauth/token             │
│                          │     │ /oauth/userinfo          │
│ Verify Tokens via →──────┼─────→ /oauth/introspect       │
│ /oauth/introspect        │     │                          │
├──────────────────────────┤     ├──────────────────────────┤
│   Rails ActiveRecord     │     │   Sequel ORM             │
├──────────────────────────┤     ├──────────────────────────┤
│   PostgreSQL             │     │   PostgreSQL             │
│   [business tables]      │     │   [oauth tables]         │
└──────────────────────────┘     └──────────────────────────┘

---

Effort Estimates

Option A: Keep & Enhance Custom Implementation

Refresh Tokens:           1-2 weeks
Token Revocation:         1-2 weeks
Token Introspection:      1-2 weeks
Client Credentials:       2-3 weeks
Device Code:              3-4 weeks
JWT Access Tokens:        1-2 weeks
Session Management:       2-3 weeks
Front-Channel Logout:     1-2 weeks
Back-Channel Logout:      2-3 weeks
─────────────────────────────────
TOTAL FOR PARITY:         15-25 weeks
(4-6 months of work)

ONGOING MAINTENANCE:      ~8-10 hours/month
(security updates, RFC changes, bug fixes)

Option B: Migrate to Rodauth-OAuth

Learn Roda/Rodauth:       1-2 weeks
Migrate Database Schema:  1-2 weeks
Replace OIDC Code:        1-2 weeks
Test & Validation:        2-3 weeks
─────────────────────────────────
ONE-TIME EFFORT:          5-9 weeks
(1-2 months)

ONGOING MAINTENANCE:      ~1-2 hours/month
(dependency updates, config tweaks)

Option C: Hybrid Approach

Set up Rodauth service:   1-2 weeks
Configure integration:    1-2 weeks
Test both services:       1 week
─────────────────────────────────
ONE-TIME EFFORT:          3-5 weeks
(less than Option B)

ONGOING MAINTENANCE:      ~2-3 hours/month
(maintain two services, but Roda handles OAuth)

---

Real-World Questions to Ask Your Team

Question 1: Feature Needs

• "Do we need refresh tokens?"
• "Will clients ask for token revocation?"
• "Do we support service-to-service auth (client credentials)?"
• "Will we ever need device code flow (IoT)?"

If YES to any: Option B or C makes sense

Question 2: Maintenance Philosophy

• "Do we want to own the OAuth code?"
• "Can we afford to maintain OAuth compliance?"
• "Do we have experts in OAuth/OIDC?"

If NO to all: Option B or C is better

Question 3: Framework Flexibility

• "Is Rails non-negotiable for this company?"
• "Can our team learn a new framework?"
• "Can we run microservices?"

If Rails is required: Option C (hybrid)

Question 4: Time Constraints

• "Do we have 4-8 weeks for a migration?"
• "Can we maintain OAuth for years?"
• "What if specs change?"

If time-constrained: Option B is fastest path to full features

---

Security Comparison

Your Implementation

• ✓ PKCE support
• ✓ JWT signing
• ✓ HTTPS recommended
• ✗ Token hashing (stores tokens in plaintext)
• ✗ Token rotation
• ✗ DPoP (token binding)
• ✗ Automatic spec compliance
• Risk: Token theft if DB compromised

Rodauth-OAuth

• ✓ PKCE support
• ✓ JWT signing
• ✓ Token hashing (bcrypt by default)
• ✓ Token rotation policies
• ✓ DPoP support (RFC 9449)
• ✓ TLS mutual authentication
• ✓ Automatic spec updates
• ✓ Certified compliance
• Risk: Minimal (industry-standard)

---

Cost-Benefit Summary

Keep Your Implementation

Costs:
  - 15-25 weeks to feature parity
  - Ongoing security monitoring
  - Spec compliance tracking
  - Bug fixes & edge cases
  
Benefits:
  - No framework learning
  - Full code understanding
  - Rails-native patterns
  - Minimal dependencies

Switch to Rodauth-OAuth

Costs:
  - 5-9 weeks migration effort
  - Learn Roda/Rodauth
  - Database schema changes
  - Test all flows
  
Benefits:
  - Get 34 features immediately
  - Certified compliance
  - Community-maintained
  - Security best practices
  - Ongoing support

Hybrid Approach

Costs:
  - 3-5 weeks setup
  - Learn Roda basics
  - Operate two services
  - Service communication
  
Benefits:
  - All Rodauth-OAuth features
  - Rails app unchanged
  - Independent scaling
  - Clear separation of concerns

---

Decision Scorecard

Factor	Option A	Option B	Option C
Initial Time	Low	Medium	Medium-Low
Ongoing Effort	High	Low	Medium
Feature Completeness	Low	High	High
Framework Learning	None	Medium	Low
Standards Compliance	Manual	Auto	Auto
Deployment Complexity	Simple	Simple	Complex
Team Preference	???	???	???

---

Next Actions

For Option A (Keep Custom):

1. Plan feature roadmap (refresh tokens first)
2. Allocate team capacity for implementation
3. Document OAuth decisions
4. Set up security monitoring

For Option B (Full Migration):

1. Assign someone to learn Roda/Rodauth
2. Run rodauth-oauth examples
3. Plan database migration
4. Schedule migration window
5. Prepare rollback plan

For Option C (Hybrid):

1. Evaluate microservices capability
2. Run Rodauth-OAuth example
3. Plan service boundaries
4. Set up service communication
5. Plan infrastructure for two services

---

Still Can't Decide?

Ask these questions:

1. Will you add features beyond Auth Code + PKCE in next 12 months?

   • YES → Option B or C
   • NO → Option A

2. Do you have maintenance bandwidth?

   • YES → Option A
   • NO → Option B or C

3. Can you run multiple services?

   • YES → Option C (best of both)
   • NO → Option B (if framework is OK) or Option A (stay Rails)

---

Document Files

You now have three documents:

1. rodauth-oauth-analysis.md - Deep technical analysis (12 sections)
2. rodauth-oauth-quick-reference.md - Quick lookup guide
3. RODAUTH_DECISION_GUIDE.md - This decision framework

Read in this order:

1. This guide (make a decision)
2. Quick reference (understand architecture)
3. Analysis (deep dive on your choice)

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Made Your Decision? Create an issue/commit to document your choice and next steps!