authentication-provider is not called - spring

Question

Here is my security-context.xml file:
<http auto-config='false' authentication-manager-ref="authenticationManager" entry-point-ref="authenticationEntryPoint">
<intercept-url pattern="/"/>
<intercept-url pattern="/**"/>
<csrf disabled="true"/>
<custom-filter position="REMEMBER_ME_FILTER" ref="DashboardFilter"></custom-filter>
</http>
<authentication-manager alias="authenticationManager">
<authentication-provider ref="DashboardAuthProvider"></authentication-provider>
</authentication-manager>
<beans:bean id="DashboardFilter" class="com.apple.store.dashboard.security.DashboardAuthFilter">
<beans:property name="authenticationManager" ref="authenticationManager"/>
</beans:bean>
<beans:bean id="authenticationEntryPoint" class="com.apple.store.dashboard.security.DashboardAuthEntryPoint">
</beans:bean>
<beans:bean id="DashboardAuthProvider" class="com.apple.store.dashboard.security.DashboardAuthProvider">
I have defined DashboardAuthProvider as such:
public class DashboardAuthProvider implements AuthenticationProvider {
private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(DashboardAuthProvider.class);
#Override
public Authentication authenticate(final Authentication authentication) throws AuthenticationException {
logger.debug("Inside DashboardAuthProvider: authenticate method +authentication=" + authentication);
Authentication auth = null;
[...]
}
}
When I executed the code, I can hit the filter, but not provider. I read many spring security related document and couldn't find anything wrong with my configuration in xml. Could someone help?
Here is my filter:
public class DashboardAuthFilter extends AbstractAuthenticationProcessingFilter {
private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(DashboardAuthFilter.class);
public DashboardAuthFilter() {
super("/**");
}
public Authentication attemptAuthentication(final HttpServletRequest request, final HttpServletResponse response)
throws org.springframework.security.core.AuthenticationException {
logger.debug("Inside DashboardAuthFilter:attemptAuthentication method:");
Authentication auth = SecurityContextHolder.getContext().getAuthentication();
if (auth!=null ){
if (auth.isAuthenticated()){
logger.debug("Previously authenticated.isAuthenticated=true::: Auth details:" +auth);
return auth;
}
}
//Validate the DS Auth Cookie
Cookie AOSCookie = WebUtils.getCookie(request, "myacinfo-uat");//
if ( AOSCookie == null )
return null;
Authentication authResult = null;
try {
if( org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils.isEmpty(AOSCookie.toString())) {
throw new PreAuthenticatedCredentialsNotFoundException("DS Auth Cookie not found. Commence DS Authentication..");
}
String credentials = "NA";
String validateCookieDetails = correctAuthentication(AOSCookie, request);
logger.debug("validateCookieDetails ....." + validateCookieDetails);
UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken authRequest = new UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken(validateCookieDetails, credentials);
authResult = getAuthenticationManager().authenticate(authRequest);
logger.debug("Attempted authentication: authResult ::" + authResult.toString());
} catch (org.springframework.security.core.AuthenticationException e) {
logger.error("AttemptAuthentication: Not Authenticated : AuthenticationException ....." + e.getMessage());
} catch (Exception e) {
logger.error("Exception occured during authentication....." + e.getMessage());
}
return authResult;
}
}