In this article, I will explain how to generate 'Access Token' using credentials of 'Asp.net Identity' in 'ASP.Net MVC. Create a new project in Visual Studio.

Give connection string of your database. Register an Account.

Add the following three Nuget Packages to your project.

  • Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb
  • Microsoft.Owin.Security.OAuth
  • Microsoft.Owin.Cors

Now, add TokenGenerating.cs class in the project.

using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity;
using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.EntityFramework;
using Microsoft.Owin.Security.OAuth;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Security.Claims;
using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Web;

namespace SecureWebAPI.APIClasses
{
    public class TokenGenerating : OAuthAuthorizationServerProvider
    {
        public override async Task ValidateClientAuthentication(OAuthValidateClientAuthenticationContext context)
        {
            context.Validated(); //
        }

        public override async Task GrantResourceOwnerCredentials(OAuthGrantResourceOwnerCredentialsContext context)
        {
            UserManager<IdentityUser> userManager = new UserManager<IdentityUser>(new UserStore<IdentityUser>());
            var result = userManager.Find(context.UserName, context.Password);
            //UserManager<IdentityUser> userManager = new UserManager<IdentityUser>(new UserStore<IdentityUser>());
            //var result = userManager.Find(context.UserName, context.Password);
            //UserManager holds data for register user.
            //context.UserName = Email of your registered user
            //context.Password = Password of your registered user
            if (result != null)
            {
                var identity = new ClaimsIdentity(context.Options.AuthenticationType);
                context.Validated(identity);
            }
            else
            {
                context.SetError("invalid_grant", "Provided username and password is incorrect");
                return;
            }
        }
    }
}

Now add a new startup class for the token configuration file this class holds the information and setting of the token.

using Microsoft.Owin;
using Microsoft.Owin.Security.OAuth;
using Owin;
using System;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Web.Http;

[assembly: OwinStartup(typeof(SecureWebAPI.APIClasses.AuthenticationStartupClass))]

namespace SecureWebAPI.APIClasses
{
    public class AuthenticationStartupClass
    {
        public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app)
        {
            // For more information on how to configure your application, visit https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=316888
            app.UseCors(Microsoft.Owin.Cors.CorsOptions.AllowAll);
            var myProvider = new APIAUTHORIZATIONSERVERPROVIDER();
            OAuthAuthorizationServerOptions options = new OAuthAuthorizationServerOptions
            {
                AllowInsecureHttp = true,
                TokenEndpointPath = new PathString("/token"),
                AccessTokenExpireTimeSpan = TimeSpan.FromDays(1),
                Provider = myProvider
            };
            app.UseOAuthAuthorizationServer(options);
            app.UseOAuthBearerAuthentication(new OAuthBearerAuthenticationOptions());
            HttpConfiguration config = new HttpConfiguration();
            WebApiConfig.Register(config);
        }
    }
}

Add new class for API Attributes

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;

namespace SecureWebAPI.APIClasses
{
    public class APIAUTHORIZEATTRIBUTE : System.Web.Http.AuthorizeAttribute
    {
        protected override void HandleUnauthorizedRequest(System.Web.Http.Controllers.HttpActionContext actionContext)
        {
            if (!HttpContext.Current.User.Identity.IsAuthenticated)
            {
                base.HandleUnauthorizedRequest(actionContext);
            }
            else
            {
                actionContext.Response = new System.Net.Http.HttpResponseMessage(System.Net.HttpStatusCode.Forbidden);
            }
        }
    }
}

Change Global.asax file of your project.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Http;
using System.Web.Mvc;
using System.Web.Optimization;
using System.Web.Routing;

namespace SecureWebAPI
{
    public class MvcApplication : System.Web.HttpApplication
    {
        protected void Application_Start()
        {
            AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
            WebApiConfig.Register(GlobalConfiguration.Configuration);
            FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
            RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
            BundleConfig.RegisterBundles(BundleTable.Bundles);
            GlobalConfiguration.Configuration.EnsureInitialized();
        }
    }
}

Now change your WebApiConfig.cs file routemap

Your Project > App_Start folder > WebApiConfig.cs
routeTemplate: "api/{controller}/{action}/{id}",
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Web.Http;

namespace SecureWebAPI.Controllers
{
    public class UserController : ApiController
    {
        [AllowAnonymous]
        [HttpGet]
        public IHttpActionResult Get()
        {
            return Ok("Now server time is: " + DateTime.Now.ToString());
        }
        [Authorize]
        [HttpGet]
        public IHttpActionResult GetForAuthenticate()
        {
            return Ok("Hello ");
        }
        [Authorize]
        [HttpGet]
        public IHttpActionResult GetForAdmin()
        {
            return Ok("Helo User");
        }
    }
}

Add a ApiController .

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Web.Http;

namespace SecureWebAPI.Controllers
{
    public class UserController : ApiController
    {
        [AllowAnonymous]
        [HttpGet]
        public IHttpActionResult Get()
        {
            return Ok("Now server time is: " + DateTime.Now.ToString());
        }
        [Authorize]
        [HttpGet]
        public IHttpActionResult GetForAuthenticate()
        {
            return Ok("Hello ");
        }
        [Authorize]
        [HttpGet]
        public IHttpActionResult GetForAdmin()
        {
            return Ok("Helo User");
        }
    }
}

Run your Project and leave it. Open Visual Studio, add a new console project. Add a new class to the console project.
class TokenInfo
{
    public string access_token { get; set; }
    public string token_type { get; set; }
    public int expires_in { get; set; }
}

Add function in Program.cs class.
public string GetAccessToken(string Email, string Password)
{
    string AccessToken = "";
    string responseFromServer = "";
    WebRequest request = WebRequest.Create("https://localhost:44370/token"); //your project url
    request.Method = "POST";
    string postData = "username=" + Email + "&password=" + Password + "&grant_type=password";
    byte[] byteArray = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(postData);
    request.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
    request.ContentLength = byteArray.Length;
    System.IO.Stream dataStream = request.GetRequestStream();
    dataStream.Write(byteArray, 0, byteArray.Length);
    dataStream.Close();
    WebResponse response = request.GetResponse();
    Console.WriteLine(((HttpWebResponse)response).StatusDescription);
    using (dataStream = response.GetResponseStream())
    {
        System.IO.StreamReader reader = new System.IO.StreamReader(dataStream);
        responseFromServer = reader.ReadToEnd();
        Console.WriteLine(responseFromServer);
    }
    TokenInfo myDeserializedClass = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<TokenInfo>(responseFromServer);
    AccessToken = myDeserializedClass.access_token;

    response.Close();
    return AccessToken;
}

MainMethod
static void Main(string[] args)
{
    string Email = "Your Registered user Email";
    string Password = "Your Registered user Email";

    Program cls = new Program();
    string AccessToken = cls.GetAccessToken(Email, Password);

    HttpWebRequest request = (HttpWebRequest)WebRequest.Create("https://localhost:44370/api/user/GetForAuthenticate"); //Your project Local host api url
    request.AutomaticDecompression = DecompressionMethods.GZip;
    request.Method = "GET";
    request.Headers.Add("Authorization", "Bearer " + AccessToken);
    using (System.Net.WebResponse GetResponse = request.GetResponse())
    {
        using (System.IO.StreamReader streamReader = new System.IO.StreamReader(GetResponse.GetResponseStream()))
        {
            dynamic jsonResponseText = streamReader.ReadToEnd();
        }
    }
    Console.ReadLine();
}

Run console project
If Credential is authenticated then an access token will also be generated.

Keep in mind Your Asp.net MVC project should be running during access token generating.