Index: components/jetspeed-portal/src/main/java/org/apache/jetspeed/administration/SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl.java
===================================================================
--- components/jetspeed-portal/src/main/java/org/apache/jetspeed/administration/SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl.java	(revision 1605844)
+++ components/jetspeed-portal/src/main/java/org/apache/jetspeed/administration/SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl.java	(working copy)
@@ -17,20 +17,24 @@
 package org.apache.jetspeed.administration;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 
 import org.apache.jetspeed.security.CredentialPasswordValidator;
 import org.apache.jetspeed.security.SecurityException;
 import org.apache.taglibs.random.RandomStrg;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 /**
  * @version $Id$
  */
 public class SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl implements PasswordGenerator
 {
+	Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl.class);
     /** the list of characters from which a password can be generatored. */
     protected static final char[]         DEFAULT_PASS_CHARS = { 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's',
                     't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z', 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M', 'N', 'O', 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U',
-                    'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '0' };
+                    'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '0'};
     // removed these for aesthetic purposes
     // '!', '&', '-', '_', '=',
     // '*','@', '#', '$', '%', '^',
@@ -40,6 +44,7 @@
     protected ArrayList<Character>        lower              = new ArrayList<Character>();
     protected Integer                     length             = new Integer(12);
     protected CredentialPasswordValidator validator;
+    protected int                         maximumValidationAttempts = 1000;
 
     protected RandomStrg newRandomStrg()
     {
@@ -123,6 +128,7 @@
         String retval = null;
         RandomStrg rs = newRandomStrg();
         initRandomStrg(rs);
+        int validationAttemptCount = 0;
         while (retval == null)
         {
             retval = rs.getRandom();
@@ -130,14 +136,46 @@
             {
                 try
                 {
+                	if(log.isDebugEnabled()){
+                		log.debug("passing string "+retval+" to credential validator");
+                	}
                     validator.validate(retval);
                 }
                 catch (SecurityException sex)
                 {
+                	if(validationAttemptCount==maximumValidationAttempts){
+                		log.warn("Unable to validate generated password after "+maximumValidationAttempts+
+                			" returning last generated password string unvalidated");
+                		break;
+                	}
                     retval = null;
                 }
             }
+            
+            validationAttemptCount++;
         }
+        if(log.isDebugEnabled()){
+        	log.debug("returning string "+retval+" after "+validationAttemptCount+" validation attempts");
+        }
         return retval;
     }
+
+	public char[] getPasswordChars() {
+		return passwordChars;
+	}
+
+	public void setPasswordChars(char[] passwordChars) {
+		if(log.isDebugEnabled()){
+			log.debug("setting up password character array "+Arrays.toString(passwordChars));
+		}
+		this.passwordChars = passwordChars;
+	}
+
+	public int getMaximumValidationAttempts() {
+		return maximumValidationAttempts;
+	}
+
+	public void setMaximumValidationAttempts(int maximumValidationAttempts) {
+		this.maximumValidationAttempts = maximumValidationAttempts;
+	}
 }
Index: components/jetspeed-portal/src/test/java/org/apache/jetspeed/administration/TestPortalAdministrationImpl.java
===================================================================
--- components/jetspeed-portal/src/test/java/org/apache/jetspeed/administration/TestPortalAdministrationImpl.java	(revision 1605844)
+++ components/jetspeed-portal/src/test/java/org/apache/jetspeed/administration/TestPortalAdministrationImpl.java	(working copy)
@@ -19,12 +19,16 @@
 import junit.framework.Test;
 import junit.framework.TestCase;
 import junit.framework.TestSuite;
+
 import org.apache.jetspeed.aggregator.TestWorkerMonitor;
+import org.apache.jetspeed.security.CredentialPasswordValidator;
+import org.apache.jetspeed.security.spi.impl.DefaultCredentialPasswordValidator;
 import org.springframework.mail.javamail.JavaMailSenderImpl;
 
 import javax.mail.*;
 import javax.mail.internet.InternetAddress;
 import javax.mail.internet.MimeMessage;
+
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.net.URLClassLoader;
@@ -77,17 +81,58 @@
         return new TestSuite(TestPortalAdministrationImpl.class);
     }
 
-    public void testPasswordGen() throws Exception
+    public void testBasicPasswordGen() throws Exception
     {
+    	System.out.println("*** testing basic (unvalidated) password generation");
         PortalAdministrationImpl pai = new PortalAdministrationImpl(null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null);
         String newPassword = pai.generatePassword();
+        System.out.println("new password is "+newPassword);
         assertNotNull("new password was NULL!!!",newPassword);
         assertTrue("password is not long enough",(newPassword.length() > 4) );
         
     }
     
+    public void testPasswordGenWithValidationFailure() throws Exception
+    {
+    	System.out.println("*** testing password generation with validator but unmatched character array and pattern");
+        PortalAdministrationImpl pai = new PortalAdministrationImpl(null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null);
+        SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl pg = new SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl();
+        CredentialPasswordValidator cpv = new DefaultCredentialPasswordValidator("^.*(?=.{6,})(?=.*\\d)(?=.*[a-z])(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*[@#$%^&+=]).*$");
+        pg.setValidator(cpv);
+        pg.setMaximumValidationAttempts(1500);
+        pai.setPasswordGenerator(pg);
+        String newPassword = pai.generatePassword();
+        System.out.println("new password is "+newPassword);
+        assertNotNull("new password was NULL!!!",newPassword);
+        assertTrue("password is not long enough",(newPassword.length() > 4) );
+
+    }
+
+    public void testFullPasswordGenWithValidation() throws Exception
+    {
+    	System.out.println("*** testing password generation with matched character array and pattern");
+        PortalAdministrationImpl pai = new PortalAdministrationImpl(null,null,null,null,null,null,null,null);
+        SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl pg = new SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl();
+        CredentialPasswordValidator cpv = new DefaultCredentialPasswordValidator("^.*(?=.{6,})(?=.*\\d)(?=.*[a-z])(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*[@#$%^&+=]).*$");
+        pg.setValidator(cpv);
+        pg.setMaximumValidationAttempts(1500);
+        pai.setPasswordGenerator(pg);
+        //char array that matches the pattern above
+        char[]   validChars = { 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's',
+                't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z', 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M', 'N', 'O', 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U',
+                'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '0','@','#','$','%','^','&','+','=' };
+        pg.setPasswordChars(validChars);
+        String newPassword = pai.generatePassword();
+        
+        System.out.println("new password is "+newPassword);
+        assertNotNull("new password was NULL!!!",newPassword);
+        assertTrue("password is not long enough",(newPassword.length() > 4) );
+
+    }
+    
     public void testSendEmail() throws Exception 
     {
+    	System.out.println("*** testing sendEmail");
         JavaMailSenderImpl javaMailSender = null;
         
         if (smtpHost != null)
@@ -135,6 +180,7 @@
     }
     
     public void testSendMailFromAnotherThread() throws Exception {
+    	System.out.println("*** testing sendEmailFromAnotherThread");
     	final List<Exception> exceptions = new ArrayList<Exception>();
     	
     	Thread t = new Thread(new Runnable() {
Index: jetspeed-portal-resources/src/main/resources/assembly/administration.xml
===================================================================
--- jetspeed-portal-resources/src/main/resources/assembly/administration.xml	(revision 1605844)
+++ jetspeed-portal-resources/src/main/resources/assembly/administration.xml	(working copy)
@@ -65,6 +65,84 @@
            If a generated password fails validation, the SimplePasswordGeneratorImpl will simply regenerate a new one to test. --> 
       <ref bean="org.apache.jetspeed.security.spi.CredentialPasswordValidator"/>
     </property>
+    <property name="maximumValidationAttempts">
+    	<value>1500</value>
+    </property>
+    <!--  sample character array that matches the regex pattern in the DefaultCredentialValidator defined in
+    security-spi-atn.xml -->
+    <property name="passwordChars">
+		<list>
+    	<value>a</value>
+		<value>b</value>
+		<value>c</value>
+		<value>d</value>
+		<value>e</value>
+		<value>f</value>
+		<value>g</value>
+		<value>h</value>
+		<value>i</value>
+		<value>j</value>
+		<value>k</value>
+		<value>l</value>
+		<value>m</value>
+		<value>n</value>
+		<value>o</value>
+		<value>p</value>
+		<value>q</value>
+		<value>r</value>
+		<value>s</value>
+		<value>t</value>
+		<value>u</value>
+		<value>v</value>
+		<value>w</value>
+		<value>x</value>
+		<value>y</value>
+		<value>z</value>
+		<value>A</value>
+		<value>B</value>
+		<value>C</value>
+		<value>D</value>
+		<value>E</value>
+		<value>F</value>
+		<value>G</value>
+		<value>H</value>
+		<value>I</value>
+		<value>J</value>
+		<value>K</value>
+		<value>L</value>
+		<value>M</value>
+		<value>N</value>
+		<value>O</value>
+		<value>P</value>
+		<value>Q</value>
+		<value>R</value>
+		<value>S</value>
+		<value>T</value>
+		<value>U</value>
+		<value>V</value>
+		<value>W</value>
+		<value>X</value>
+		<value>Y</value>
+		<value>Z</value>
+		<value>1</value>
+		<value>2</value>
+		<value>3</value>
+		<value>4</value>
+		<value>5</value>
+		<value>6</value>
+		<value>7</value>
+		<value>8</value>
+		<value>9</value>
+		<value>0</value>
+		<value>@</value>
+		<value>#</value>
+		<value>$</value>
+		<value>%</value>
+		<value>^</value>
+		<value>+</value>
+		<value>=</value>
+		</list>
+    </property>
   </bean>
 
   <bean id='PortalAdministrationImpl' init-method="start"
Index: jetspeed-portal-resources/src/main/resources/assembly/security-spi-atn.xml
===================================================================
--- jetspeed-portal-resources/src/main/resources/assembly/security-spi-atn.xml	(revision 1605844)
+++ jetspeed-portal-resources/src/main/resources/assembly/security-spi-atn.xml	(working copy)
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@
     <!-- UNCOMMENT TO TURN ON Regex-based password validation. The pattern below gives:
       * Must be at least 6 characters
       * Must contain at least one one lower case letter, one upper case letter, one digit and one special character
-      * Valid special characters are @#$%^&+=
-      <constructor-arg index="1"><value><![CDATA[^.*(?=.{6,})(?=.*\d)(?=.*[a-z])(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*[@#$%^&+=]).*$]]></value></constructor-arg>       
-    -->
+      * Valid special characters are @#$%^&+=  -->
+      <constructor-arg index="0"><value><![CDATA[^.*(?=.{6,})(?=.*\d)(?=.*[a-z])(?=.*[A-Z])(?=.*[@#$%^&+=]).*$]]></value></constructor-arg>       
+  
   </bean>
 
   <!-- MessageDigest encode passwords using SHA-1 -->