Looking at the code before, it doesn't make sense to me that we handled single item lists differently than lists with multiple items.

It seems the previous code would use a cache only if multi-protocol is specified. That would cause performance slowdown on single-protocol lists since it would execute checkProtocol() everytime checkProtocolValueGood() was called.

This change uses a cache for any sized list.

It simplifies the loop which validates the protocol by using the same loop regardless of FIPS being enabled or not

Lastly, we could simplify this even farther by checking the cache before we check allowedProtocols. I didn't make this change because it would break in the case that the user enabled fips without restarting their server.

            for (String protocol : protocols) {
                if (allowedProtocols.contains(protocol)) {
                    if (validatedProtocols.contains(protocol))
                        continue;
                    else {
                        checkProtocol(protocol);
                        validatedProtocols.add(protocol);
                    }
                } else {
                    Tr.error(tc, "ssl.protocol.error.CWPKI0832E", protocol);
                    throw new SSLException("Protocol provided is not appropriate for a protocol list.");
                }
            }

to

        if (protocols.length > 0) {
            for (String protocol : protocols) {
                if (validatedProtocols.contains(protocol))
                    continue;
                else if (allowedProtocols.contains(protocol)) {
                    checkProtocol(protocol);
                    validatedProtocols.add(protocol);
                } else {
                    Tr.error(tc, "ssl.protocol.error.CWPKI0832E", protocol);
                    throw new SSLException("Protocol provided is not appropriate for a protocol list.");
                }
            }
        }

#build (view Open Liberty Personal Build - ❌ completed with errors/failures.)

Note: Target locations of links might be accessible only to IBM employees.

Code analysis and actions

• 1 product code files were changed.
• Please describe in a separate comment how you tested your changes.

Your personal build request is at https://wasrtc.hursley.ibm.com:9443/jazz/resource/itemOid/com.ibm.team.build.BuildResult/_SDtiwN4MEe-M5OZShUU9WA

Target locations of links might be accessible only to IBM employees.

#build (view Open Liberty Personal Build - ❌ completed with errors/failures.)

Note: Target locations of links might be accessible only to IBM employees.

Code analysis and actions

• 1 product code files were changed.
• Please describe in a separate comment how you tested your changes.

Your personal build request is at https://wasrtc.hursley.ibm.com:9443/jazz/resource/itemOid/com.ibm.team.build.BuildResult/_Oa2ykd8FEe-M5OZShUU9WA

Target locations of links might be accessible only to IBM employees.