SAML integration

Configure SAML authentication for your host application with various identity providers.

SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties, specifically between an identity provider (IdP) and a service provider (SP). This guide will help you configure SAML authentication for your host application with various identity providers.

Prerequisites

Before configuring SAML, ensure you have:

• Administrative access to your identity provider
• Access to configure the host application
• Basic understanding of SAML concepts

Configuration Steps

1. Configure Identity Provider

   • Log in to your identity provider's admin console
   • Create a new application or service provider
   • Configure the host application as the service provider
   • Note down the IdP metadata URL or download the metadata file

2. Configure Host Application

   • Access the host application's admin console
   • Navigate to the SAML configuration section
   • Enter the IdP metadata URL or upload the metadata file
   • Configure attribute mapping as needed

3. Test Configuration

   • Initiate a test login from your identity provider
   • Verify successful authentication
   • Check attribute mapping and user provisioning

0. Create a SAML application

To create a SAML application in the host application:

1. Log in to the host application's admin console
2. Navigate to the SAML configuration section
3. Click "Create New Application"
4. Enter the application details:
   • Application name
   • Description
   • Logo (optional)
5. Save the configuration

1. Configure your identity provider

Follow these steps to configure your identity provider:

1. Log in to your identity provider's admin console
2. Create a new SAML application
3. Configure the following settings:
   • Entity ID: Use the host application's entity ID
   • ACS URL: Use the host application's ACS URL
   • Name ID Format: Email
   • Attribute mapping: Map required user attributes

2. Configure the host application

After configuring your identity provider:

1. Return to the host application's admin console
2. Navigate to the SAML configuration
3. Enter the following details:
   • Identity Provider metadata URL
   • Entity ID
   • ACS URL
4. Configure attribute mapping:
   • Map user attributes from your identity provider
   • Set up group mapping if needed
5. Save the configuration

3. Test the configuration

To verify your SAML configuration:

1. Initiate a test login from your identity provider
2. Verify successful authentication
3. Check user attributes are correctly mapped
4. Test group membership if configured
5. Review logs for any errors

4. Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions:

1. Authentication Fails

   • Verify metadata URLs are correct
   • Check certificate validity
   • Review attribute mapping

2. User Attributes Not Mapped

   • Verify attribute names match
   • Check attribute format
   • Review identity provider settings

3. Group Membership Issues

   • Verify group names match
   • Check group attribute format
   • Review group mapping configuration

5. Best practices

Follow these best practices for SAML configuration:

1. Security

   • Use strong certificates
   • Enable encryption
   • Implement proper error handling

2. Maintenance

   • Regularly update certificates
   • Monitor authentication logs
   • Review attribute mapping

3. User Experience

   • Configure proper error messages
   • Set up fallback authentication
   • Provide clear user instructions

6. Additional resources

For more information about SAML configuration:

1. Documentation

   • Host application SAML guide
   • Identity provider documentation
   • SAML specification

2. Support

   • Contact host application support
   • Identity provider support
   • Community forums

3. Tools

   • SAML debugger
   • Certificate management tools
   • Log analysis tools