Setting Up Azure AD for SSO in Express View (SAML)

Overview

In this article, you'll learn how to use Azure AD (Azure Active Directory) as an SSO (single sign-on) provider, using the SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) authentication method. Azure AD acts as the IdP (Identity Provider) and Unqork is the SP (Service Provider). You'll set up your SAML configuration using Single Sign-On (SSO) Management.

You can set up SSO configurations for:

  • Express View access: For authentication into the front-end of an application in your environment.

  • Designer access: For authentication in your Unqork environment, known as Designer.

This article shows you how to set up a SAML configuration using Azure AD as the SSO provider in Express View.

NOTE  To connect Azure AD to your Unqork application as an SSO provider, your Azure AD administrator needs to set up your application as a new Enterprise Application in Azure AD. To learn more, see Azure AD's Quickstart: Set up SAML-based single sign-on for an application article here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/manage-apps/add-application-portal-setup-sso.

TIP  To learn more about using Unqork as an SP, including a description of all SAML configuration settings in Environment Administration, view our Unqork as a SAML Service Provider article. To learn about using Unqork as an IdP, view our Unqork as a SAML Identity Provider article.

What You'll Learn

In this article, you'll learn:

How Settings Map Between Azure AD and Unqork

In the following table and images, you can see how key SAML configuration settings in Azure AD map to the SAML configuration fields in Unqork.

# Unqork Setting Related Azure AD Setting

1

Copy Metadata URL

NOTE  This setting location is where you copy the URL of the SP metadata XML file.

Upload Metadata File

NOTE  This Azure setting location is where you upload the SP metadata XML file.

2

IdP Metadata XML

NOTE  This setting location is where you insert the IdP metadata XML data.

Federation Metadata XML

NOTE  This Azure setting location is where you download the IdP metadata XML file.

3

SAML SP Entity ID

Identifier (Entity ID)

4

SAML Callback URL

Reply URL (Assertion Consumer Service URL)

TIP  Be sure the URL shows the Express View-specific host value. For example unqork-uatx.unqork.io, not unqork-uat.unqork.io.

Setting Up Azure AD as a SAML Configuration in Single Sign-On (SSO) Management

This is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to set up Azure AD as a SAML configuration. This is one example of how you might configure Azure AD for SSO in Express View. This approach ensures Azure AD is the single source of truth for your end-user's permissions.

TIP  To learn more about all the SAML configuration settings in Single Sign-On (SSO) Management, view our Unqork as a SAML Service Provider article. To learn more about using the Single Sign-On (SSO) Management dashboard, view our Single Sign-On (SSO) Management article.

What You Need

For this sample configuration, you need the following information:

  • The IdP metadata XML file (SAML metadata) from Azure AD.

TIP  In some cases, the Azure AD administrator requests the SP metadata XML file before they provide the IdP metadata XML file. For examples of when you need to generate a placeholder SP metadata XML file, see the Provide Azure AD With a Placeholder SP Metadata XML File section of this article.

  • A list of SAML attributes to map to Unqork attributes. The attribute must be the same as the Unqork attribute. Otherwise, you need to use nunjucks to do the mapping.

NOTE  Your specific values can vary based on your use case. Work with the Azure AD administrator to ensure both sides are clear on what information your application needs to access.

Start the Configuration

1. At the top right of the Unqork Designer Platform, click the Settings drop-down.
2. Click Administration.
3. Under Environment, select Single Sign-On (SSO).
4. Click + New SSO.
5. From the + New SSO drop-down, select Express.

Basic Information Tab

The Basic Information tab is the first tab you see when the New Express SSO configuration modal opens. In this tab, you name your configuration and assign end-user permissions.

1. In the SSO Name field, enter a unique name for your configuration.

TIP  This name is used to generate the default SP Entity ID.

2. In the Default Role drop-down, select a role.

NOTE  When setting up SSO for Express View, select a default role with the lowest-level permissions. This lets you rely on the value stored in Azure AD to determine higher-level permissions.

3. In the Default Groups list, select one or more groups.

NOTE  Adding Default Groups is optional. By default, no groups are selected.

4. Click Next.

You progress from the Basic Information tab to the Configure Protocol tab.

Configure Protocol Tab

Now, select the SAML protocol from the Configure Protocol tab. Then, add the IdP metadata XML file you received from Azure AD. Once added, the XML file is automatically parsed to autofill related configuration fields.

1. Select SAML as the Protocol.
2. In a text editor, open the IdP metadata XML file provided by Azure AD.
3. In the IdP Metadata XML field, copy and paste the contents of the file.

The SAML IdP NameID Format, SAML IdP SSO URL, and SAML IdP X.509 Certificate fields autofill. If the metadata is incorrect, an error message displays asking you to check the XML.

NOTE  The SAML IdP NameID Format field is optional. The default value for this field is urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.1:nameid-format:emailAddress. The NameID is a unique identifier that matches an end-user across multiple Unqork sessions.

4. In the SAML SP Entity ID field, enter a value.

NOTE  This value must match the value used by the IdP. If you're asked to define the Entity ID, use a value that relates to your configuration. For example, {environment name and codebase}-{application name}-saml. The Azure AD administrator might also have their own preferred Entity ID naming conventions.

5. You can leave the default value for the SAML Callback URL field unless the Azure AD app integration uses a different value.
6. Click Next.

You progress from the Configure Protocol tab to the Attribute Mapping tab.

NOTE  The Configure Protocol tab has several advanced settings you can enable. To access these settings, click Show Advanced Settings. Whether or not you need to enable these settings depends on your use case. For this Azure AD configuration, enabling any Advanced Settings is not required. Visit the Unqork as a SAML Service Provider article for more information.

Attribute Mapping Tab

Next, map attributes in the SAML assertion sent by the IdP to Unqork attributes in the session's currentUser object. For example, mapping the IdP-provided email address to the Unqork attribute email.

WARNING  By default, the Attribute Mapping tab includes the mapping {{NameID}} to userId. Do not delete this mapping or your SSO configuration can fail.

TIP  You can create dynamic, conditional, or static attribute mappings. See the Creating Attribute Mappings section in our Unqork as a SAML Service Provider article for more information and detailed examples.

To add an attribute mapping:

1. Click + Add Attribute Mapping.
2. Complete the SAML Claim side of the mapping using Nunjucks.
3. From the Unqork Attribute drop-down, select a default Unqork attribute. Or, enter the attribute's name in the Unqork Attribute field then press Enter/Return or select Create {attribute name}.

NOTE  Unqork attributes include email, userId, name, and phone.

4. Repeat the above steps as needed.

NOTE  To learn more about attribute mapping, see the Attribute Mappings section in our Unqork as a SAML Service Provider article.

User Management

These user management settings are more variable and highly dependent on your unique use case. However, in this configuration Azure AD is the single source of truth for authentication. This means the user doesn't need to exist in Unqork, as Unqork isn't acting as the user management system. So, consider the following settings:

1. Click Show User Management.
2. Verify Disable New User Creation is selected.

WARNING  Don’t enable Disable New User Creation if you plan to modify users via an API call in the platform. Enabling this setting prevents user modification using an API call.

3. Click Create SSO.

NOTE  Verify the SSO configuration in Environment Administration matches the SSO configuration in Single Sign-On (SSO) Management. If you are encountering issues, visit the Troubleshooting Tips section below.

Your SSO configuration is now complete. The configuration modal closes and returns your focus to the Single Sign-On (SSO) Management dashboard.

Providing Azure With a Placeholder or Final SP Metadata XML File

There are two scenarios where you might need to provide the Azure AD administrator with an SP metadata XML file:

  • Providing a placeholder XML file: The Azure AD administrator requests the SP metadata XML file before they provide the IdP metadata XML file. Receiving the SP metadata XML file first lets the administrator configure the Azure AD side of the SSO integration around Unqork's default settings or an Unqork-defined SAML SP Entity ID.

  • Providing a final XML file: The Azure AD administrator requests the XML file after you complete your SSO configuration based on the IdP metadata XML file.

It's possible neither scenario occurs when you create your SSO configuration. However, this section covers how to proceed in both scenarios.

Provide Azure AD With a Placeholder SP Metadata XML File

If the Azure AD administrator requests the SP metadata XML file first, you can configure with a placeholder SP metadata XML file. To do this, create a SAML configuration using Environment Administration.

To add a SAML configuration to your environment:

1. At the top right of the Unqork Designer Platform, click the Settings drop-down
2. Click Administration.
3. Under Environment, select Single Sign-On (SSO).
4. Click + New SSO.
5. From the + New SSO drop-down, select Express.
6. In the SSO Name field, enter a unique name for your configuration.

TIP  This name is used to generate the default SP Entity ID. Use a descriptive name that relates to your configuration. For example, {environment name and codebase}-{application name}-saml.

7. Select a Default Role and Default Group(s) as needed.
8. Click Next.
9. From Select Protocol, select SAML.
10. Click Copy Metadata Url.

NOTE  The SP metadata XML file generates based on the current state of your SAML configuration. When generating the SP metadata XML file before parsing an IdP metadata XML file, the SP metadata XML file uses default configuration values.

11. Open a new tab in your browser.
12. Paste the URL in the address bar and press Enter/Return.
13. Copy the XML from your browser tab into a text editor like Sublime Text.
14. Save the XML as a .xml file.

Now you can send the SP Metadata XML file to the Azure administrator.

Providing Azure AD With the Final SP Metadata XML File

NOTE  If you already provided the Azure AD administrator with a placeholder SP metadata XML file, you can skip this step. However, if you made any changes to your SAML configuration after receiving the IdP metadata XML file, you might need to resend the SP metadata XML file.

If you started your SAML configuration by parsing an IdP metadata XML file, you might need to provide the IdP with the SP metadata XML file.

To download the SP metadata XML file:

1. From the Single Sign-On (SSO) Management dashboard, open your SSO configuration and navigate to the Configure Protocol tab.
2. Click Copy Metadata Url.
3. Open a new tab in your browser.
4. Paste the URL in the address bar and press Enter/Return.
5. Copy the XML from your browser tab into a text editor like Sublime Text.
6. Save the XML as a .xml file.

Now you can send the SP metadata XML file to the Azure AD administrator.

Testing Your Configuration

After providing Azure AD with the SP metadata XML file, test the configuration.

NOTE  You'll need a set of test credentials from the Azure AD administrator. The test user must be assigned to the Enterprise Application in Azure AD, on the Users and Groups page.

Testing an SP-Initiated Flow

From the SSO dashboard, you can preview the Unqork entrypoint and use a set of test credentials from your SSO provider to test the configuration.

To test the SP-initiated flow:

1. At the top right of the Unqork Designer Platform, click the Settings drop-down.
2. Click Administration.
3. Under Environment, select Single Sign-On (SSO).
4. In the SSO dashboard, find the SSO configuration to preview.
5. Under the Actions column, click Manage.
6. From the Manage drop-down, right-click Preview.
7. Click Open Link in Incognito Window.

TIP  By default, the Unqork entrypoint URL uses 123 as the module ID. To test access to an actual module in your application, replace 123 at the end of the URL with your module's module ID.

8. Log in using your test credentials.

If you see an error page, there are issues with your configuration. If you can successfully log in to Unqork, your SAML configuration of Azure AD as SSO provider is working.

Testing an IdP-Initiated Flow

To test the IdP-initiated login flow, you need the User Access URL found in Azure AD.

1. In Azure AD, open your Enterprise Application.
2. Navigate to the Properties page.
3. In the User Access URL field, copy the value.

4. Open a new Incognito window of your browser.
5. Paste the User Access URL into the browser.
6. Log in using your test credentials.

If you see an error page, there are issues with your configuration. If you can successfully log in to Unqork, your SAML configuration of Azure AD as SSO provider is complete.

Troubleshooting Tips

Understanding what's causing an error is one of the most frustrating parts of creating a new configuration. One of the most common sources of error is not using the Express View-specific host value in the SAML Callback URL field. By default, new Express SSO configurations use the Express View-specific host value in the SAML Callback URL. However, double-checking the location attribute in the SP metadata XML file can confirm this. Ensure the SAML Callback URL value exactly matches the Single Sign-On URL in Azure AD, and both values use the Express View-specific host value.

Additional issues include not removing the default namespace from claims sent as part of the SAML assertion. If the namespace is included, Unqork might have trouble decoding the assertion.

To remove the namespace from claims in Azure AD:

1. In Azure AD, open your Enterprise Application.
2. Navigate to the Single Sign-On page.
3. On the User Attributes & Claims tile, select the Edit button.
4. From the claims list, select a claim.
5. In the Namespace field, remove the default value.

6. Click Save.
7. Repeat for other claims included in the assertion.

To figure out what exactly is wrong, it's useful to view what assertions your application receives from Azure AD. Assertions aren't logged in Service Logs. Instead, you can use Google Chrome extensions such as SAML Chrome Panel or SAML Message Decoder for this. Comparing the assertions you receive against the assertions you expect can help with debugging.