Single sign-on

Single sign-on (SSO) enables users to access multiple authorized applications without having to log in to each application separately. Organizations validate user credentials against a corporate user database (such as Microsoft Active Directory™) rather than maintaining separate credentials through Network and other applications. In Network, different users can be configured to use SSO or traditional user names and passwords; for example, an organization could use SSO for internal users and traditional means for external users.

As a cloud application, Network requires that a customer’s IdP is accessible from the internet, either directly or through some kind of broker or gateway.

For example, Network can integrate with a customer’s internal Microsoft Active Directory (AD) implementation through a third-party identity management solution such as Okta™, Ping Identity™, or Symplified™.

SSO can be initiated by one of the following:

  • Identity Provider (IdP): Service responsible for user authentication and authorization.
  • Service Provider (SP): Application, such as Network, to which the IdP gives users access.

Note: User accounts with SSO enabled can no longer be accessed using their regular Network credentials.

Benefits of using SSO

  • Users can access multiple secure applications without having to sign into each one separately.
  • Administrators can see user names instead of just user types for monitoring Network activity.
  • Users can be automatically created or inactivated.

SSO walkthrough

Use the following walkthrough to get a high-level look at the SSO configuration process.

Enabling this feature

The following tasks are required:

  • Administrator

    • Add and configure a Network application on the identity provider's site.

      Example configurations:

    • Configure IdP details and map attributes in Network.
    • Create and assign a security policy for SSO users.

User activities

The following activities are available depending on the user type:

The System and Data Admin user role combines the full capabilities of Data Stewards and Administrators.
Activity Standard User Data Steward Data Manager Administrator
Configure SSO SAML settings      
Provision users      
Log in using SSO