SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) into Freshdesk using Joomla IDP Plugin
Overview
Single Sign-On in Freshdesk using Joomla IDP allows users to log in to Frontline Education using Joomla by configuring Freshdesk as a Service Provider (SP) and Joomla as a SAML Identity Provider (IDP). This guide will take you through a step-by-step process to configure SSO between the two platforms.
What is Freshdesk?
Freshdesk is a special cloud-based software designed to facilitate and improve customer support. Its excellent and
cost-effective features are quite popular among online enterprises for enhancing the customers' self-service and
their support teams' overall productivity.
Install Joomla SAML IDP Plugin
- Login into your Joomla site’s Administrator console.
- From left toggle menu, click on System, then under Install section click on Extensions.
- Now click on Or Browse for file button to locate and install the plugin file downloaded earlier.
- Installation of plugin is successful. Now click on Start Using miniOrange SAML IDP Plugin to configure miniOrange Joomla IDP plugin.
- Go to the miniOrange Joomla IDP plugin, navigate to the Identity Provider tab.
- Here, you can find the Identity Provider Metadata XML URL/File or endpoints like IDP Entity ID, SAML Login URL, SAML Logout URL (Premium Feature), and Certificate for SP configuration. Download the XML Metadata by clicking on the button as shown below.
Configuration Steps
In this setup, Joomla serves as the repository for storing users i.e. it will act as the IDP while Freshdesk is where users will log in using their credentials from Joomla where Joomla SAML IDP SSO Plugin will be installed.
Step 1: Configure Freshdesk as SP (Service Provider)
- Log into the FreshDesk Admin Portal as a System Admin. From the dashboard go to security icon from left menu bar.
- In Account section go to Security, for configuring SSO for Freshdesk users.
- In Login Settings section click on Configure Freshworks SSO, to activate the SSO login.
- In Signing in to Freshworks section click on SSO Login under the Default Login Methods.
- Now enable the SSO Login.
- Select the SAML , under Idp of your choice section.
- Click on Download Metadata, to get metadata of freshdesk.
- Enter the all details of Joomla IDP, then click on Configure SSO.
| Entity ID | Enter IDP-EntityID / Issuer from the Identity Provider tab of the Joomla plugin. |
| SAML SSO URL | Enter SAML Login URL from the Identity Provider tab of the Joomla plugin. |
| Security Certificate | Copy the Certificate downloaded from the Identity Provider tab of the Joomla plugin. |
Step 2: Configure Joomla as IDP (Identity Provider)
- Now go to Components -> miniOrange Joomla IDP -> Service Provider.
- Navigate to the Service Provider tab and complete the fields for Service Provider Name, SP Entity ID or Issuer, ACS URL, and NameID Format. Refer to this step to get Service Provider details. Fill in the other fields according to your requirements. Click on Save.
Enter the following values:
| Service Provider Name | Choose appropriate name according to your choice |
| SP Entity ID or Issuer | Service Provider Entity ID |
| ACS URL | SP Assertion Consumer Service URL |
| X.509 Certificate (optional) [For Signed Request] | Paste certificate value you copied from the Metadata file |
| NameID Format | Select urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:1.1:nameid-format:emailAddress |
| Assertion Signed | Checked |
- Now click on Advance Mapping tab. Select the NameID Attribute and then click on Save Button.
- You have successfully completed your miniOrange Joomla SAML 2.0 IDP configurations.
Step 3: Attribute Mapping - Premium Feature
- In the miniOrange Joomla IDP plugin, navigate to the Advance Mapping tab.
- Here, you can configure Custom attribute mapping and also add additional User Attributes.
- You have successfully configured Single Sign-On with Freshdesk as Service Provider and Joomla as Identity Provider. If you require any further support or, if you are facing any difficulty please mail us on joomlasupport@xecurify.com
