SAML Single Sign-On into Joomla using PhenixID

Overview

miniOrange Joomla SAML SP SSO plugin helps you to integrate your Joomla site to PhenixID using SAML 2.0 protocol. Our user-friendly plugin simplifies the process of setting up Single Sign-on (SSO) with PhenixID in Joomla, ensuring a secure login experience. This enables users to access various Joomla sites effortlessly using their PhenixID IDP credentials.

Our plugin is designed to be compatible with Joomla 3, 4 as well as 5 and works seamlessly with all SAML 2.0 compliant Identity Providers. For a detailed overview of the comprehensive features offered by the Joomla SAML SP plugin. Below, we provide a step-by-step guide on configuring SAML SSO login between your Joomla site and PhenixID, with PhenixID serving as the Identity Provider (IDP) and Joomla as the Service Provider (SP).

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Configuration Steps

In this setup, PhenixID serves as the repository for storing users i.e. it will act as the IDP while Joomla is where users will log in using their credentials from PhenixID where Joomla SAML SP SSO Plugin will be installed.

Step 1: Install Joomla SAML SP 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 Get Started!

Go to the Service Provider Metadata tab and scroll down to copy the SP-EntityID and the ACS URL.

Step 2: Configure PhenixID as IDP (Identity Provider)

First login to the PhenixID server admin console with your credentials.
Navigate to Scenarios tab and then click on Federation.

In the left pane, scroll down then select SAML Metadata Upload and click on + sign.
In the Metadata tab, enter the application NAME (metadata) and DESCRIPTION (optional).

To upload SP metadata navigate to the Service Provider Metadata tab of the miniOrange WP SAML Plugin.
You can either copy the Metadata URL or upload the Metadata XML file from the plugin.

Then click on Verify and show.

miniorange img Configure Username and Password

In the left pane, select Username and Password.
Click on + sign to provide IDP NAME and DESCRIPTION (Optional) then click on Next.

In the CONNECTION tab, select Create New then proceed to Next page.

Choose the required Connection Type from the SELECT CONNECTION TYPE dropdown.

Give your connection a NAME and DESCRIPTION (Optional) and then click on Next.

In the Driver tab, select the database driver according to your database and proceed to next screen.

Under CONNECTION DETAILS enter your database HOST.

Enter your DATABASE NAME.

The console will now provide you with your database connection URL, verify it and click on Next.

Under the Credentials tab enter your database Username and Password.

miniorange img Configure the Database

In the JDBC SEARCH SETTINGS tab, provide the database query required for mapping the attributes.
Make sure that attributes givenName, mail and sn are returned in the query then click on Next.

Now create an Entity ID for your IDP and make sure it is unique.
Also provide a POST SSO URL in the format specified.

Next screen will show you the Keystore tab, you can choose Keystore of your choice or can keep it as a default.
Click on Next.

In the Attributes tab, enter the User Identifier attribute and additional attributes if there are any and proceed to the next screen.

Select the SP you previously set up as Default SP from the dropdown.

Click on Create to complete the setup.

You can find your IDP listed on sidebar as submenu to Username and Password.
Select your IDP name, then navigate to the IDENTITY PROVIDER tab and click on View SAML Metadata to save the metadata XML file.

Switch to the EXECUTION FLOW tab, select Find User and Validate Password.
Click on Prepared Statement Executor Valve and provide the attributes givenName, mail and sn Attributes box and click on Save.

You have successfully configured PhenixID as SAML IdP (Identity Provider) for achieving PhenixID SSO login into your Joomla Site.

Step 3: Configure Joomla as SP (Service Provider)

In Joomla SAML plugin, go to Service Provider Setup tab. There are three ways to configure the plugin:

A. By uploading IDP metadata:

In Joomla SAML plugin, go to Service Provider Setup tab, then click on Upload IdP Metadata.

B. By Metadata URL:

Enter Metadata URL (Copy from IDP app) and click on Fetch button.

C. Manual Configuration:

Copy SAML Entity ID, SAML Single-Sign-On Endpoint URL and X.509 certificate from Federation Metadata document and paste it in Idp Entity ID or Issuer, Single Sign-on URL, X.509 Certificate fields respectively in the plugin.

IdP Entity ID or Issuer	SAML Entity ID in the Federation Metadata document
Single Sign-On URL	SAML Single-Sign-On Endpoint URL in the Federation Metadata document
X.509 Certificate Value	X.509 Certificate in the Federation Metadata document

Step 4: Attribute Mapping - Premium Feature

Attributes are user details that are stored in your Identity Provider.
Attribute Mapping helps you to get user attributes from your Identity Provider (IDP) and map them to Joomla user attributes like firstname, lastname, address, phone etc.
While auto registering the users in your Joomla site these attributes will automatically get mapped to your Joomla user details.
Go to Attribute Mapping tab and fill in all the fields.

Username:	Name of the username attribute from IdP (Keep NameID by default)
Email:	Name of the email attribute from IdP (Keep NameID by default)
Name:	Name of the name attribute from IdP

You can check the Test Configuration Results under Service Provider Setup tab to get a better idea of which values to map here.

Note: You can see how Attribute Mapping works here.

Step 5: Group Mapping - Premium Feature

Group/Role mapping helps you to assign specific roles to users of a certain group in your Identity Provider (IdP).
While auto registering, the users are assigned roles based on the group they are mapped to.

Group/Role mapping helps you to assign specific roles to users of a certain group in your Identity Provider (IdP).
While auto registering, the users are assigned roles based on the group they are mapped to.

Note: You can see how Group/Role Mapping works here.

Step 6: Redirection & SSO Links

Go to Login Settings tab. You can add login Url to Perform SAML SSO in your Joomla site by following the steps below.
There are multiple features available in this tab like Auto redirect the user to Identity Provider and Enable Backend Login for Super Users. To use these features, click on the respective checkboxes.

Click on the Upgrade tab to check out our complete list of features and various licensing plans. OR you can click here to check features and licensing plans.
In case, you are facing some issue or have any question in mind, you can reach out to us by sending us your query through the Support button in the plugin or by sending us a mail at joomlasupport@xecurify.com.

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