Guide to Configure ASP.NET Framework SAML SSO using PingFederate as IDP

Overview

ASP.NET SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) module gives the ability to enable SAML Single Sign-On for your ASP.NET applications. Using Single Sign-On you can use only one password to access your ASP.NET application and services. Our module is compatible with all the SAML compliant identity providers. Here we will go through a step-by-step guide to configure Single Sign-On (SSO) between ASP.NET and PingFederate considering PingFederate as IdP.

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Pre-requisites : Download And Installation

• To install the miniOrange SAML SSO NuGet package in your .NET application, simply install the miniOrange NuGet package on top of your application.

NuGet Package

.NET CLI

PM> NuGet\Install-Package miniOrange.SAML.SSO

> dotnet add package miniOrange.SAML.SSO

• After Installation, open your browser and browse the module dashboard with the URL below:

 http(s)<your-dotnet-application-base-url>?ssoaction=config


• If the registration page or login page pops up, you have successfully added the miniOrange SAML SSO module in your application.

• Register or log in with your account by clicking the Register button to configure the module.

• After successful registration, you will receive a trial license key on your registered email address.

• To activate the module, you can either:
• Enter the license key received via email in the provided input field.

OR

• Upload the license file that you downloaded by clicking on the Click Here button.

• Then, check the box "I have read the above conditions and I want to activate the module", and click the Activate License button.

Configuration Steps

1. Provide .NET Application Metadata to PingFederate Identity Provider

There are two ways detailed below with which you can get the SAML SP metadata to configure onto your Identity Provider end.

A] Using SAML metadata URL or metadata file

• In the Plugin Settings menu, look for Service Provider Settings. Under that, you can find the metadata URL as well as the option to download the SAML metadata.

• Copy metadata URL or download the metadata file to configure the same on your identity provider end.

• You may refer to the screenshot below:

B] Uploading metadata manually

• From the Service Provider Settings section, you can manually copy the service provider metadata like SP Entity ID, ACS URL, Single Logout URL and share it with your identity provider for configuration.

• You may refer to the screenshot below:

• Login to your Ping Federate User Admin dashboard.
• Click on the Identity Provider in the left navigation menu.
• Under SP CONNECTION, click on Create New button.

• Select the Browser SSO Profiles connection template on the Connection Type tab and click Next.

• Select Browser SSO on the Connection Options tab and click Next.

• Select File as the method to import metadata, then click Choose File and upload the miniOrange SSO plugin’s metadata file (downloaded in Step 1a) under the Import Metadata tab. Click Next to continue.

• Review the information on the Metadata Summary tab and click Next.
• In the General Info tab ensure that the Service Provider’s Entity ID, Connection Name, and Base URL fields pre-populate based on the metadata. Click Next.

• Navigate to the Browser SSO tab and click on the Configure Browser SSO. You will be redirected to Browser SSO Setup wizard.
  • Select the IdP-Initiated SSO and SP-Initiated SSO options on the SAML Profiles tab and click Next.
  
  
  
  • Enter your desired assertion validity time from on the Assertion Lifetime tab and click Next. By default, it is configured 5 minutes for both.
  • Navigate to the Assertion Creation and click on the Configure Assertion Creation. You will be redirected to the assertion creation setup wizard.
    • In the Identity Mapping tab select STANDARD and click Next.
    • Select a Subject Name Format for the SAML_SUBJECT on the Attribute Contract tab and click Next.
    • Click Map New Adapter Instance on the Authentication Source Mapping.
    
    
    
    • Select an Adapter Instance and click Next. The adapter must include the user’s email address.
    
    
    
    • Select the Use only the adapter contract values in the SAML assertion option on the Mapping Method tab and click Next.
    • Select your adapter instance as the Source and the email as the Value on the Attribute Contract Fulfilment tab and click Next.
    
    
    
    • (Optional) Select any authorization conditions you would like on the Issuance Criteria tab and click Next.
    • Click Done on the Summary.
    • Click Next on the Authentication Source Mapping tab.
    • Click Done on the Summary tab.
    • Click Next on the Assertion Creation.

• Navigate to the Protocol Settings tab of the Browser SSO wizard and click on the Configure Protocol settings.
  • Select POST for Binding and specify the single sign-on endpoint URL in the Endpoint URL field on the Assertion Consumer Service URL Click Next.
  
  
  
  • Select POST on the Allowable SAML Bindings tab and click Next.
  • Select your desired signature policies for assertions on the Signature Policy tab and click Next.
  
  
  
  • Select your desired encryption policy for assertions on the Encryption Policy tab and click Next.
  • Click Done on the Protocol Settings Summary tab.

• Navigate to the Credentials and click on the Configure Credentials. You will be redirected to the Credentials setup wizard.
  • Select the Signing Certificate to use with the Single Sign-On service and select Include the certificate in the signature element in the Digital Signature Settings tab. Click Done.
  
  
  
  • Click Done on the Summary.
  • Click Next on the Credentials.

• Select Active for the Connection Status on the Activation & Summary tab and click Save.
• Now, navigate to the Ping Federate User Admin dashboardè Identity Provider.
• Click Manage All under SP Connections.
• Click Export Metadata for the desired service provider connection.
• Click Export on the Export & Summary tab and click Done.

2. Configure PingFederate Identity Provider Metadata in .NET Application

• Click on the Select your IDP button to configure a new Identity Provider.

• Under the Plugin Settings tab, select PingFederate as your identity provider from the list shown.

There are two ways detailed below with which you can configure your SAML Identity Provider metadata in the module.

A] Upload metadata using the Upload IDP Metadata button:

• If your identity provider has provided you with the metadata URL or metadata file (.xml format only), then you can simply configure the identity provider metadata in the module using the Upload IDP Metadata option.

• Copy metadata URL or download the metadata file to configure the same on your identity provider end.

• You may refer to the screenshot below:

• You can choose any one of the options according to the metadata format you have available.

B] Configure the identity provider metadata manually:

• After configuring your Identity Provider, it will provide you with IDP Entity ID, IDP Single Sign On URL and SAML X509 Certificate fields respectively.

• Click Save to save your IDP details.

3. Testing SAML SSO

• After uploading the metadata details, navigate to the Identity Provider Settings section. Hover over the Select Actions dropdown and click on Test Configuration.

• The screenshot below shows a successful result. Click on SSO Integration to further continue with the SSO Integration.

• If you are experiencing any error on the module end you’ll be shown with the window similar to below.

• To troubleshoot the error you can follow the below steps:

• Under Troubleshoot tab, enable the toggle to receive the plugin logs.

• Once enabled, you will be able to retrieve plugin logs by navigating to Plugin Settings tab and clicking on Test Configuration.

• Download the log file from the Troubleshoot tab to see what went wrong.

• You can share the log file with us at aspnetsupport@xecurify.com and our team will reach out to you to resolve your issue.

4. Attribute Mapping

• After testing the configuration, Map your application attributes with the Identity Provider (IdP) attributes.

• From the left-hand menu of the miniOrange ASP.NET SAML SSO Module, click on Attribute/Role Mapping tab as shown in the image.

• If you want to pass additional attributes from your IdP, enter the Attribute Name and corresponding Attribute Value under Custom Attribute Mapping.

• Note: All the mapped attributes will be stored in the session so that you can access them in your application.

• Once the attributes are mapped, click Save Attribute Mapping to apply changes.

5. Integration Code

• This steps allow you to retrieve the SSO user information in your application in the form of session.

• You can also look the setup tour to understand how the SSO integration would work in your asp.net module application.

• Just copy-paste that code snippet wherever you want to access the user attributes.

• Note: With the trial module the authenticated user details are stored in session variables. Support of setting user claims using Header-based, Forms-Cookie-based, JWT-based authentication is available in our premium plugin.

6. Login Settings

• Hover on Select Actions and click on Copy SSO Link.

• Use the following URL as a link in the application from where you want to perform SSO:

  https://<asp.net-module-base-url>/?ssoaction=login


• For example, you can use it as:

  <a href="https://<asp.net-module-base-url>/?ssoaction=login">Log in</a>


7. Logout Settings

• Use the following URL as a link to your application from where you want to perform SLO:

  https://<asp.net-module-base-url>/?ssoaction=logout


• For example, you can use it as:

  <a href="https://<asp.net-module-base-url>/?ssoaction=logout">Log out</a>


Related Articles

• ASP.NET SAML SSO
• ASP.NET OAuth SSO
• ASP.NET Two Factor Authentication (2FA)

Get in Touch

Please reach out to us at aspnetsupport@xecurify.com, and our team will assist you with setting up the ASP.NET Framework SAML SSO. Our team will help you to select the best suitable solution/plan as per your requirement.