Microsoft Azure AD / Entra ID integration [C IG]

Overview

The AuthorisationService (AS) can integrate into a Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD, aka Microsoft Entra ID). Similar to the LDAP integration, AS will use KeyCloak to synchronize users and groups with AAD. Synchronized users and groups will also be generated in VidiCore.

The configuration is done in ConfigPortal in the Identity Provider configuration. ConfigPortal ensures that the appropriate configuration parameters are entered into KeyCloak.

The AS login screen was adapted to show a button to log in with Azure AD if it is configured. When the button is pressed, the user is forwarded to the AAD login page, including 2-factor authentication if enabled in the AAD.

The synchronization between AAD and KeyCloak is regularly scheduled.

Configuration

AAD configuration

Several configuration steps have to be done in AAD before starting the integration:

Register new SAML application

The following link leads to a tutorial to register a new SAML application in Azure AD

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/saas-apps/saml-toolkit-tutorial

Create a SAML application from the Enterprise application following the steps from the screenshots:

Enable Single sign-on

• In the Enterprise Application, look for the Azure AD SAML service that has been created.

• Go to manage → single sign-on and choose SAML as sign-on method.

• Configure the ‘Sign on URL’ using the AuthService endpoint

Get Client ID and Client Secret for SAML

• Get the Client ID from ‘Application (client) ID’

• Create Client Secret from Certification & secrets

When registering the client within Azure Enterprise Applications, the following permissions are required by Keycloak’s Azure AD Provider plugin to be able to federate users and sync locally:

• Group.Read.All

• GroupMember.Read.All

• User.Read.All

Create an Identity Provider in ConfigPortal

A new identity provider can be created in ConfigPortal

• Go to Settings → Identity Provider → press + → Add Azure AD Configuration

• Fill out the dialog with the data from the AAD:

The “Group Filter” allows to whitelist groups. Only users being member of at least one of these groups will be synced to KeyCloak and VidiCore. This feature can help to reduce the amount of users to be synced and for that reason speed up the sync process a lot.

Be aware that this feature will be enhanced in the future, probably without migration of the existing configuration.

Technical detail information

Microsoft Graph API

Microsoft Graph API is used for most of our enterprise app usages for retrieving data for user federation purpose in Keycloak.

Rest API: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/graph-explorer/

Client Configuration in Keycloak

The following is the Azure Enterprise App configurations used for Keycloak User Federation usage via client-credentials Authentication Flow:

Link Login User And User Imported from User Federation

The NameID Policy Format has to set to Email to allow it to auto-link to user imported from the User Federation

Refer to https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/saml-claims-customization#edit-nameid for NameId Policy