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Tutorial: Azure Active Directory Single sign-on (SSO) integration with Cornerstone

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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to set up the single sign-on integration between Cornerstone and Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). When you integrate Cornerstone with Azure AD, you can:

  • Control in Azure AD who has SSO access to Cornerstone.
  • Enable your users to be automatically signed-in to Cornerstone with their Azure AD accounts.
  • Manage your accounts in one central location - the Azure portal.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need the following items:

  • An Azure AD subscription. If you don't have a subscription, you can get a free account.
  • Enabled SSO in Cornerstone.

Note

This integration is also available to use from Azure AD US Government Cloud environment. You can find this application in the Azure AD US Government Cloud Application Gallery and configure it in the same way as you do from public cloud.

Scenario description

In this tutorial, you configure and test Azure AD SSO in a test environment.

  • Cornerstone supports SP initiated SSO.

  • Cornerstone supports Automated user provisioning.

  • If you are integrating one or multiple products from this particular list then you should use this Cornerstone Single Sign-On app from the Gallery.

    We offer solutions for :

    1. Recruiting
    2. Learning
    3. Development
    4. Content
    5. Performance
    6. Career
    7. HR

To configure the Azure AD SSO integration with Cornerstone, you need to...

  1. Sign in to the Azure portal using either a work or school account, or a personal Microsoft account.
  2. On the left navigation pane, select the Azure Active Directory service.
  3. Navigate to Enterprise Applications and then select All Applications.
  4. To add new application, select New application.
  5. In the Add from the gallery section, type Cornerstone Single Sign-On in the search box.
  6. Select Cornerstone Single Sign-On from results panel and then add the app. Wait a few seconds while the app is added to your tenant.

Alternatively, you can also use the Enterprise App Configuration Wizard. In this wizard, you can add an application to your tenant, add users/groups to the app, assign roles, as well as walk through the SSO configuration as well. Learn more about Microsoft 365 wizards.

Configure and test Azure AD SSO for Cornerstone

Configure and test Azure AD SSO with Cornerstone using a test user called B.Simon. For SSO to work, you need to establish a link relationship between an Azure AD user and the related user in Cornerstone.

To configure and test Azure AD SSO with Cornerstone, perform the following steps:

  1. Configure Azure AD SSO - to enable your users to use this feature.
    1. Create an Azure AD test user - to test Azure AD single sign-on with B.Simon.
    2. Assign the Azure AD test user - to enable B.Simon to use Azure AD single sign-on.
  2. Configure Cornerstone Single Sign-On - to configure the SSO in Cornerstone.
    1. Create Cornerstone Single Sign-On test user - to have a counterpart of B.Simon in Cornerstone that is linked to the Azure AD representation of user.
  3. Test SSO - to verify whether the configuration works.
  4. Test SSO for Cornerstone (Mobile) - to verify whether the configuration works.

Configure Azure AD SSO

Follow these steps to enable Azure AD SSO in the Azure portal.

  1. In the Azure portal, on the Cornerstone Single Sign-On application integration page, find the Manage section and select Single sign-on.

  2. On the Select a Single sign-on method page, select SAML.

  3. On the Set up Single Sign-On with SAML page, click the pencil icon for Basic SAML Configuration to edit the settings.

    Edit Basic SAML Configuration

  4. On the Basic SAML Configuration section, perform the following steps:

    a. In the Identifier text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<PORTAL_NAME>.csod.com

    b. In the Reply URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<PORTAL_NAME>.csod.com/samldefault.aspx?ouid=<OUID>

    c. In the Sign on URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<PORTAL_NAME>.csod.com/samldefault.aspx?ouid=<OUID>

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Reply URL, Identifier and Sign on URL. Please reach out to your Cornerstone implementation project team to get these values. You can also refer to the patterns shown in the Basic SAML Configuration section in the Azure portal.

  5. On the Set up Single Sign-On with SAML page, in the SAML Signing Certificate section, find Certificate (Base64) and select Download to download the certificate and save it on your computer.

    The Certificate download link

  6. On the Set up Cornerstone Single Sign-On section, copy the appropriate URL(s) based on your requirement.

    Copy configuration URLs

Create an Azure AD test user

In this section, you'll create a test user in the Azure portal called B.Simon.

  1. From the left pane in the Azure portal, select Azure Active Directory, select Users, and then select All users.
  2. Select New user at the top of the screen.
  3. In the User properties, follow these steps:
    1. In the Name field, enter B.Simon.
    2. In the User name field, enter the username@companydomain.extension. For example, B.Simon@contoso.com.
    3. Select the Show password check box, and then write down the value that's displayed in the Password box.
    4. Click Create.

Assign the Azure AD test user

In this section, you'll enable B.Simon to use Azure single sign-on by granting access to Cornerstone.

  1. In the Azure portal, select Enterprise Applications, and then select All applications.
  2. In the applications list, select Cornerstone Single Sign-On.
  3. In the app's overview page, find the Manage section and select Users and groups.
  4. Select Add user, then select Users and groups in the Add Assignment dialog.
  5. In the Users and groups dialog, select B.Simon from the Users list, then click the Select button at the bottom of the screen.
  6. If you are expecting a role to be assigned to the users, you can select it from the Select a role dropdown. If no role has been set up for this app, you see "Default Access" role selected.
  7. In the Add Assignment dialog, click the Assign button.

Configure Cornerstone Single Sign-On

To configure SSO in Cornerstone, you need to reach out to your Cornerstone implementation project team. They set this setting to have the SAML SSO connection set properly on both sides.

Create Cornerstone Single Sign-On test user

In this section, you create a user called Britta Simon in Cornerstone. Please work with your Cornerstone implementation project team to add the users in Cornerstone. Users must be created and activated before you use single sign-on.

Cornerstone Single Sign-On also supports automatic user provisioning, you can find more details here on how to configure automatic user provisioning.

Test SSO

In this section, you test your Azure AD single sign-on configuration with following options.

  • Click on Test this application in Azure portal. This will redirect to Cornerstone Sign-on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

  • Go to Cornerstone Sign-on URL directly and initiate the login flow from there.

  • You can use Microsoft My Apps. When you click the Cornerstone Single Sign-On tile in the My Apps, this will redirect to Cornerstone Sign-on URL. For more information about the My Apps, see Introduction to the My Apps.

Test SSO for Cornerstone (Mobile)

  1. In a different browser window, log in to your Cornerstone website as an administrator and perform the following steps.

    a. Go to the Admin -> Tools -> CORE FUNCTIONS -> Core Preferences -> Authentication Preferences.

    screeenshot for Authentication Preferences mobile appilcation Cornerstone.

    b. Search the Division Name by giving the Division Name in the search box.

    c. Click the Division Name in the results.

    d. From the SAML/IDP server URL dropdown, select the appropriate SAML/IDP server that should be used for user Authentication.

    screeenshot for Other credentials validated against client SAML/IDP server.

    e. Click Save.

  2. Go to Admin > Tools > Core Functions > Core Preferences > Mobile.

    a. Select the appropriate Division OU.

    b. Select Allow users in this OU to access the Cornerstone Learn app on their mobile and tablet device and checkbox in Enable Mobile Access.

    c. Click Save.

  3. Open Cornerstone Learn mobile application. On the sign in page, enter the portal name.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation Cornerstone.

  4. Click Alternative Login and then click SSO.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation Alternative Login.

  5. . Enter your Azure AD credentials to sign into the Cornerstone application and click Next.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation Azure AD credentials.

  6. Finally after successful sign in, the application homepage will be displayed as shown below.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation home page.

Next steps

Once you configure Cornerstone Single Sign-On you can enforce Session control, which protects exfiltration and infiltration of your organization’s sensitive data in real time. Session control extends from Conditional Access. Learn how to enforce session control with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.