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Azure Active Directory SSO integration with Parallels Desktop

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In this article, you'll learn how to integrate Parallels Desktop with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). SSO/SAML authentication for employees to use Parallels Desktop. Enable your employees to sign in and activate Parallels Desktop with a corporate account. When you integrate Parallels Desktop with Azure AD, you can:

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

You'll configure and test Azure AD single sign-on for Parallels Desktop in a test environment. Parallels Desktop supports only SP initiated single sign-on.

Prerequisites

To integrate Azure Active Directory with Parallels Desktop, you need:

  • An Azure AD user account. If you don't already have one, you can Create an account for free.
  • One of the following roles: Global Administrator, Cloud Application Administrator, Application Administrator, or owner of the service principal.
  • An Azure AD subscription. If you don't have a subscription, you can get a free account.
  • Parallels Desktop single sign-on (SSO) enabled subscription.

Add application and assign a test user

Before you begin the process of configuring single sign-on, you need to add the Parallels Desktop application from the Azure AD gallery. You need a test user account to assign to the application and test the single sign-on configuration.

Add Parallels Desktop from the Azure AD application gallery to configure single sign-on with Parallels Desktop. For more information on how to add application from the gallery, see the Quickstart: Add application from the gallery.

Create and assign Azure AD test user

Follow the guidelines in the create and assign a user account article to create a test user account in the Azure portal called B.Simon.

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, and assign roles. The wizard also provides a link to the single sign-on configuration pane in the Azure portal. Learn more about Microsoft 365 wizards..

Configure Azure AD SSO

Complete the following steps to enable Azure AD single sign-on in the Azure portal.

  1. In the Azure portal, on the Parallels Desktop 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, select the pencil icon for Basic SAML Configuration to edit the settings.

    Screenshot shows how to edit Basic SAML Configuration.

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

    a. In the Identifier textbox, type a URL using the following pattern: https://account.parallels.com/<ID>

    b. In the Reply URL textbox, type a URL using the following pattern: https://account.parallels.com/webapp/sso/acs/<ID>

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Identifier and Reply URL. Please note the Identifier and Reply URL values are customer specific and should be able to specify it manually by copying it from Parallels My Account to the identity provider Azure. Contact Parallels Desktop support team for any help. You can also refer to the patterns shown in the Basic SAML Configuration section in the Azure portal.

    c. In the Sign on URL textbox, type the URL:- https://my.parallels.com/login?sso=1

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

    Screenshot of the Certificate download link.

  6. On the Set up Parallels Desktop section, copy the appropriate URL(s) based on your requirement.

    Screenshot shows to copy configuration appropriate URL.

Configure Parallels Desktop SSO

To configure single sign-on on Parallels Desktop side, you need to send the downloaded Certificate (PEM) and appropriate copied URLs from Azure portal to Parallels Desktop support team. They set this setting to have the SAML SSO connection set properly on both sides.

Create Parallels Desktop test user

In this section, you create a user called Britta Simon at Parallels Desktop. Work with Parallels Desktop support team to add the users in the Parallels Desktop platform. Users must be created and activated before you use single sign-on.

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 Parallels Desktop Sign-on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

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

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

Additional resources

Next steps

Once you configure Parallels Desktop 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 Cloud App Security.