Tutorial: Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO) integration with Wdesk

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to integrate Wdesk with Microsoft Entra ID. When you integrate Wdesk with Microsoft Entra ID, you can:

  • Control in Microsoft Entra ID who has access to Wdesk.
  • Enable your users to be automatically signed-in to Wdesk with their Microsoft Entra accounts.
  • Manage your accounts in one central location.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need the following items:

  • A Microsoft Entra subscription. If you don't have a subscription, you can get a free account.
  • Wdesk single sign-on (SSO) enabled subscription.

Scenario description

In this tutorial, you configure and test Microsoft Entra single sign-on in a test environment.

  • Wdesk supports SP and IDP initiated SSO.

To configure the integration of Wdesk into Microsoft Entra ID, you need to add Wdesk from the gallery to your list of managed SaaS apps.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > New application.
  3. In the Add from the gallery section, type Wdesk in the search box.
  4. Select Wdesk 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 Microsoft Entra SSO for Wdesk

In this section, you configure and test Microsoft Entra single sign-on with Wdesk based on a test user called Britta Simon. For single sign-on to work, a link relationship between a Microsoft Entra user and the related user in Wdesk needs to be established.

To configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Wdesk, perform the following steps:

  1. Configure Microsoft Entra SSO - to enable your users to use this feature.
    1. Create a Microsoft Entra test user - to test Microsoft Entra single sign-on with B.Simon.
    2. Assign the Microsoft Entra test user - to enable B.Simon to use Microsoft Entra single sign-on.
  2. Configure Wdesk SSO - to configure the single sign-on settings on application side.
    1. Create Wdesk test user - to have a counterpart of B.Simon in Wdesk that is linked to the Microsoft Entra representation of user.
  3. Test SSO - to verify whether the configuration works.

Configure Microsoft Entra SSO

Follow these steps to enable Microsoft Entra SSO.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.

  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Wdesk > Single sign-on.

  3. On the Select a single sign-on method page, select SAML.

  4. 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

  5. On the Basic SAML Configuration section, if you wish to configure the application in IDP initiated mode, perform the following steps:

    a. In the Identifier text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<subdomain>.wdesk.com/auth/saml/sp/metadata/<instancename>

    b. In the Reply URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<subdomain>.wdesk.com/auth/saml/sp/consumer/<instancename>

  6. Click Set additional URLs and perform the following step if you wish to configure the application in SP initiated mode:

    In the Sign-on URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<subdomain>.wdesk.com/auth/login/saml/<instancename>

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Identifier, Reply URL, and Sign-On URL. You get these values from WDesk portal when you configure the SSO.

  7. On the Set up Single Sign-On with SAML page, in the SAML Signing Certificate section, click Download to download the Federation Metadata XML from the given options as per your requirement and save it on your computer.

    The Certificate download link

  8. On the Set up Wdesk section, copy the appropriate URL(s) as per your requirement.

    Copy configuration URLs

Create a Microsoft Entra test user

In this section, you'll create a test user called B.Simon.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a User Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Users > All users.
  3. Select New user > Create new user, at the top of the screen.
  4. In the User properties, follow these steps:
    1. In the Display name field, enter B.Simon.
    2. In the User principal 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. Select Review + create.
  5. Select Create.

Assign the Microsoft Entra test user

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

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Wdesk.
  3. In the app's overview page, select Users and groups.
  4. Select Add user/group, then select Users and groups in the Add Assignment dialog.
    1. In the Users and groups dialog, select B.Simon from the Users list, then click the Select button at the bottom of the screen.
    2. 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.
    3. In the Add Assignment dialog, click the Assign button.

Configure Wdesk SSO

  1. In a different web browser window, sign in to Wdesk as a Security Administrator.

  2. In the bottom left, click Admin and choose Account Admin:

    Screenshot shows Account Admin selected from the Admin menu.

  3. In Wdesk Admin, navigate to Security, then SAML > SAML Settings:

    Screenshot shows SAML Settings selected from the SAML tab.

  4. Under SAML User ID Settings, check SAML User ID is Wdesk Username.

    Screenshot shows SAML User I D Settings where you can select SAML User I D is W desk Username.

  5. Under General Settings, check the Enable SAML Single Sign On:

    Screenshot shows Edit SAML Settings where you can select Enable SAML Single Sign-On.

  6. Under Service Provider Details, perform the following steps:

    Screenshot shows Service Provider Details where you can enter the values described.

    1. Copy the Login URL and paste it in Sign-on Url textbox on Azure portal.

    2. Copy the Metadata Url and paste it in Identifier textbox on Azure portal.

    3. Copy the Consumer url and paste it in Reply Url textbox on Azure portal.

    4. Click Save on Azure portal to save the changes.

  7. Click Configure IdP Settings to open Edit IdP Settings dialog. Click Choose File to locate the Metadata.xml file you saved from Azure portal, then upload it.

    Screenshot shows Edit I d P Settings where you can upload metadata.

  8. Click Save changes.

    Screenshot shows the Save changes button.

Create Wdesk test user

To enable Microsoft Entra users to sign in to Wdesk, they must be provisioned into Wdesk. In Wdesk, provisioning is a manual task.

To provision a user account, perform the following steps:

  1. Sign in to Wdesk as a Security Administrator.

  2. Navigate to Admin > Account Admin.

    Screenshot shows Account Admin selected from the Admin menu.

  3. Click Members under People.

  4. Now click Add Member to open Add Member dialog box.

    Screenshot shows the Members tab where you can select Add Member.

  5. In User text box, enter the username of user like b.simon@contoso.com and click Continue button.

    Screenshot shows the Add Member dialog box where you can enter a user.

  6. Enter the details as shown below:

    Screenshot shows the Add Member dialog box where you can add Basic Information for a user.

    a. In E-mail text box, enter the email of user like b.simon@contoso.com.

    b. In First Name text box, enter the first name of user like B.

    c. In Last Name text box, enter the last name of user like Simon.

  7. Click Save Member button.

    Screenshot shows the Send welcome email with the Save Member button.

Test SSO

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

SP initiated:

  • Click on Test this application, this will redirect to Wdesk Sign on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

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

IDP initiated:

  • Click on Test this application, and you should be automatically signed in to the Wdesk for which you set up the SSO.

You can also use Microsoft My Apps to test the application in any mode. When you click the Wdesk tile in the My Apps, if configured in SP mode you would be redirected to the application sign on page for initiating the login flow and if configured in IDP mode, you should be automatically signed in to the Wdesk for which you set up the SSO. For more information about the My Apps, see Introduction to the My Apps.

Next steps

Once you configure Wdesk 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.