Tutorial: Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO) integration with Eccentex AppBase for Azure

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to integrate Eccentex AppBase for Azure with Microsoft Entra ID. When you integrate Eccentex AppBase for Azure with Microsoft Entra ID, you can:

  • Control in Microsoft Entra ID who has access to Eccentex AppBase for Azure.
  • Enable your users to be automatically signed-in to Eccentex AppBase for Azure 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.
  • Eccentex AppBase for Azure single sign-on (SSO) enabled subscription.

Scenario description

In this tutorial, you configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO in a test environment.

  • Eccentex AppBase for Azure supports SP initiated SSO.

  • Eccentex AppBase for Azure supports Just In Time user provisioning.

To configure the integration of Eccentex AppBase for Azure into Microsoft Entra ID, you need to add Eccentex AppBase for Azure 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 Eccentex AppBase for Azure in the search box.
  4. Select Eccentex AppBase for Azure 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 Eccentex AppBase for Azure

Configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Eccentex AppBase for Azure using a test user called B.Simon. For SSO to work, you need to establish a link relationship between a Microsoft Entra user and the related user in Eccentex AppBase for Azure.

To configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Eccentex AppBase for Azure, 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 Eccentex AppBase for Azure SSO - to configure the single sign-on settings on application side.
    1. Create Eccentex AppBase for Azure test user - to have a counterpart of B.Simon in Eccentex AppBase for Azure 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 > Eccentex AppBase for Azure > 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, perform the following steps:

    a. In the Identifier (Entity ID) text box, type a URL using one of the following patterns:

    Identifier
    https://<CustomerName>.appbase.com/Ecx.Web
    https://<CustomerName>.eccentex.com:<PortNumber>/Ecx.Web

    b. In the Sign on URL text box, type a URL using one of the following patterns:

    Sign on URL
    https://<CustomerName>.appbase.com/Ecx.Web/Account/sso?tenantCode=<TenantCode>&authCode=<AuthConfigurationCode>
    https://<CustomerName>.eccentex.com:<PortNumber>/Ecx.Web/Account/sso?tenantCode=<TenantCode>&authCode=<AuthConfigurationCode>

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Identifier and Sign on URL. Contact Eccentex AppBase for Azure Client support team to get these values. You can also refer to the patterns shown in the Basic SAML Configuration section.

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

    The Certificate download link

  7. On the Set up Eccentex AppBase for Azure section, copy the appropriate URL(s) based on 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 Eccentex AppBase for Azure.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Eccentex AppBase for Azure.
  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 Eccentex AppBase for Azure SSO

  1. Log in to your Eccentex AppBase for Azure company site as an administrator.

  2. Go to Gear icon and click Manage Users.

    Screenshot shows settings of SAML account.

  3. Navigate to User Management > Auth Configurations and click Add SAML button.

    Screenshot shows SAML settings.

  4. In the New SAML Configuration page, perform the following steps.

    Screenshot shows the Azure SAML configuration.

    1. In the Name textbox, type a short configuration name.

    2. In the Issuer Url textbox, enter the Azure Application ID which you copied previously.

    3. Copy Application Url value, paste this value into the Identifier(Entity ID) text box in the Basic SAML Configuration section.

    4. In the AppBase New Users Onboarding, select Invitation Only from the dropdown.

    5. In the AppBase Authentication Failure Behavior, select Display Error Page from the dropdown.

    6. Select Signature Digest Method and Signature Method according to your certificate encryption.

    7. In the Use Certificate, select Manual Uploading from the dropdown.

    8. In the Authentication Context Class Name, select Password from the dropdown.

    9. In the Service Provider to Identity Provider Binding, select HTTP-Redirect from the dropdown.

      Note

      Make sure the Sign Outbound Requests is not checked.

    10. Copy Assertion Consumer Service Url value, paste this value into the Reply URL text box in the Basic SAML Configuration section.

    11. In the Auth Request Destination Url textbox, paste the Login URL value which you copied previously.

    12. In the Service Provider Resource URL textbox, paste the Login URL value which you copied previously.

    13. In the Artifact Identification Url textbox, paste the Login URL value which you copied previously.

    14. In the Auth Request Protocol Binding, select HTTP-POST from the dropdown.

    15. In the Auth Request Name ID Policy, select Persistent from the dropdown.

    16. In the Artifact Responder URL textbox, paste the Login URL value which you copied previously.

    17. Enable Enforce Response Signature Verification checkbox.

    18. Open the downloaded Certificate(Raw) into Notepad and paste the content into the SAML Mutual Certificate Upload textbox.

    19. In the Logout Response Protocol Binding, select HTTP-POST from the dropdown.

    20. In the AppBase Custom Logout URL textbox, paste the Logout URL value which you copied previously.

    21. Click Save.

Create Eccentex AppBase for Azure test user

In this section, a user called Britta Simon is created in Eccentex AppBase for Azure. Eccentex AppBase for Azure supports just-in-time user provisioning, which is enabled by default. There is no action item for you in this section. If a user doesn't already exist in Eccentex AppBase for Azure, a new one is created after authentication.

Test SSO

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

  • Click on Test this application, this will redirect to Eccentex AppBase for Azure Sign-on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

  • Go to Eccentex AppBase for Azure Sign-on URL directly and initiate the login flow from there.

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

Next steps

Once you configure Eccentex AppBase for Azure 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.