Configure Okta for SSO in your Code42 cloud environment

Overview

This tutorial explains how to configure your Code42 cloud environment to use single sign-on (SSO) with Okta. This article applies to environments in the Code42 cloud only. If you have an on-premises authority server, see Configure Okta for SSO in your Code42 environment.

For instructions about how to use Okta with Code42's provisioning provider feature, see How to provision users to Code42 from Okta.

This article assumes you are already familiar with SSO and the SAML standard. For more information about how Code42 implements SSO, see our Introduction to single sign-on.

Compatible Code42 components

Considerations

• Code42 supports service provider-initiated SSO but does not support identity provider-initiated SSO. Therefore, users cannot sign into your Code42 environment from the identity provider's website or application, but instead must log in using a browser bookmark. 

• Okta uses SHA-256 for the SAML signature algorithm, and Code42 also uses SHA-256 by default. If you need to change Code42 to use another algorithm, employ the Code42 API to set the requestAuthnSignatureMethod and requestAuthnDigestMethod attributes. For directions, see Use the Code42 API to set SAML attributes.

Before you begin

Step 1: Determine the server URL for your Code42 environment

When you configure Okta to connect to Code42, you must provide the Code42 server URL. Do the following to obtain the server URL:

1. Sign in to the Code42 console.
2. Navigate to Administration > Integrations > Identity Management.
3. Locate the Code42 service provider metadata URL:
   • When setting up an authentication provider for the first time, the URL appears on the main screen:
     
   • If you previously set up an authentication provider, the URL appears in the authentication provider details:
     
      
4. Copy the Code42 service provider metadata URL and paste it in the address bar of a new browser window. 
   Your Code42 environment's metadata details appear. 
5. Find the AssertionConsumerService and its Location URL value, for example, Location="https://example.com/api/SsoAuthLoginResponse". The first portion of the URL is your Code42 server URL, for example, https://example.com. Record this URL for use later. You will enter this URL to the Server URL field in Okta in Step 3. 
   

Step 2: Add the Okta application for Code42

Step 3: Configure Okta's sign on tab

1. In the Okta Dashboard, go to Applications and select the Code42 app.
2. On the Sign On tab of the Code42 app, click Edit.
3. Copy the Identity Provider metadata link. You will need it in the next step. 
4. Next to Server URL, enter the server URL you recorded from Step 1.
5. Click Save.
   

Step 4: Add Okta as an authentication provider

1. Sign in to the Code42 console.
2. Navigate to Administration > Integrations > Identity Management.
3. Click Add Authentication Provider.
   
4. In Display name, enter an identity provider name to display to users that sign in with SSO.
   If your Code42 environment provides more than one SSO identity provider, users see a list of providers to choose from. They must select the provider configured for their Code42 organization.
5. In Provider's Metadata, ensure that Enter URL is selected and paste the URL for the identity provider metadata XML file.
   Custom domains are not supported
   When entering the URL for the XML metadata file, custom domains are not supported. You must use the standard domain of your identity provider. 
6. Click Create Provider.
   Authentication provider settings appear.
   

7. If you choose not to use the default mapping settings, you can use Attribute Mapping to customize mappings between Code42 platform user attributes and authentication provider SSO assertion attributes.
   1. Click the Edit icon. 
   2. Deselect Use default mapping.
   3. Configure mapping settings for each Code42 platform user attribute.
      Each field supports up to 128 characters. 
      • Username: Specify the SSO identifier or attribute that maps to the Code42 platform username.
        • Select Use nameId to use the SSO name identifier.
        • Select Use attribute tag to enter a custom SSO attribute.
      • Email: Enter the SSO attribute that contains user email addresses.
      • First Name: Enter the SSO attribute that contains user first names.
      • Last Name: Enter the SSO attribute that contains user last names.
   4. Click Save.
8. (Optional) Local Users displays the current user. If there are any other users you want to exempt from using this authentication provider to log in, enter them here. 

Step 5: Test SSO authentication

To avoid impacting your production environment, use a test organization to verify that SSO is working properly. 

Step 6: Apply this provider to production organizations

Step 7: Add new users who sign in with SSO

1. Assign the Code42 app to users or groups in the Okta dashboard. See Okta's documentation for more information.
2. Ensure users are set up in Code42. You can add users manually with the Code42 console to an organization that uses SSO, or deploy Code42 apps to users in an organization that uses SSO. The users in Code42 must have first name, last name, and user name (email address) values that match the users' values in Okta. 

What to expect

External resources

• Wikipedia:
  • Single sign-on
  • SAML
• Okta: Documentation

Related topics

• Introduction to single sign-on
• Identity management