SAML2 IdP with SimpleSAMLphp Service Provider

This section explains how to configure the WSO2 Identity Server SAML2 IdP with the SimpleSAMLphp Service Provider.

Initially it is necessary to setup SimpleSAMLphp as a service provider. The steps below are tested with Ubuntu.

To setup SimpleSAMLphp as a service provider

1. Install Apache.

   # apt-get install apache2 

2. Install PHP and related extensions.

   # apt-get install php5  
     
   # apt-get install php5-cli  
     
   # apt-get install php5-common  
     
   # apt-get install php5-curl  
     
   # apt-get install php-pear  
     
   # apt-get install php5-mcrypt 

   For Ubuntu users, please install the following extension as well: # apt-get install php5-json

3. Install SimpleSAMLphp.

   # cd /var/simplesamlphp/  
     
   # wget http://simplesamlphp.googlecode.com/files/simplesamlphp-1.11.0.tar.gz  
     
   # tar xvf simplesamlphp-1.11.0.tar.gz  
     
   # mv simplesamlphp-1.11.0 simplesamlphp  
     
   # cd simplesamlphp  
     
   # cp -r metadata-templates/*.php metadata/  
     
   # cp -r config-templates/*.php config 

4. Configure SimpleSAMLphp web in Apache.

   # cd /var/www  
     
   # ln -s /var/simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp/www simplesaml 

5. Start Apache.

   # apachectl start  

6. Access the SimpleSAMLphp web app: http://localhost/simplesaml.

7. Set the SimpleSAMLphp administrator login configuration as follows:

   # cd /var/simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp  
     
   # vi config/config.php  

8. Look for 'auth.adminpassword' and change its value from the default and save the file.
9. Click on 'Login as administrator' from the web page http://localhost/simplesaml.

10. Add a Service Provider to SimpleSAMLphp.

    # cd /var/simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp  
      
    # vi config/authsources.php 

11. Add the following section to the file and save.

    'wso2-sp' => array(  
      
    'saml:SP',  
      
    // The entity ID of this SP.  
      
    // Can be NULL/unset, in which case an entity ID is generated based on the metadata URL.  
      
    'entityID' => 'simplesaml',  
      
    // The entity ID of the IdP this should SP should contact.  
      
    // Can be NULL/unset, in which case the user will be shown a list of available IdPs.  
      
    'idp' => 'https://localhost:9443/samlsso',  
      
    // The URL to the discovery service.  
      
    // Can be NULL/unset, in which case a builtin discovery service will be used.  
      
    'discoURL' => NULL,  
      
    ),

12. Here we assume WSO2 IS is running in localhost on 9443.

13. Add the Identity Provider metadata.

    # cd /var/simplesamlphp/simplesamlphp  
      
    #  vi metadata/saml20-idp-remote.php 

14. Add the following section to the file and save.

    $metadata['https://localhost:9443/samlsso'] = array(  
      
    	'name' => array(  
      
    	'en' =>  'WSO2 IS',  
      
    	'no' =>  'WSO2 IS',  
      
    ),  
      
    	'description'   =>  'Login with WSO2 IS SAML2 IdP.',  
      
    	'SingleSignOnService'  =>  'https://localhost:9443/samlsso',  
      
    	'SingleLogoutService'  => 'https://localhost:9443/samlsso',  
      
    	'certFingerprint'      => '6bf8e136eb36d4a56ea05c7ae4b9a45b63bf975d'  
      
    );

15. Note that metadata ['https://localhost:9443/samlsso'] should match value of 'idp' in step 11.

    6bf8e136eb36d4a56ea05c7ae4b9a45b63bf975d is the thumbprint of the default certificate ships with WSO2 IS. SAML2 Response is signed with this certificate.

16. Install WSO2 Identity Server. The WSO2 Identity Server is available for download here.

17. Start WSO2 Identity Server and add a Service Provider under SAML SSO.

    Issuer: simplesaml

    Assertion Consumer URL: http://localhost/simplesaml/module.php/saml/sp/saml2-acs.php/wso2-sp

    Enable Assertion Signing: True

    Keep the defaults for the rest.

18. Test SimpleSAMLphp.
19. Go to http://localhost/simplesaml and then to "Authentication" and click on "Test configured authentications sources"
20. Pick, "wso2-sp". You are redirected to WSO2 IS SAML2 IdP for login.