Setting the login authentication method

By default, Enterprise Manager uses Single Sign-on through Windows Authentication to authenticate users. This allows users to open the Enterprise Manager Console without providing additional authentication. To require users to authenticate themselves at login, you can change the authentication method to Form or SAML. Setting the authentication method is done using the Enterprise Manager CLI, as described below.

To see the current authentication settings, run the command described in Showing the connectivity and login settings.

Setting Single Sign-on authentication

This is the default authentication method, which uses Windows authentication.

To set the authentication method to single sign-on, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method sso

Abbreviated form of --sso: -w

Setting Single Sign-on authentication with Kerberos

Kerberos is an enterprise authentication protocol that uses the concept of tickets and three-way authentication to enable users and computers to identify themselves and secure access to resources.

Using Kerberos SSO, users can seamlessly log into Enterprise Manager and administrators can completely externalize and centrally manage users or group memberships using their existing Kerberos infrastructure.

To set the authentication method to single sign-on with Kerberos, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method sso-kerberos

Setting form authentication

As opposed to Single Sign-on through Windows Authentication, this method requires users to provide a user name and password at login.

To set the authentication method to Form, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method form

Abbreviated parameter: -f

Setting a user timeout

Parameter: --user_timeout

Abbreviated form: -u

When setting --form authentication, you can use this parameter to override the default user idle timeout period (5 minutes) or to disable user idle timeout entirely.

When a user idle timeout value is specified, Enterprise Manager will automatically log out users that have been inactive for the specified time period (or longer).

To set a user timeout when using Form authentication, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method form --user_timeout timeout

Where timeout is the length of time in minutes after which users will be logged out. The minimum permitted value is 1 minute.

For example, to set a user-idle timeout period of two minutes, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method form --user_timeout 2

To disable the user-idle timeout entirely, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method form --user_timeout -1

Specifying an Active Directory domain

Parameter: --domain

Abbreviated form: -m

When setting --form authentication, you can use this parameter to specify an Active Directory domain name that will be used when a user logs in with a user name only (i.e. without a domain name).

To set a user timeout when using Form authentication, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method form --domain DomainName

Where DomainName is the name of the domain.

For example, to set the domain to ad2_acme, run:

aemctl.exe configuration set --authentication_method form --domain ad2_acme

By default, when only a user name is provided in the login form, the domain of the server is used. If the server does not belong to any domain the server machine name will be used instead.

A user who logs in as "doe" will be assumed to identify as "ad2_acme\doe". If a user specifies a fully qualified domain name when logging in, this parameter is ignored.

Setting up SAML authentication

This method requires you to log in via your organization's SAML Identity Provider. The command parameters for setting SAML authentication are the same regardless of your SAML provider, although the parameter values are slightly different.

The setup procedure consists of the following steps:

• Step 1: Set up SAML on Enterprise Manager
• Step 2: Set Up an Enterprise Manager Superuser
• Step 3: Log in to Enterprise Manager and create SAML users

Step 1: Set up SAML on Enterprise Manager

To set the Enterprise Manager authentication method to SAML, run:

Syntax:

aemctl [--d data_folder] configuration set --authentication_method SAML --idp_url SsoUrl --idp_issuer issuer_name --idp_certificate_file CertificateFile [--idp_user_displayname_attribute displayname] [--idp_username_attribute username] [--idp_user_groups_attribute groups]

Example: Using Microsoft Azure as the SAML IdP

aemctl configuration set --authentication_method SAML --idp_url https://login.microsoftonline.com/12854727-3c42-4866-ab29-0c418b8310a1/saml2 --idp_issuer aemdevtest --idp_certificate_file AEMDevTest.pem

Where:

• SsoUrl is the URL of the SAML IdP (Identity Provider) that handles sign-in requests.

  When using Okta, this is the Okta Single Sign-On URL.

  When using Microsoft Azure, this is the Azure AD SAML single sign-on URL.

  Enterprise Manager will direct users to this URL to complete the SAML login operation.

• issuer_name is a unique name that the identity provider uses for SAML 2.0.

  When using Okta, this should be a URL.

  When using Azure, this should be a string.

• CertificateFile - The certificate is used by the IdP to sign the SAML assertions sent to Enterprise Manager. The certificate file can be anywhere on the Enterprise Manager machine, but only needs to be specified with a path when it does not reside in the Enterprise Manager bin directory.

  When using Okta, the certificate must be in .cert format.

  When using Microsoft Azure, the certificate must be in .pem format.

• data_folder - The location of the data folder when it is not the default location such as when Enterprise Manager is installed in a Windows cluster.

Optional Parameters:

The following parameters are optional and should only be used if required by your SAML IdP:

• --idp_user_displayname_attribute - The user display name attribute.
• --idp_username_attribute - By default, with SSO, the SAML Assertion’s “Subject” attribute is used to define the username. Using the subject is the right solution in most situations, but in extreme cases (such as the subject being a transient ID) it may be necessary to provide the username in some other form.
• --idp_user_groups_attribute - The user group attribute.

Step 2: Set Up an Enterprise Manager Superuser

The first time you log in to Enterprise Manager using SAML, you must log in as an Enterprise Manager superuser. This is because none of the existing (or default) Enterprise Manager users are authorized SAML users.

To set up a superuser, run the following command:

aemctl authorization setsuperuser -s username -e ExpirationTimeoutInMinutes -m MasterUserKey

Where:

• username is the superuser user name. The user must be an existing SAML user and can contain any Unicode character up to 255 characters.
• ExpirationTimeInMinutes is the expiration time for the specified user. The maximum is 60 minutes.
• MasterUserKey is your Master User Key.

Step 3: Log in to Enterprise Manager and create SAML users

After setting up SAML authentication, you will be presented with the following page when you try to open the Qlik Enterprise Manager console:

1. Click Log In with SAML.

   You will be redirected to Okta or Microsoft Azure to provide your SAML login credentials.

2. Authenticate yourself with SAML.

   After successful authentication, you will be redirected back to the Enterprise Manager Console.

3. Add authorized SAML users and groups, as described in Managing user permissions.

For information about other CLI options, see Configuring Enterprise Manager using the CLI.

Switching between SAML and SSO/Form authentication

If you wish to switch from SAML to SSO/Form authentication (or vice versa), you may need to clear the existing users from Enterprise Manager. When switching from SAML to SSO/Form authentication, you will not be able to change user permissions or add users unless you clear the existing SAML users. However, when switching from SSO/Form authentication to SAML, you do not need to clear the existing users in order to add/delete users or edit user permissions. You may still want to do this however if you find the presence of non-SAML users distracts you from managing the SAML users.

To export all users to a JSON file, run the following command:

aemctl repository export_acl -f [fullpath\]filename

where filename is the name of the file to which the users will be exported. By default, the file will be exported to the Enterprise Manager bin directory. If you wish the file to be exported to a custom path, include [fullpath\] in the command.

Example:

aemctl repository import_acl -f C:\temp\Enterprise ManagerUsers

To clear all users, run the following command:

aemctl repository clear_acl

To import users from the exported JSON file, run the following command:

aemctl repository import_acl -f [fullpath\]filename

where filename is the name of the file to import. Unless you specified a custom export path, the file will be located in the Enterprise Manager bin directory. If you wish the file to be imported from a custom path, include [fullpath\] in the command.

Example:

aemctl repository import_acl -f C:\temp\Enterprise ManagerUsers

Setting up Personal Access Token authentication for the API

Personal Access Token authentication is only supported with the Enterprise Manager API.

The high-level flow consists of the following steps:

• Step 1: In Okta, create an app integration that uses OpenID Connect

• Step 2: In Enterprise Manager, enable Enterprise Manager to communicate with Okta

• Step 3: In Enterprise Manager, generate a Personal Access Token
• Step 4: Configure the Enterprise Manager API to log in using the Personal Access Token

Step 1: In Okta, create an app integration that uses OpenID Connect

Enterprise Manager uses OpenID Connect to log in with the API. Therefore, before you can use OpenID Connect with Enterprise Manager, you must create a web integration in Okta.

To create a web integration in Okta for use with Enterprise Manager:

1. Log in to your Okta account.
2. Navigate to Applications>Applications and click Create App Integration.
3. In the Create a new app integration dialog, select OIDC - Open IDConnect.
4. Select Web Application as the Application type and click Next.
5. In the New Web Integration page, configure the following fields:
   • App Integration Name: The name of your App integration. For example, QEM OpenID Connect.
   • Select Refresh Token.

   • In the Sign-in redirect URIs field, enter the following:

     https://EnterpriseManagerMachine/attunityenterprisemanager/rest/login_openid

     Where EnterpriseManagerMachine is the host name or IP address of your Enterprise Manager machine.

6. Clear the Enable immediate access with Federation Broker Mode option, and then click Save.
7. Copy your Client ID and Client secret. You will need to provide these parameters in the next stage.

8. Assign the app integration to the users or groups that you want to allow to use the Personal Access Token.

   For details, see Assign app integrations.

Step 2: In Enterprise Manager, enable Enterprise Manager to communicate with Okta

To enable Enterprise Manager to communicate with Okta, open a CMD prompt as admin and change the working directory to <Enterprise Manager-INSTALL-DIR>\bin.

Then run the following command:

Syntax

aemctl.exe configuration set --open_id_authority your-openid-connect-authority --open_id_client_id your-client-id --open_id_client_secret your-secret

Example using Okta

aemctl.exe configuration set --open_id_authority "https://dev-13465054.okta.com" --open_id_client_id "0oa8ohkl5ftweZNWTT5d7" --open_id_client_secret "FJxXqWOpJsROGrthsaVzfUIcNthG6JLA1-nAJH0"

Where:

• --open_id_authority is your Okta URL. For example, https://dev-13465054.okta.com
• --open_id_client_id is the client ID generated in Step 1: Create an app integration that uses OpenID Connect above.
• --open_id_id_client_secret is the client secret generated in Step 1: Create an app integration that uses OpenID Connect above.

Optional Parameters:

The following parameters are optional and should only be used if required by Okta:

• --open_id_additional_scopes - Additional scopes that are added to the scope list when an OpenId Connect login occurs. The default is "groups"
• --api_token_daily_maintenance_time - Determines when the API token maintenance background process runs each day. This should be formatted as HH:mm. The default is "00:30"
• --api_token_lifetime - The number of days a Personal Access Token is valid. The default is "180"
• --open_id_refresh_token_lifetime - The number of days a refresh token is valid. The default is "0" meaning it is valid forever.
• --open_id_user_name_field - The field name for the OpenID Connect user name. The default is "preferred_username".
• --open_id_display_name_field - The field name for the OpenID Connect user display name. The default is "name".
• --open_id_group_field - The field name for an OpenID Connect group. The default is "groups".

Step 3: In Enterprise Manager, generate a Personal Access Token

1. Log in to Enterprise Manager as a SAML user. This must be one of the users/groups that was assigned to the app integration in Step 1: In Okta, create an app integration that uses OpenID Connect above.

   For information on setting up SAML, see Setting up SAML authentication above.

2. In the top right of Enterprise Manager, click the inverted triangle to the right of the user name and select Generate Personal Access Token.

   

   The Generate Personal Access Token dialog opens.

   In the Generate Personal Access Token dialog, you will see one of the following:

   • You do not have a Personal Access Token. This is shown if you have not previously generated a Personal Access Token:
   • Your Personal Access Token expired on <Date>. This is shown if your Personal Access Token has expired.
   • Your Personal Access Token expires on <Date>. This is shown if you already have a Personal Access Token.
     Information noteWhen regenerating a token, you will need to confirm that you want to regenerate the token. This is because API login with the original token will stop working as soon as you generate a new token.

3. Click Generate token.

   The Copy Personal Access Token dialog is displayed.

4. Copy your personal access token. You will need this to log in with the Enterprise Manager API.

See also: Managing Personal Access Tokens

Step 4: Configure the Enterprise Manager API to log in using the Personal Access Token

For instructions, see:

• REST API: Login
• .NET API: Getting started - Login
• Python API: Getting started - Login