Securing the Admin App

Owned by Jason Hoekstra
Last updated: Oct 12, 2022 by Suganya Rajendran
7 min read

Overview

Admin App v3.0 supports two methods for authentication: web-forms authentication or single-sign on via Open ID Connect (OIDC).  Both utilize ASP.NET Core Identity as the underlying framework.  This page will provide details to configure Admin App based on the selected model.  Please use this as reference for Admin App v2.x, however the  single-sign on via Open ID Connect method is not supported in those product versions.

Admin App Roles

Admin App uses two roles within the application for ODS/API management.  The Super-Administrator role is used to register multiple users with separate roles and privileges along with all ODS / API instances and its functions. The Administrator role is allowed to access only specific ODS / API instances and its functions. This user authentication model pairs well with multi-instance support within Admin App.

1. Super-Administrator (default role for the first user)

The Super-Administrator role is intended for an IT Administrator managing a collection of individual ODS instances, such as found within district collaboratives. 

Super-Administrator Permissions

  • Add a user
  • Assign a role to an added user
  • Register and delete ODS / API instances
  • Change and assign an ODS / API instance to an added user
  • Change user settings for other users
  • Delete a user
  • Plus, all permissions of the Administrator role

2. Administrator

The Administrator role is one that can access one or more ODS instances assigned by the Super-Administrator. This means that users in the Administrator role can only administer ODS / API instances specifically assigned.

Administrator Permissions

  • Manage applications
  • API key/secret creation
  • View descriptors
  • Bulk data uploads
  • Learning standards synchronization

Securing Admin App

  1. Existing form authentication (Please refer here for more details)
  2. Single sign on (SSO)

Web Form Authentication

Click here to open Web Form Authentication setup instructions:

Single Sign-On with Open ID Connect (Admin App v3.x+)

Click here to open Single Sign-On with Open ID Connect setup instructions:

References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/core/security/authentication/social/?view=aspnetcore-3.1&tabs=visual-studio

https://www.keycloak.org/getting-started/getting-started-docker