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Form based Authentication using SQL provider in SharePoint 2013

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We know that SharePoint is used to share information internally to users who are part of the organization. When internal users want to access a SharePoint site, they use windows authentication (AD authentication). This is the way most organizations work with SharePoint.

But in some cases we need people who are not a part of your organization to access your SharePoint site. In this case, you need to make sure people accessing your SharePoint sites are legitimate users and are getting authenticated against some authentication source. In this article we will discussing how to make SQL DB as a source of authentication.

To achieve this we need to make changes in 3 web.config files. They are

1. SharePoint Central Admin

2. SharePoint Web Application

3. Security Token Service Application

To start of with, we need to create a web application. In the creating process, under Claims Authentication Types, enable WINDOWS AUTHENTICATION and  FORM BASED AUTHENTICATION (FBA).See the below snapshot

 I have given values to ASP.NET Membership provider name and Role manager name. These values will be used to in the web.config files.

Rest of the options can be the default options and create a web application. Once a web application is created, create a site collection in it. ( You can choose any template ).

Now that the web application is created, lets create a SQL DB where our external user names and there passwords will be stored. To do this, navigate to C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\. Here look for application called aspnet_reqsql and launch it. This will help you created a asp.net aware database. The default database name is aspnetdb.

 

Lets get on to the web.config file editing now.

Open the web.config file of SharePoint 2013 web application and search for <system.web>. Just above <system.web> and below</sharepoint> put the following code.

<connectionStrings>
<add name="SqlConn"
connectionString="server=sqlserver;database=aspnetdb;Trusted_Connection=true"/>
</connectionStrings>

In the code, the connection name is SqlConn, my aspnet database name is aspnetdb and my SQL Server name is sqlserver. Make sure you enter the correct SQL Server name in your code. ( if its on a named instance, please use <servername>\<instancename> format)

Once I connection string is properly entered, search for the tag <membership>, you will find it like the below picture

Replace the entire tag <roleManager> and <membership> with the below code

 

<roleManager enabled="true" defaultProvider="AspNetWindowsTokenRoleProvider">
<providers>
<add connectionStringName="SqlConn"
applicationName="/"
name="sqlr"
type="System.Web.Security.SqlRoleProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.3600.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"/>
</providers>
</roleManager>

<membership defaultProvider="sqlm">
<providers>
<add connectionStringName="SqlConn"
applicationName="/"
name="sqlm"
type="System.Web.Security.SqlMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.3600.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" />
</providers>
</membership>

Save the changes and you are done making changes in 1 of the 3 web.config files. ( Make sure you have entered the correct values of ASP.NET Membership provider name and Role manager name in the above code. I have RED marked those)

Now lets open web.config file of your newly created web application and find for <system.web> tag. Paste the below connection string code

<connectionStrings>
<add name="SqlConn"
connectionString="server=sqlserver;database=aspnetdb;Trusted_Connection=true"/>
</connectionStrings>

In the code, the connection name is SqlConn, my aspnet database name is aspnetdb and my SQL Server name is sqlserver. Make sure you enter the correct SQL Server name in your code. ( if its on a named instance, please use <servername>\<instancename> format)

Now search for <membership tag and you will its a little different when compared to Central Admin web.config file. Below is something similar to what you will see

As you see <membership> tab and <rolemanager> tag already have certain values and parameters already present. All we need to do is append the follow piece of code.

Add the following code before </providers> under <membership defaultprovider="i">

<add connectionStringName="SqlConn"
applicationName="/"
name="sqlm"
type="System.Web.Security.SqlMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.3600.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" />

Add the following code before </providers> under <roleManager defaultprovider="c" enabled ="true" CacheRolesInCookie="false">

<add connectionStringName="SqlConn"
applicationName="/"
name="sqlr"
type="System.Web.Security.SqlRoleProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.3600.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"/>

Save the web.config file and now 2 of the 3 web.config file changes are done!! :)

The last one of the STS ( Security Token Service Application ) web.config file. To make it simple just paste the below code before </configuration> and just after </system.net>

 

<connectionStrings>
<add name="SqlConn"
connectionString="server=sql;database=aspnetdb;Trusted_Connection=true"/>
</connectionStrings>

<system.web>

<membership defaultProvider="sqlm">
<providers>
<add connectionStringName="SqlConn"
applicationName="/"
name="sqlm"
type="System.Web.Security.SqlMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.3600.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" />
</providers>
</membership>

<roleManager enabled="true">
<providers>
<add connectionStringName="SqlConn"
applicationName="/"
name="sqlr"
type="System.Web.Security.SqlRoleProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.3600.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"/>
</providers>
</roleManager>

</system.web>

(I have highlighted the items that you will need to take care of, such as the membership vales, SQL Server name etc.)

Now all that is left is to create users in the aspnetdb database, give them access to SharePoint.

To create users, I will be using membership seeder code present in www.codeplex.com site. Its a FREE tool and simple to use. Once you have downloaded the tool, open the Bin->Release folder and launch the application. Below is the tool interface that you will see ( values filled in the tool depends on your SharePoint farm). I have installed this tool on my SharePoint 2013 Server.

Click on configure, enter your SQL Server name and restart the application.

Enter a dummy user name ( for testing) such as user and for # of Users choose 5. Click create. If the connection between your SP2013 and SQL is proper and if the aspnetdb is created, then the users will also get created.  You can verify by going to the table called dbo.aspnet_Users.

Last thing is to give then access to SharePoint Site. This is done using the User Policy tab from SP2013 Central Administration. Follow the below steps

Choose the web application -> Click on User Policy-> Add Users-> All Zones -> Add the user name created in the database. If the user name gets resolved, the most of your code and changes are working fine. If it does not, go through the code changes that you made in the web.config files.

 

Hope this blog was helpful.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    April 28, 2013
    Could you please post the link, where we could download that codeplex project

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2013
    I can't find the Security Token Service Application,  web.config file. Could you help me please?

  • Anonymous
    May 28, 2013
    Oscar, find below the steps to get hold of STS web.config file. 1.In the console tree of Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, open the SharePoint Web Services site. 2.In the console tree, right-click SecurityTokenServiceApplication, and then click Explore. 3.In the folder window, double-click the Web.Config file.

  • Anonymous
    May 30, 2013
    Any idea how to use Visual Studio to deploy a Report to Reporting Services in SharePoint with FBA? Visual Studio keeps asking for credentials no matter what is entered.

  • Anonymous
    July 28, 2013
    my site has both windows and form based login ....windows is working fine but when i try to login via form based user that i have created through membership seader .....not getting login into site

  • Anonymous
    August 16, 2013
    Nice Blog, For more detailed steps : sharepointumar.wordpress.com/.../configure-forms-based-authentication-for-sharepoint-2013

  • Anonymous
    October 17, 2014
    When compare with AD and SQL Membership, Which one is suitable for internet site and its having registered by more than 20k users.

  • Anonymous
    October 31, 2014
    This Blog is extract of FBA from Operational Standpoint ...Excellent Summary

  • Anonymous
    January 28, 2015
    I am working with SharePoint 2013 public facing site. As of now we are using AD to store all the users record. I proposed to user information in to save SQL membership table. We have around 30 thousand users in our portal. Could you please confirm SQL membership will be useful for  when compare with AD

  • Anonymous
    September 23, 2015
    This worked fine for me.. Excellent

  • Anonymous
    February 02, 2016
    alsoooo worked fine for me....excellent....thanks for providing info.......

  • Anonymous
    March 02, 2016
    hi Ajees .refer this site for sql connection www.splessons.com/.../configuring-forms-based-authentication-in-sharepoint-2013

  • Anonymous
    March 02, 2016
    www.splessons.com/.../configuring-forms-based-authentication-in-sharepoint-2013 for sql based

  • Anonymous
    March 02, 2016
    can u give solution fba using AD? Thanks in advance...