Microsoft Patterns & Practices: A Guide to Claims-Based Identity and Access Control - 2nd Edition

Imagine a world where you don't have to worry about authentication. Imagine instead that all requests to your application already include the information you need to make access control decisions and to personalize the application for the user.

In this world, your applications can trust another system component to securely provide user information, such as the user's name or email address, a manager's email address, or even a purchasing authorization limit. The user's information always arrives in the same simple format, regardless of the authentication mechanism, whether it's Microsoft® Windows® integrated authentication, forms-based authentication in a web browser, an X.509 client certificate, or something more exotic. Even if someone in charge of your company's security policy changes how users authenticate, you still get the information, and it's always in the same format. This is the utopia of claims-based identity that A Guide to Claims-Based Identity and Access Control describes.

This is the second edition of this popular guide. It has been extensively updated to include new features and changes to the underlying technologies; and extends the coverage to encompass Windows Azure® Access Control Service, REST-based service authentication, and the use of claims-based authentication in Microsoft SharePoint® 2010. As you'll see, claims provide an innovative approach for building all types of applications that must authenticate and authorize users. 

This edition also has a set of associated Hands-on-Labs that will help you to better understand the way that the example application works, how you can extend it with additional functionality, and how you can implement some of the advanced scenarios described in the guide.

 

Component Description The Guide An Introduction to Claims explains what a claim is and provides general rules on what makes good claims and how to incorporate them into your application. It's probably a good idea that you read this chapter before you move on to the scenarios. Claims-Based Architectures shows you how to use claims with browser-based applications and smart client applications. In particular, the chapter focuses on how to implement single sign-on for your users, whether they are on an intranet or an extranet. This chapter is optional. You don't need to read it before you proceed to the scenarios. Claims-Based Single Sign-On for the Web and Windows Azure is the starting point of the path that explores the implementation of single sign-on and federated identity. This chapter shows you how to implement single sign-on and single sign-out within a corporate intranet. Although this may be something that you can also implement with Integrated Windows Authentication, it is the first stop on the way to implementing more complex scenarios. It includes a section for Windows Azure™ technology platform that shows you how to move the claims-based application to the cloud. Federated Identity for Web Applications shows how you can give your business partners access to your applications while maintaining the integrity of your corporate directory and theirs. In other words, your partners' employees can use their own corporate credentials to gain access to your applications. Federated Identity with Windows Azure Access Control Service is the start of a parallel path that explores Windows Azure Access Control Service (ACS) in the context of single sign-on and federated identity. This chapter extends the scenarios described in the previous chapter to enable users to authenticate using social identity providers such as Google and Windows Live® network of Internet services. Federated Identity with Multiple Partners is a variation of the federated identity scenario that shows you how to federate with partners who have no issuer of their own as well as those who do. It demonstrates how to use the ASP.NET MVC framework to create a claims-aware application. Federated Identity with Multiple Partners and Windows Azure Access Control Service extends the scenarios described in the previous chapter to include ACS to give users additional choices for authentication that include social identity providers such as Google and Windows Live. Claims Enabling Web Services is the first of a set of chapters that explore authentication for active clients rather than web browsers. This chapter shows you how to use the claims-based approach with web services, whereby a partner uses a smart client that communicates with identity providers and token issuers using SOAP-based services. Securing REST Services shows how to use the claims-based approach with web services, whereby a partner uses a smart client that communicates with identity providers and token issuers using REST-based services. Accessing REST Services from a Windows Phone Device shows how you can use claims-based techniques with Windows Phone™ wireless devices. It discusses the additional considerations that you must take into account when using claims-based authentication with mobile devices. Claims-Based Single Sign-On for Microsoft SharePoint 2010 begins a path that explores how you can use claims-based identity techniques with Microsoft SharePoint 2010. This chapter shows how SharePoint web applications can use claims-based authentication with an external token issuer such as ADFS to enable access from both internal locations and externally over the web. Federated Identity for SharePoint Applications extends the previous chapter to show how you can use federated identity techniques to enable users to authenticate using more than one identity provider and token issuer. The companion samples The samples illustrate all scenarios covered in the book. They provide a “single box” experience with minimal infrastructure requirements. Click here to download this release.