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 LDAP FacadeMoonshotUnityCILogon
Description

LDAP Facade is a solution to access non-web resources via PAM (e.g. available via for  SSH protocol) based on the idea of FACIUSaccess).

The LDAP Facade application works as SAML SP, implements a web portal for admins administrators (management) and users (resource provisioning), as well as LDAP and REST API interfaces for non-web resources.

Moonshot is a single, unifying technology that enables you to effectively manage and control access to a wide range of web and non-web services and applications.It builds on deployed, proven technology, including:

  • Authentication as used by eduroam (EAP/RADIUS)
  • Authorisation as used by many national federations (SAML)
  • Service/application integration as used by many major applications (GSI-API).

Unity is a complete solution for identity, federation and inter-federation management. It allows its administrators to enable authentication (or login) using various protocols, with different configurations for many relaying parties. The actual authentication can be performed using the built-in, feature-rich users database or can be delegated to one of supported upstream IdPs. The information obtained from upstream IdPs can be flexibly translated and merged with the local database (if needed) and re-exported using other protocols.

Thus typical Unity use case is working as proxy IdP or token translation service.

CILogon is a solution that provides a federated X.509 Certification Authority. The users may login to CILogon web portal using credentials from their home institutionas and request (typically short-term) certificates and the service automatically signs the requested certificates. Then the certificate may be used to access non-web resources.
OrganizationKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)JiscInterdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling University of Warsaw (ICM)
PL-Grid
UNICORE
Cybersecurity Directorate, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois.
WWWhttp://wiki.data.kit.edu/index.php/LDAP-Facade

https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/moonshot

https://wiki.moonshot.ja.net

http://www.unity-idm.euhttp://www.cilogon.org
Maturity

There is a production instance working for Federation of non Web-based Services in the State of Baden-Württemberg (https://bwidm.scc.kit.edu/), however this software relies on bwIDM-specific attributes and cannot is not designed to work with other IdPs.

The tested development version does not relying rely on these attributes and with some more enchancements is under developmentprovides additional features.

Moonshot has a couple of pilot installations.

Assent (

production?) installations.
 

https://www.jisc.ac.uk/assent) is a production service instance of the Trust Router component of Moonshot.

The Diamond Light Source (https://community.jisc.ac.uk/system/files/288/MoonshotDiamond.pdf) is in the process of turning pilot service into a production service.

Along with a couple of pilot instances, it has been running in production for EUDAT and CLARIN

CILogon (https://cilogon.org/)  is a research and scholarship service provider in the InCommon federation, in production since 2010.
Project start2013201020122009 
Protocols
Translate fromSAML 2SAML/RADIUS(one time) Local username/passwords
challenge-response
X509
LDAP/AD
SAML 2
OpenId OIDC
OAuth 2.0
SAML
OpenId
OAuth
Translate toLDAPGSS-APIWeb UI
SAML 2 Web
SAML 2 WS
OpenId
OAuth1 OIDC
OAuth 2.0
LDAP (under development)
X509
Typical Use Case
Use CaseAccess to resource via ssh/sftp, gridFTP in plansplannedAccess to web and non-web resources , e.g. GSS enabled SSH server, Apache, MS ExchangeTranslation

Access to Web-browser based resources and translation between different SSO protocols, (inter-) federation, IdMaaS

Provide certificates for accessing grid resources (gridFTP, WS, Globus Gatekeeper)
ExamplebwIDM (Federation of non Web-based Services in the State of Baden-Württemberg)EUPanData (access to data using Shibboleth authenticationThe Diamond Light Source (https://community.jisc.ac.uk/system/files/288/MoonshotDiamond.pdf)EUDAT B2ACCESS and CLARINCILogon Service (provide certificates for InCommon federation)(https://cilogon.org/)  is a research and scholarship service provider in the InCommon federation.
Requirements
R4 Community-based authorisation(tick)(tick)(tick)(tick)
R7 Federation solutions based on open and standards-based technologies(tick)(tick)(tick)(tick)
R8 Persistent user identifiers(tick)(tick)(tick)(tick)
R9 Unique user identities(tick)(tick)(tick)(tick)
R11 Up-to-date identity information

(question)

In the current implementation, the IdP must support either ECP or and the SAML AQ SAML profile, which is not commonly the common case for IdPs. A solution to overcome this is under development.

(tick)(tick)(tick)
R12 User groups and roles

(question)

Managing groups require defining rules based on attributes exposed by IdP.
Roles are not supported by Unix accounts.

(question)

Roles are not supported by Unix accounts.

(tick)

(question)

Support for groups usually requires some extensions to the (proxy) certificate (e.g. VOMS) not supported by plain CILogon. This functionality was added by AARC CILogon pilots.

R14 Browser & non-browser based federated access(tick)(tick)

(question)

For non-web SSH/SFTP access LDAP endpoint (under implementation) could be used, but:

  1. It us is still under development
  2. It doesn't fulfil R11does not fulfill R11

X509 endpoint is not a part of Unity, but it is possible to combine the solution with online CA like RCAuth (deployed in B2ACCESS).

(tick)
R1 User and Service Provider friendliness
User

(lightbulb)  Requires Supports registration step (accept terms and conditions, setup local password if required) -to be done once via web interface.

(thumbs up) Standard/legacy client software

(thumbs up) If ECP or AQ SAML profile can be used,  the user may login directly to the resource

(thumbs down) If ECP or AQ SAML profile cannot be used,  the user must login to the web interface prior logging to the resource (both solutions work with tokens or limited time accounts)

(thumbs down) Lack of help/howto.

(thumbs up) Standard/legacy client software works if properly implements GSS-API (e.g. web browsers)

(thumbs down) Standard/legacy client software without GSS-API doesn't work, additional components on user side must be installed (e.g. OpenSSH)

(thumbs up) Good documentation, mailing list and support

 

(thumbs up) Support for user registration

(thumbs up) Specific home page for users to view their attributes

(thumbs up) Multiple authentication methods supported

(thumbs up) Web interface easy to use

(thumbs up) Good documentation

(thumbs up) US scenario: user can easily obtain certificate

(thumbs up) AARC scenario: user does not need any knowledge of certificates, private keys etc.

(thumbs up) AARC scenario will allow for downloading 'opaque' token for specific use-cases.

(thumbs up) AARC scenario: user can access X.509-based resources (e.g. storage) without the need of a certificate on laptop or browser.

(thumbs up)Scenarios provide IGTF-approved certificates.

 

Service Provider

(thumbs down) Software is not packaged, must be compiled, deployed and  configured by the admin

(thumbs up) Good installation documentation

(thumbs up) The web portal is complex -gives lots of functionality (resource management, group management, rules, statistics)

(thumbs down) Lack of portal help/howto and general documentation (description of concepts etc.)

(thumbs down) There is need for certain versions of underlying software, thus it is recommended to install some pieces manually

(thumbs down) The piloting showed some issues with underlying software (e.g.

(thumbs down) Admin interface is not completely translated to English

(thumbs up) Complete servers on live-DVD

(thumbs down) Still there can be an issues after OS update

(thumbs down) Deployment on existing system may be more difficult

(thumbs up) Comprehensive documentation, mailing list and support

(lightbulb)  Requires authentication infrastructure -the approach is good to build things from scratch, but difficult to be deployed in existing infrastructure

 

(thumbs up) Web interface easy to use

(thumbs up) HTTP (REST) API available

(thumbs up) Very flexible configuration: a number of authentication methods on input and output, customizable layout, etc..

(thumbs up) Good documentation, tutorial, HOWTO, mailing list and support

(thumbs up) AARC scenario allows easy integration with existing Science Gateways, allowing those service providers to grant access to X.509-based resources.

(thumbs up)Scenarios provide IGTF-approved certificates.

(thumbs down) AARC scenario needs customized code for 'MasterPortals' and slightly modified code for central CA.

(lightbulb) Running a 'MasterPortal' requires reasonably safe infrastructure (needs to follow private-key protection guidelines).