Goal

Configure SAML Single Sign-On for Atlassian Data Center to work with Keycloak, using Just-in-Time provisioning to automatically create and update users during Single Sign On.

Prerequisites

  • Identity Provider Keycloak
  • Your Atlassian Data Center or Server application must be accessible via HTTPS. (read more about it in the Atlassian documentation, i.e. for Jira or Confluence)

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

This setup guide describes how to complete the initial setup for SAML Single Sign On (SSO) Add-on with Keycloak,
applicable for Add-on version starting 3.1.0. If you need any further support, please feel free to contact us here.
 

Install the SAML SSO for Atlassian Data Center app


In your Atlassian product, open the in-product marketplace as described in the Atlassian documentation.
Search for "resolution saml" and click "Install" for SAML Single Sign On (SSO) by resolution Reichert Network Solutions GmbH



After the installation is complete, click on Manage, then choose Configure

Now, you are on the Add-on / app configuration page and the first step of the setup wizard will appear.

install_saml_sso



Configure the SAML SSO for Atlassian Data Center app

Add new Identity Provider (IdP)

Click on Add new IdP to start the wizard.

Adding a new IdP can also be done outside the wizard in the app configuration section Identity Providers

Select Keycloak for the Identity Provider. For the Authentication Protocol keep SAML2.
You may also change the name and add a description. The name needs to be unique.
Click on Next.

Retrieve SAML Metadata for Keycloak Client

The next step enables you to retrieve the information Keycloak needs to work with our SAML SSO app.
Right click on the link highlighted below and save the linked content, a file in xml format.

Click on Next and pause the SAML SSO for Atlassian Data Center app configuration for a moment.

Configure Keycloak

Head over to your Keycloak administration console 


Select the realm, if you've more than one configured (this example is using the realm called zizo)

Select Clients and Import client 

and use Browse to open the xml file you've saved earlier, then click on Save

Leave the main settings untouched unless you know what to configure beyond standard configuration.

Keycloak attributes for creating and updating users with Just In-Time provisioning

In order to create and/ or update users and assign groups to them during Single Sign On, you need to configure mappers in Keycloak. 

Go to the Client scopes tab, and click on the entry that ends with /samlsso-dedicated

Click on Add predefined mapper

Choose X500 email, X500 givenName and X500 surname then click on Add

Edit each of the added mappers to adjust the SAML Attribute Name as follows. For the givenName, the SAML Attribute Name should be firstName

Similarly, do the same for the surnamelastName, and for the emailemail

It should look like this

Keycloak attributes for managing groups with Just In-Time provisioning 

Create a mapper for the group by clicking on Add mapper and choosing "By configuration" from the drop down list

Then choose Group list

Edit the group mapper by giving it a name "group" and enable the Single Group Attribute option

The complete list of mappers should look like this:


You may now continue with the SAML SSO app configuration.

Import Keycloak IdP Metadata into the SAML SSO for Atlassian Data Center app

You can choose from the following options in the Metadata Upload dropdown

  1. Help me generate a metadata URL
  2. I have a metadata URL
  3. I have a metadata XML file
  4. I want to past my metadata XML
  5. I don't have any metadata and want to enter the data manually


The preferred option is 2, using the metadata URL from Keycloak which will allow automatic updates of the metadata later.

You can construct the metadata URL yourself:

https://<your-keycloak-instance-name/auth/realms/<your-realm-in-lowercase>/protocol/saml/descriptor

Opening the URL should reveal an XML file with a first node called <EntitiesDescriptor xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:metadata" xmlns:dsig="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" Name="urn:keycloak">


In the Import SAML IdP Metadata screen of the wizard, select the following options and paste the URL:

Proceed with the next steps described below.

Configure the remaining SAML SSO for Atlassian Data Center app settings 

User ID attribute and transformation

It's recommended to leave this option checked.
Click on Next.

User creation and update

This part of the configuration defines how just in-time provisioning is working, creating users not manually in the Atlassian application,
but during Single Sign On with Keycloak

  • select Update from SAML-Attributes as User Update Method
  • check the Create New Users box
  • select a directory to create the new users in, usually the default user directory
  • if you want, you could also update users who were not created by the SAML SSO app by checking the corresponding box
  • enter {firstName} {lastName} as Full Name Attribute

  • enter email as Email Attribute

Click Save & Next to proceed.

Scroll down to the Group Settings.

Add group as the attribute to read the groups from, as configured earlier in Keycloak.

Depending on your Atlassian product, it is a good idea to set default user groups for new users, 
such as jira-software-users for Jira or confluence-users for Confluence. You only need to do this, if these
groups are not already assigned to the users in Keycloak.

Without assigning new users to the Atlassian product specific group, they are not able to use it.

Also, feel free to activate any option which suits your needs.

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Test the configuration of the SAML SSO for Atlassian Data Center app

As a last step you can test your settings which can be executed by clicking on the corresponding Start test button.

Copy the link displayed and paste it into a new incognito/ private browsing window, and execute a login against Keycloak,
using a user and password which is a member of your realm in Keycloak.

The status of the authentication process is permanently updated in the window.

If there is any error at this point you need help with, please refer to the troubleshooting guide, which will also help us, should you open a support ticket with us.
Of course the test window above will display a lot of information about the errors already, but requires some deeper knowledge of the SAML protocol.

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Enable login redirection

The last step is to configure redirect options, which you should only do if the test before succeeded.
Selecting Enable SSO Redirect will ensure that users are getting redirected to be logged in via SAML,
instead via the login form as before the SSO setup.

The Override Logged Out URL Method can be left at the default option.
It will redirect users after log out to a default page where they can login again via username and password or SSO again.

Save & Close to complete the setup and close the wizard. You are now ready to use Keycloak with SAML SSO in your Atlassian Data Center application.

If Enable SSO Redirect is enabled, you can login to your Atlassian application manually by browsing to the URL that fits your Atlassian Data Center application as listed below.
Use this URL, if you need to login a local user unknown to the ADFS or if there are any issues with Single Sign On.

  • Jira: https://<baseurl>/login.jsp?nosso
  • Confluence: https://<baseurl>/login.action?nosso
  • Bitbucket: https://<baseurl>/login?nosso
  • Bamboo 5: https://<baseurl>/userlogin!default.action?nosso
  • Bamboo 6: https://<baseurl>/userlogin!doDefault.action?nosso

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