External auth providers

Overview

ToBeAlert supports integration with external authentication providers, enabling centralized user identity management and streamlined access control. By connecting to enterprise identity systems, organizations can enforce security policies, simplify user provisioning, and enhance the login experience.

Currently, ToBeAlert offers support for:

• SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) – A widely adopted standard that allows single sign-on (SSO) through trusted identity providers.

• LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) – A protocol used to authenticate users against directory services such as Microsoft Active Directory or OpenLDAP.

These integrations help ensure secure, scalable, and consistent authentication across environments.

Adding an Auth Provider

LDAP

To add an LDAP auth provider navigate to the External auth providers section:

1. Click the Add new auth provider button
2. Select "LDAP"
3. Fill in the required information on each step
4. Save the LDAP configuration

LDAP Connection Properties

Step 1

Property	Description
Name	A descriptive label to identify the LDAP configuration within the application
Server	The hostname or IP address of the LDAP directory server
Port	The network port used to connect to the LDAP server, typically 389 for plain or STARTTLS, and 636 for SSL
SSL	Indicates whether the connection to the LDAP server should be encrypted using SSL

Step 2

Property	Description
LDAP Server URL	The complete LDAP URI specifying the protocol, server, and port
Base Search DN	The distinguished name from which LDAP searches for users or groups will begin
Bind User	The username used to authenticate against the LDAP server when performing searches
Bind Password	The password associated with the Bind User account
Bind DN	The full distinguished name of the account used to bind (authenticate) to the LDAP server

Step 3

Property	Description
User DN Search Base	The distinguished name that defines the starting point in the directory tree for searching user entries
User Search Filter	An LDAP query used to identify user objects based on specific attributes
User DN Pattern	A pattern used to directly construct the full DN of a user

SAML

Best Practices

Best practices for effective auth provider management:

1. Enforce encryption – Always use secure protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS) to protect credentials and identity data in transit.
2. Limit access scope – Define precise Base DNs or attribute filters to restrict access to only the necessary users or groups.
3. Use service accounts for binding – Authenticate with dedicated, non-privileged service accounts to minimize security risks.
4. Regularly review permissions – Periodically audit user roles and directory group mappings to ensure compliance with access policies.
5. Monitor login activity – Log authentication events and monitor for unusual patterns or unauthorized access attempts.