Configure Tivoli Access Manager plug-in for web servers for use with WebSphere Application Server

Tivoli Access Manager plug-in for web servers can be used as a security gateway for the protected WebSphere Application Server resources.

With such an arrangement the plug-in authorizes all user requests before passing the credentials of the authorized user to WebSphere Application Server in the form of an iv-creds header. Trust between the plug-in and WebSphere Application Server is established through use of basic authentication headers containing the single sign-on (SSO) user password.

1. The Tivoli Access Manager plug-in for web servers configuration shows IV headers configured for post-authorization processing, and basic authentication configured as the authentication mechanism and for post-authorization processing, as shown in the following example.

2. After a request is authorized, the basic authentication header is removed from the request (strip-hdr=always) and a new one is added (add-hdr=supply).

3. Included in this new header is the password set when the SSO user is created in Create a trusted user account in Tivoli Access Manager.

4. Specify this password in the supply-password parameter and it is passed in the newly created header. This basic authentication header enables trust between WebSphere Application Server and the plug-in.

5. An iv-creds header is also added (generate=iv-creds), which contains the credential information of the user passed onto WebSphere Application Server. Session cookies are used to maintain session state.

Example

[common-modules]
authentication = BA
session = session-cookie
post-authzn = BA
post-authzn = iv-headers
 [iv-headers]
accept = all generate = iv-creds
 [BA]
strip-hdr = always
add-hdr = supply
supply-password = sso_user_password

What to do next

Configure single sign-on using trust association or Configure single sign-on using trust association interceptor ++

Related tasks

Configure single sign-on capability with Tivoli Access Manager or WebSEAL

Create a trusted user account in Tivoli Access Manager