What is Single Sign-On (SSO)?
Single Sign-On (SSO) is a process in which your username and password give you access to multiple UofG services without requiring you to retype your credentials each time you access a new service. As an example, if you log into Courselink (University of Guelph’s online learning environment), you will be able to schedule your Physics labs, access your Distance Education grades or download software (from UofG’s Software Download) without entering your credentials again despite the fact that these four services are offered by different departments or organizations in geographically different locations. You authenticate with the central SSO service just once and the SSO service will then manage your authentication with other SSO-enabled services behind the scenes until you log out or your SSO session expires.
We keep expanding the list of SSO partners [1].
SSO is one aspect of Web Access Management - see the WAM section [2] for demos, presentations, and technical details on Access Management, Federation, and SSO. The most recent presentations on the UofG Single Sign On are below (the full listing is in the WAM section [2]):
- COLLABORATE15 conference talk focussing on the Oracle Access Manager technology (solutions, product extensions, lessons learned): session slides [3] and a detailed whitepaper [4] incl. BI Publisher report setup and java REST client development.
- OUCC 2014 presentation on the authentication in the cloud and specifically with Google Apps For Education in PowerPoint [5] or PDF format [6]
- ITSAC presentation [7]on integration GryphMail/Google with SSO (March 13, 2014 meeting)
Logging out from SSO
Before you leave your workstation please log out [8] and close all your browser windows.
Sun to Oracle Transition in 2012/2013
During the Summer and Fall 2012 semesters, most services participating in the Web Access Management/Single Sign On have been transitioned from the Sun Access Manager to the Oracle Access Manager. The last service was transitioned to Oracle Access Manager in September of 2013.
Would you like to try it now?
Then proceed to the SSO Tryout [9]. This will also give you an opportunity to validate your UofG credentials and the setting of your web browser.
NEVER: Reveal your username & password
ALWAYS: Log out & close your browser
Why is it necessary? See the answer [10].