Configuring Sign-in Authentication

Note

The features available depend on your Altium product access level. Compare features included in the various levels of Altium Designer Software Subscription and functionality delivered through applications provided by the Altium 365 platform.

If you don’t see a discussed feature in your software, contact Altium Sales to find out more.

The Company Dashboard Authentication page allows Company Account Administrators to configure and enable Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities for your Company Account, and includes support for SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management) user and group provisioning, which automates the exchange of identity data between your company and its Identity Provider (IdP).

This backend configuration system allows Company Account administrators to establish, test, enable and disable the SSO capability for company users. The SSO option is available when signing in to Altium Designer, AltiumLive, and an Altium 365 Workspace. When set up for Company Account users, SSO offers the convenience of signing in to Altium software and services using the same set of credentials that apply to your company-wide systems.

SAML Single Sign-On Copy Link Copied

When configured and enabled in the Dashboard, the SSO system establishes authorized identities from your company's nominated Identity Provider (IdP), for example Okta, OneLogin, etc, with the ID assertion communications based on the standardized Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML 2.0). The SSO sign-in interface for your company, if not already in place, is usually based on a template or example provided by the IdP – this instigates the SAML-based authentication assertion exchanges and provides access to company services.

In its default state, the Dashboard Authentication page shows the preconfigured URLs for the AltiumLive SSO service (1. Altium metadata configuration), and the option to upload or manually enter your IdP's authorization connection data (2. SAML Identity Provider Configuration).

The IdP configuration metadata, to be uploaded as shown above, should be available from your Identity Provider once it is set up for integration with your company services.

Identity Provider Integration Examples Copy Link Copied

Expand the collapsible section below for a step through example of the integration process for a typical Identity Provider (OneLogin):

Expand the collapsible sections below for step-through examples of the integration and provisioning process for a typical Identity Provider (Okta):

Expand the collapsible section below for a step through example of the integration and provisioning process for Microsoft Entra ID as an Identity Provider:

Expand the collapsible section below for a step through example of the integration process for JumpCloud as an Identity Provider:

Expand the collapsible section below for a step through example of the integration process for Microsoft AD FS as an Identity Provider:

Expand the collapsible section below for a step through example of the integration process for AWS IAM Identity Center as an Identity Provider:

Dashboard SSO Configuration Copy Link Copied

To configure the SSO system in the Dashboard (if not already completed), use the button on the Authentication page to locate and upload the SAML IdP configuration XML file generated by your company's IdP – see IdP integration examples above. Alternatively, use the enter manually link to add the individual elements (security certificate and URLs) of the configuration.

An uploaded IdP XML file is parsed by the system to extract the main configuration fields (X509 Certificate, Identity Provider Issuer URL, and IdP Single Sign-On URL), which can be manually edited if required ().

SSO is not enabled until an Integration Test is run, which is invoked by the button. This verifies the SSO identity process and your company's SSO sign-in, and then provides a confirmation message that includes the option to inspect the SAML authorization result ().

Back in the Authentication page, the configuration validity check is reported as successful and the Company Account's Single Sign-On capability can be enabled (). If SSO is subsequently disabled, either manually or in response to a configuration change, the button becomes available so the test process can be repeated.

Note that the user Provisioning section is preconfigured with Altium's SCIM settings in order to support User/Group provisioning through your company's Identity Provider (IdP), such as Okta, OneLogin, etc.

Important: The required User Profile attributes for successful Provisioning are:

  • First name

  • Last name

  • Email – preferably a user’s work email address.

  • Username – on the Altium side, this is the user Email attribute.

Multiple Organizations with one SSO Provider

If your company has more than one Altium Organization under the company’s Altium Account – say, an Organization for each global region – then a single SSO Identity Provider can be used to manage SSO Authentication for the entire company using an extended Dashboard Entity ID format.

The Entity ID format (by default https://live.altium.com) is extended with a GUID suffix generated for the current Organization. This enhanced URL format can be then used for a specific SSO Provider Application associated with that Altium Organization. Other Organizations under your company’s Altium Account, with different GUID Entity ID suffixes, can be linked to different SSO Applications under the same SSO Identity Provider. In practice this means that SSO Sign-in Authentication for the entire company can be managed within one SSO Identity Provider.

The extended Entity ID, associated with the current Dashboard Organization. can be assigned to a specific SSO Provider Application. The extended Entity ID, associated with the current Dashboard Organization. can be assigned to a specific SSO Provider Application.

To enable the extended Entity ID for an active SAML SSO configuration:

  1. Disable Altium Sign-On Settings.

  2. Refresh the page to trigger a regeneration of the Entity ID URL to its extended format: https://live.altium.com/XXXXXXXXXX. The current Organization now can be specifically identified through its extended Entity ID.

  3. In the Identity Provider’s application management interface, change the application's Entity ID reference  – typically called a variation of 'Audience' or 'Entity'– to the new extended version copied from the Altium Dashboard. Save the settings.

  4. Activate the Dashboard Integration test and re-enable Altium Sign-On Settings.

This process can be repeated for your company’s other Altium Organizations, which should be linked to their own dedicated Application within the SSO Identity Provider. As an example reference, in the Microsoft Entra ID setup guide included here, a named Application is created at step 3 and the Identifier (Entity ID) is added at step 6.

Authentication Methods

Along with providing a setup interface for configuring Altium SSO connectivity, the Dashboard Authentication page also provides global and individual control over the full range of user sign-in options – namely; traditional Email/Password, Google® and Facebook® sign-in, and Single Sign On via your organization's Identity Provider. The options enabled in the Authentication methods section of the page determine the sign-in methods available to all your organization's Company Account users.

The system's response to user sign-in will depend on the enabled Authentication options:

  • When SSO is enabled for users but another method is disabled (say, Email/Password), an attempt to sign in using that method will default to the SSO procedure.
  • When SSO is disabled, attempting to sign in using another disabled method (say, Email/Password) will result in an error message.

  • When SSO is disabled, attempting to sign-in using SSO will result in an error message.

Sign-in options can be configured for an individual user by editing the settings in their Dashboard Altium Account entry. Select the button on the user's Dashboard Users page to access their sign-in override options. These settings, when edited with the Override Authentication methods option enabled, will take precedence over the global sign-in settings on the Authentication page for this user only. Click the button to confirm a change to the settings.

The Authentication Override settings might be used where SSO is the enforced sign-in method for an organization (all other options are disabled, globally), but an individual user requires a specific type of sign-in access – email/password only, for example.

Individual user sign-in methods that have been specified with the Override Authentication methods settings (as above) can be restored to their defaults with the Reset users overrides option in the Authentication methods section of the Authentication page. This will reset the individual sign-in settings for all users to the global authentication methods that are currently selected on the Authentication page.

2-Step Verification Configuration Copy Link Copied

Group administrators of a Company Account can configure 2-step verification to provide an additional layer of security so the users can confirm their identity when they try to sign in to their Altium accounts using the email/password credentials. The additional verification method can be set to sending a one-time password (OTP) to an email or to generating an OTP in an authenticator application, such as Google Authenticator or Okta Verify. 2-step verification can be enforced for all users in the Company Account, or individual users can configure 2-step verification for their accounts.

Configuring 2-step verification on the Company Account level is performed by the account's Group Administrator in the 2-Step Verification region of the Dashboard Authentication page. To do this, enable the Enforce 2-Step Verification option and select the required Method, either OTP via Email or OTP via Authenticator App. If the OTP via Authenticator App option is selected the required App from the drop-down (Other, Okta, or Google). Optionally, set a link in the Instructions Link (Optional) field (this link will be shown on the 2-Step Authentication page when a user tries to sign in).

When 2-step verification is enabled and the OTP via Authenticator App method was chosen, the user will need to make the final configuration when trying to sign in for the first time. It will be required to add an authenticator code to the preferred authenticator application by scanning the provided QR code using the application or by entering the secret key. After that, the code generated by the application needs to be entered in the Enter code field. After clicking Continue, a number of recovery codes will be provided that can be used in the case when access to the authenticator code in the application is lost. These codes should be stored in a safe place. Clicking Done will complete sign in to the Altium Account.

Note that Group Administrators of the Company Account will sign in without the additional verification step, i.e., only email/password credentials are required for a Group Administrator to sign in. 

Alternatively, if 2-step verification is not enabled on the Company Account level (the Enforce 2-Step Verification option is disabled on the Dashboard Authentication page), 2-step verification can be configured on the Altium Account level. When signed in to your Altium Account, access your profile (by clicking your user avatar/image at the top right of your browser window and selecting My Profile in the drop-down menu) and open the Authentication page. In the 2-Step Verification region of the page, enable the Enable 2-Step Verification option and select the required Method, either OTP via Email or OTP via Authenticator App.

  • If the OTP via Email method was chosen, code verification emails will be sent to your profile email.

  • If the OTP via Authenticator App method was chosen, select the required App from the drop-down (Other, Okta, or Google). In the window that appears, complete setting up the application as described above.

If 2-step verification is enabled on the Company Account level, profile settings will reflect the Company Account settings in read-only mode.

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