OpenVPN® with SAML Authentication on Azure AD IdP

This guide provides an example on how to configure Aviatrix to authenticate against Azure AD IdP. When SAML client is used, your Aviatrix Controller acts as the Identity Service Provider (ISP) that redirects browser traffic from client to IdP (e.g., Azure AD) for authentication.

Pre-Deployment Checklist

Before configuring SAML integration between Aviatrix and Azure AD, make sure the following is completed:

  1. An Aviatrix Controller is set up and running.

  2. You have an Azure account.

  3. You have downloaded and installed the Aviatrix SAML VPN client.

Aviatrix Controller

If you haven’t already deployed the Aviatrix Controller, follow the Controller Startup Guide.

Azure Account

Configure Azure AD on your Azure account before continuing with the configuration.

Aviatrix VPN Client

All users must use the Aviatrix VPN client to connect to the system. Download the client for your OS here.

Configuration Steps

Follow these steps to configure Aviatrix to authenticate against your Azure AD IDP:

  1. Create a Azure AD SAML Application for Aviatrix in the AWS Console.

  2. Create a SAML Endpoint in the Aviatrix Controller.

Azure AD Custom SAML Application

Before you start, pick a short name to be used for the SAML application name. In the notes below we will refer to this as aviatrix_azuread, but, it can be any string.

We will use the string you select for the SAML application name to generate a URL for Azure AD to connect with Aviatrix. This URL is defined below as SP_ACS_URL. This URL should be constructed as:

"https://<[your Controller IP or host name]>/flask/saml/sso/<[aviatrix_azuread]>"

Tip

Replace <[your Controller IP or host name]> with the actual host name or IP address of your Controller and <[aviatrix_azuread]> with the string you chose to refer to the SAML application.

Connect to Azure

Log in to your Azure portal.

Create Custom SAML Application

  1. Go to the Azure Active Directory service.

  2. Select Enterprise Applications under the Manage navigation menu item.

  3. Click + New application.

    imagesAddAppsMenu

    You must be an administrator to add new Enterprise Applications.

  4. Click Non-gallery application.

    imagesAddAppNonGallery

  5. Enter a Display Name.

    Custom applications require an Azure AD Premium subscription.
    imagesAddAppSetName

  6. Click Add.

Assign Users to this Application

  1. Click Users and groups below Manage.

  2. Click + Add user.

  3. Select a User and Role.

  4. Click Assign.

    imagesAssignUser

Single Sign-on Configuration

Click Single sign-on below Manage.

Application Domain and URLs

  1. Select SAML-based Sign-on from the Single Sign-on Mode dropdown menu.

  2. Fill out the fields below.

    Field Value

    Identifier (Entity ID)

    https://<<<your controller">[your" class="bare">https://<<<your controller]>

    Reply URL

    SP_ACS_URL

    Show Advanced URL settings

    checked

    Sign on URL

    SP_ACS_URL

    Relay State

    (leave blank)
    imagesSAMLSettings

User Attributes

  1. Enter user.mail for User Identifier.

  2. Click View and edit all other user attributes.

  3. Add the following SAML Token Attributes (please find the right values from your Azure user details to match firstname, lastname and email). You can also add "Profile" and send the profile name of a VPN profile - at this time,we only support attaching one profile per user via SAML.

    NAME VALUE NAMESPACE

    FirstName

    user.givenname

    (blank)

    LastName

    user.surname

    (blank)

    Email

    user.mail

    (blank)
    imagesUserAttrs
Recently, Azure changed to a New UI "attributes & claims". The following picture is the new reference setting example.
imagesUserClaims

SAML Signing Certificate

  1. Find the Metadata XML link.

  2. Click the link to download the file.

    imagesSAMLMetadata

Save Application

Click Save.

Aviatrix Controller SAML Endpoint

  1. Log in to your Aviatrix Controller.

  2. Select OpenVPN > Advanced from the left sidebar.

  3. Select the SAML tab.

  4. Click + Add New.

  5. Follow the table below for details on the fields in the table:

    Field Description

    Endpoint Name

    Pick

    IPD Metadata Type

    Text

    IDP Metadata Text/URL

    Paste in the metadata XML file contents downloaded earlier.

    Entity ID

    Select Hostname

    Custom SAML Request Template

    Mark this checkbox
    imagesAvtxSAMLEndpoint

  6. Copy the following into the Custom SAML Request Template field:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<samlp:AuthnRequest xmlns:samlp="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol" ID="$ID" Version="2.0" IssueInstant="$Time" Destination="$Dest" ForceAuthn="false" IsPassive="false" ProtocolBinding="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:bindings:HTTP-POST" AssertionConsumerServiceURL="$ACS">
<saml:Issuer xmlns:saml="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion">$Issuer</saml:Issuer>
</samlp:AuthnRequest>

    This is required to connect with Azure AD. If you don’t do this, you will receive an error message when testing.

  7. Click *OK.

Validating

Tip

Be sure to assign users to the new application in Azure AD prior to validating. If you do not assign your test user to the Aviatrix User VPN application, you will receive an error.

You can quickly validate that the configuration is complete by clicking Test next to the SAML endpoint.

imagesAvtxTestButton