Simplifying SAML Authentication in Looker: A Step-by-Step Guide
Introduction
Looker is a modern, user-friendly platform for data analytics and business intelligence. It allows organizations to explore, analyze, and share real-time business analytics with ease. On the other hand, Okta is a popular identity and access management service that provides secure identity management and Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities.
Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) is a standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties. By integrating SAML into Looker via Okta, you can provide SSO access to your users, enhancing security and user experience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through configuring SAML 2.0 for Looker.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, you’ll need to have administrative access to both Looker and Okta.
Step 1: Configuring Okta
First, log into Okta as Administrator and add the Looker integration App from which you can get SAML setup instructions and metadata that will be used for configuring Looker.
Step 2: Configuring SAML in Looker
Log into Looker as an Administrator. Navigate to the Admin section and select ‘SAML Authentication’. Once there, you’ll need to enable SAML authentication.
Step 3: Setting Up SAML Auth Settings
In the SAML Auth Settings section, you’ll need to enter information that will be provided by Okta. This includes the IdP URL, IdP Issuer, and IdP Certificate files. You can obtain these details from the Okta Admin dashboard.
Step 4: Configuring User Attributes
Next, in the User Attribute Settings section, you’ll need to set three key attributes:
- Email Attr: Enter ‘Email’.
- FName Attr: Enter ‘FirstName’.
- LName Attr: Enter ‘LastName’.
These attributes map to the corresponding user details in Okta.
Step 5: Setting Up Roles
If you’re not planning to set roles from groups, simply select ‘Default New User Roles’ from the dropdown list in the Role Settings section.
However, if you want to assign roles based on groups, enable the ‘Mirror SAML Groups’ switch. Then:
- In the Groups Attribute field, enter ‘Groups’.
- Enable the ‘Auth Requires Role’ switch.
- In the Group To Role Pairings section, enter a group name that will be sent and then select a corresponding role in Looker.
Step 6: Testing and Saving
Before you finalize your settings, test the SAML authentication. A successful test will validate the server response.
Finally, select the appropriate migration options and update the settings.
Congratulations, you have now configured SAML 2.0 for Looker!
Conclusion
Setting up SAML 2.0 in Looker using Okta is straightforward and offers numerous benefits, including enhanced security and streamlined user access. Remember to always test your settings before deploying to ensure a smooth transition for your users.
Useful Links
- Looker — Google Cloud’s Official documentation.
- Setting up SAML authentication for Looker — This page on Google Cloud’s documentation provides instructions on setting up SAML authentication for Looker.
- How to Configure SAML 2.0 for Looker — This guide by Okta provides detailed instructions on configuring SAML 2.0 for Looker.
- Okta + Looker Integration — This page details the Okta SAML 2.0 App and its features.
