# Single Sign-On with Microsoft AD FS and njs
Type of document: How-to guide
Product: NGINX Plus
> Enable OpenID Connect-based single-sign for applications proxied by NGINX Plus, using Microsoft AD FS as the identity provider (IdP).
---
**Note:** This guide applies to NGINX Plus [Release 15](nginx/releases.md#r15) and later, based on the [`nginx-openid-connect`](https://github.com/nginxinc/nginx-openid-connect) GitHub repo. Starting with NGINX Plus [Release 34](nginx/releases.md#r34), use the simpler solution with the [native OpenID connect module](https://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_oidc_module.html).
See [Single Sign-On With Microsoft AD FS](nginx/deployment-guides/single-sign-on/active-directory-federation-services.md) for details.
This guide explains how to enable single sign-on (SSO) for applications being proxied by F5 NGINX Plus. The solution uses OpenID Connect as the authentication mechanism, with [Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/active-directory-federation-services) (AD FS) as the identity provider (IdP) and NGINX Plus as the relying party.
**Note:** You can find more information about the NGINX Plus OpenID Connect integration in the project's [GitHub repo](https://github.com/nginxinc/nginx-openid-connect#nginx-openid-connect).
## Prerequisites
The instructions assume you have the following:
- A running deployment of AD FS, either on‑premises or in Azure.
- An NGINX Plus subscription and NGINX Plus R15 or later. For installation instructions, see the [NGINX Plus Admin Guide](https://docs.nginx.com/nginx/admin-guide/installing-nginx/installing-nginx-plus/).
- The [NGINX JavaScript module](https://nginx.org/en/docs/njs/index.html) (njs), required for handling the interaction between NGINX Plus and the IdP. After installing NGINX Plus, install the module with the command for your operating system.
For Debian and Ubuntu:
```none
sudo apt install nginx-plus-module-njs
```
For CentOS, RHEL, and Oracle Linux:
```shell
sudo yum install nginx-plus-module-njs
```
- The following directive included in the top-level ("main") configuration context in **/etc/nginx/nginx.conf**, to load the NGINX JavaScript module:
```nginx
load_module modules/ngx_http_js_module.so;
```
## Configuring AD FS
Create an AD FS application for NGINX Plus:
1. Open the AD FS Management window. In the navigation column on the left, right‑click on the **Application Groups** folder and select **Add Application Group** from the drop‑down menu.
The **Add Application Group Wizard** window opens. The left navigation column shows the steps you will complete to add an application group.
2. In the **Welcome** step, type the application group name in the **Name** field. Here we are using **ADFSSSO**. In the **Template** field, select **Server application** under **Standalone applications**. Click the Next > button.
3. In the **Server application** step:
1. Make a note of the value in the **Client Identifier** field. You will add it to the NGINX Plus configuration in [Step 4 of _Configuring NGINX Plus_](#nginx-plus-variables).
2. In the **Redirect URI** field, type the URI of the NGINX Plus instance including the port number, and ending in **/\_codexch**. Here we’re using **https://my-nginx.example.com:443/\_codexch**. Click the Add button.
**Notes:**
- For production, we strongly recommend that you use SSL/TLS (port 443).
- The port number is mandatory even when you're using the default port for HTTP (80) or HTTPS (443).
3. Click the Next > button.
4. In the **Configure Application Credentials** step, click the **Generate a shared secret** checkbox. Make a note of the secret that AD FS generates (perhaps by clicking the **Copy to clipboard** button and pasting the clipboard content into a file). You will add the secret to the NGINX Plus configuration in [Step 4 of _Configuring NGINX Plus_](#nginx-plus-variables). Click the Next > button.
5. In the **Summary** step, verify that the information is correct, make any necessary corrections to previous steps, and click the Next > button.
## Configuring NGINX Plus
Configure NGINX Plus as the OpenID Connect relying party:
1. Create a clone of the [**nginx-openid-connect**](https://github.com/nginxinc/nginx-openid-connect) GitHub repository.
```shell
git clone https://github.com/nginxinc/nginx-openid-connect
```
2. Copy these files from the clone to **/etc/nginx/conf.d**:
- **frontend.conf**
- **openid\_connect.js**
- **openid\_connect.server\_conf**
- **openid\_connect\_configuration.conf**
3. Get the URLs for the authorization endpoint, token endpoint, and JSON Web Key (JWK) file from the AD FS configuration. Run the following `curl` command in a terminal, piping the output to the indicated `python` command to output the entire configuration in an easily readable format. We've abridged the output to show only the relevant fields.
```shell
$ curl https:///oidc/adfs/.well-known/openid-configuration | python -m json.tool
{
...
"authorization_endpoint": "https:///oidc/adfs/auth",
...
"jwks_uri": "https:///oidc/adfs/certs",
...
"token_endpoint": "https:///oidc/adfs/token",
...
}
```
4. In your preferred text editor, open **/etc/nginx/conf.d/frontend.conf**. Change the "default" parameter value of each of the following [map](https://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_map_module.html#map) directives to the specified value:
- `map $host $oidc_authz_endpoint` – Value of `authorization_endpoint` from [Step 3](#nginx-plus-urls) (in this guide, `https:///oidc/adfs/auth`)
- `map $host $oidc_token_endpoint` – Value of `token_endpoint` from [Step 3](#nginx-plus-urls) (in this guide, `https:///oidc/adfs/token`)
- `map $host $oidc_client` – Value in the **Client ID** field from [Step 3 of _Configuring AD FS_](#ad-fs-server-application) (in this guide, `3e23f0eb-9329-46ff-9d37-6ad24afdfaeb`)
- `map $host $oidc_client_secret` – Value in the **Client secret** field from [Step 4 of _Configuring AD FS_](#ad-fs-configure-application-credentials) (in this guide, `NUeuULtSCjgXTGSkq3ZwEeCOiig4-rB2XiW_W`)
- `map $host $oidc_hmac_key` – A unique, long, and secure phrase
5. Configure the JWK file. The procedure depends on which version of NGINX Plus you are using.
- In NGINX Plus R17 and later, NGINX Plus can read the JWK file directly from the URL reported as `jwks_uri` in [Step 3](#nginx-plus-urls). Change **/etc/nginx/conf.d/frontend.conf** as follows:
1. Comment out (or remove) the [auth_jwt_key_file](http://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_auth_jwt_module.html#auth_jwt_key_file) directive.
2. Uncomment the [auth_jwt_key_request](http://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_auth_jwt_module.html#auth_jwt_key_request) directive. (Its parameter, `/_jwks_uri`, refers to the value of the `$oidc_jwt_keyfile` variable, which you set in the next step.)
3. Change the second parameter of the `set $oidc_jwt_keyfile` directive to the value reported in the `jwks_uri` field in [Step 3](#nginx-plus-urls) (in this guide, `https:///oidc/adfs/certs`).
- In NGINX Plus R16 and earlier, the JWK file must be on the local disk. (You can also use this method with NGINX Plus R17 and later if you wish.)
1. Copy the JSON contents from the JWK file named in the `jwks_uri` field in [Step 3](#nginx-plus-urls) (in this guide, `https:///oidc/adfs/certs`) to a local file (for example, `/etc/nginx/my_adfs_jwk.json`).
2. In **/etc/nginx/conf.d/frontend.conf**, change the second parameter of the `set $oidc_jwt_keyfile` directive to the local file path.
6. Confirm that the user named by the [user](http://nginx.org/en/docs/ngx_core_module.html#user) directive in the NGINX Plus configuration (in **/etc/nginx/nginx.conf** by convention) has read permission on the JWK file.
## Testing
In a browser, enter the address of your NGINX Plus instance and try to log in using the credentials of a user who has access to the application.
## Troubleshooting
See the [**Troubleshooting**](https://github.com/nginxinc/nginx-openid-connect#troubleshooting) section at the **nginx-openid-connect** repository on GitHub.
### Revision History
- Version 2 (March 2020) – Updates to _Configuring NGINX Plus_ section
- Version 1 (December 2019) – Initial version (NGINX Plus Release 20)