Citrix ADC SAML integration
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an extra layer of security used when logging into websites or apps. Individuals are authenticated through more than one required security and validation procedure that only they know or have access to.
Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) is a protocol for authenticating to web applications. SAML allows federated apps and organizations to communicate and trust one another’s users.
Citrix™ ADC (formerly Netscaler) is an application delivery and load balancing solution that gives a high-quality user experience of web services and cloud-native applications, wherever hosted. Arculix by SecureAuth, as a Citrix Ready Partner, offers a simple method for adding MFA to Citrix ADC via its SAML solution.
Prerequisites
Configured Arculix instance and user account with administrative privileges for Arculix.
Configured Arculix LDAP Agent.
For more information, see the Arculix LDAP Agent deployment guide.
User account with administrative privileges for Citrix ADC.
Citrix ADC configuration
In this section, you'll configure Citrix ADC as a service provider (SP).
Download the SAML metadata and certificate for your organization from Arculix.
Metadata download:
https://sso.acceptto.com/<myorganization>/saml/download/metadataView metadata:
https://sso.acceptto.com/<myorganization>/saml/metadataCertificate download:
https://sso.acceptto.com/<myorganization>/saml/download/certLog in to your Citrix ADC with an administrative account.
Go to Traffic Management > SSL > SSL Certificate and click Install.
Upload the X.509 certificate file downloaded from Arculix.
From the menu, select Citrix Gateway , then select Policies > Authentication > SAML.
In the SAML configuration, select the Servers tab, then click Add.
On the Create Authentication SAML Server page, clear the Import Metadata check box and set the following configurations:
Name
Enter a unique name.
For example,
Arculix-IdP.Redirected URL
Enter the login URL from the Arculix metadata.
For example,
https://sso.acceptto.com/<myorganization>/saml/auth.Single Logout URL
Enter the Logout URL from the Arculix metadata.
For example,
https://sso.acceptto.com/<myorganization>/saml/logout.IDP Certificate Name
Select the uploaded Arculix certificate.
Signing Certificate Name
Select the certificate that you assigned to your designated virtual server.
Issuer Name
Enter your virtual server URL.
For example,
https://adc.example.com.
Click Create.
Download the Citrix ADC SAML metadata by selecting the created server, then click Edit.
Click Export SAML Metadata, select the virtual server, then click Export.
Note
You will need this information for the next section.
From Citrix Gateway, select Policies > Authentication > SAML then select the Policies tab and click Add. Set the following configurations.
Name
Set the name of the authentication policy for the SAML integration.
For example,
Arculix-SAML-Policy.Server
Select the virtual server you just created earlier.
Expression
Set the expressions for this policy.
For example,
NS_TRUE.
Go to Citrix Gateway > Virtual Servers and select the virtual server to which you want to add SAML authentication, then click Edit.
Go to Basic Authentication and select SAML as the Primary policy type. Click Continue.
On the Policy Binding page, select the SAML policy that was created earlier, then click Bind.
Arculix SAML configuration as an Identity Provider (IdP)
In this section, you'll add an application for Citrix ADC and set the SAML configuration settings. This will be the Identity Provider (IdP) side of the configuration.
Log in to Arculix with an administrative account and go to Applications.
Click Create New Application.
In the New Application form, on the General tab, set the following configurations:
Name
Set the name of the application. This is the name to display for push notifications, in the Admin panel, Application portal, and audit logs.
For example, Citrix ADC.
Type
Set to SAML Service Provider.
Out of Band Methods
Select the allowed methods end users can choose to approve MFA requests.
For example, Arculix Mobile app (push notifications), SMS, or Security Key.
Message for MFA Requests
Optional. Type a message displayed to end users when sending an MFA request via push notification, SMS, or email.
Select the SAML Service Provider Configuration tab, and set the following configurations:
Issuer or Entity ID
Enter the EntityID located in the ADC metadata.
For example,
adc.example.com.Log in URL
Enter the URL used by your users to access the Citrix ADC.
For example,
https://ADC.example.com.NameID Format
Set to Email Address.
Name Identifier
Set to Email.
Assertion Consumer Service (ACS) URL
Enter the ACS URL located in the ADC metadata.
For example,
https://adc.example.com/cgi/samlauth.Single Logout URL
Enter the Single Logout URL located in the ADC metadata.
For example,
https://adc.example.com/cgi/logout.Algorithm
Select RSA-SHA256.
NameID Format
Set to Email Address.
Save your changes.
Test your application integration
Go to your Citrix Gateway Virtual Server link you defined from the previous section.
You will be redirected to the Arculix SSO page.
After successful authentication, select your preferred MFA method to approve access to Citrix ADC.
Finally, you will be redirected to your Citrix ADC landing page.
Support
If you have questions or need assistance, contact SecureAuth Support.
Sales
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Disclaimer
All product names, trademarks, and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
All company, product, and service names used in this document are for identification purposes only. The use of these names, trademarks, and brands do not constitute an endorsement by the SecureAuth Corporation.
Citrix, ADC, and ‘ADC’ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix and/or one or more of its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.
Microsoft and Active Directory are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft and/or one or more of its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries.