SharePoint single sign on

The single sign-on functionality is implemented by the Microsoft Single Sign-On (SSOSrv) service. SSOSrv is a credential storage service that allows the saving and retrieval of credentials. The use of single sign-on functionality stops users from having to authenticate themselves over four time when the portal site–based applications need to receive information from other business applications and systems.

Single sign-on is a new feature in Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 that provides storage and mapping of credentials such as account names and passwords. This allows portal site–based applications to retrieve information from the third-party applications and back-end systems. Citrix Presentation Server is an example of a backend application that can benefit from the single sign-on feature of Microsoft SharePoint Portal.

In a single sign-on environment, these back-end applications and systems are referred to as enterprise applications. To enable customers to interact with an enterprise application directly from the portal site, SharePoint Portal Server 2003 stores and maps assigned credentials within an enterprise application definition. By using application definitions, an administrator can automate and secure the sign-on process to the corresponding enterprise applications from a portal site–based application.

The single sign-on functionality enables scenarios where multiple Web Parts access different enterprise applications, which each use a different type of authentication. Each Web Part can automatically sign on to its enterprise application without prompting users to provide credentials each time.

For each application from SharePoint Portal Server connects to, there is a corresponding enterprise application definition configured by an administrator. This definition of the application is used by a Web of integration with the enterprise application within a portal site. The application definition controls the implementation of the credentials of a particular business are stored and mapped. The code inside the Web part uses the definition of the application to retrieve the credentials that are used to integrate with an enterprise application. This process is transparent to users of the portal site.