Active Directory Extension User Guide. Version 1.0

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Active Directory Extension User Guide

Version 1.0

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Introduction and Installation

Extensibility is a core aspect of the architecture and design of ThingWorx. Partners, third parties, and users, as well as ThingWorx can easily add new functionality into the system in a seamless manner. Extensions can be Service (function/method) libraries, Connector Templates, Widgets, and more. This document provides installation and usage instructions for the Callisto Integration Active Directory Extension.

Overview

The Active Directory extensions package, created by Callisto Integration, Inc., implements new

ThingWorx entities, including an administrative mashup for the purposes of creating a seamless Active Directory integration within ThingWorx. The extension will additionally provide remote domain user authentication and group membership protocols.

The extension provides for true active directory integration by pulling in Active Directory (AD) user group details and querying your domain controllers. This means that each organizations active directory is the authority for governance of user access to ThingWorx. This alleviates having to maintain users in both ThingWorx and AD. Therefore, the AD becomes the system of record for user group membership. This extension will create an active directory user automatically, if they belong to a connected Active Directory group that has been properly configured as a ThingWorx group inside of ThingWorx. The complete integration insures that Users who no longer belongs to a group in the connected AD will be removed from that corresponding group in ThingWorx – automatically. When the ThingWorx Platform needs to connect to one of these devices, the need for a translator, or Protocol Adapter, arises. The Protocol Adapter SDK is a package provided by ThingWorx for the purposes of connecting such a device, whose firmware and/or data format is unchangeable and incompatible with ThingWorx, to the

ThingWorx Platform:

Installation

 Open Composer and click Import/Export > Import.

2. Select the ActiveDirectoryUtility_Extension and click Import.

Remote Active Directory Network Installation

In order to communicate with a remote domain for credential and group verification, the ADAgent will need to be installed on a remote machine that is a member of the Active Directory network in the

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remote domain. To begin installation of the Remote Active Directory, copy the ADAgent folder to any location on the remote machine.

The ADAgent includes the following files and folders:

 ActiveDirectoryAgent.jar

 ADAgent.exe

 Configfile (folder)

 ConfigurationLDAP.xml

Configuration

There are three Thing Templates that are brought in during installation – the ActiveDirectoryUtilityTemplate, ActiveDirectoryRemoteUtilityTemplate, and the

DomainSwitchTemplate. The ActiveDirectoryUtilityTemplate should be used for configuring access to a domain that is local to the ThingWorx server and the remote template should be used for configuring a remote domain. The DomainSwitchTemplate automatically creates a DomainSwitch Thing and is utilized by the Administrative Mashup.

Configuring a Local Domain

Please note that assistance from IT in getting the specific parameters for this configuration may be required.

1. Create a new Thing entity from the ActiveDirectoryUtilityTemplate Thing Template. Ensure that the name of the entity matches the name of your AD domain (remove any dot references). For instance, if the domain name is Globex.local or Globex.com, just use ‘Globex’.

2. Press Save and then click Edit.

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4. Fill out the credentials and configuration information so that it matches the Server, Domain Controller, and Port of your Active Directory computer. Note that the computer hosting your ThingWorx instance (for a “Local” Active Directory connection) must be part of the same domain as the Active Directory to which you are trying to connect.

a. For User, typically you want to choose a network user that the password doesn’t change on. This account can be configured to have limited active directory rights (user validation and read access for user group membership). This user must be a configured Domain user. b. Enter your LDAP server in Server field.

c. Enter your domain controller in the Domain Controller field. Using Globex.local as an example, this would typically be “DC=Globex,DC=local”.

d. Enter in the port in the Port field. This is typically 389 for LDAP-type traffic, but it may be different.

e. Enter the password in the Password field which is tied to the Username you are using. This user must be a configured Domain user.

5. Press the Save button.

Refer to the screenshot below for an example configuration. You may also refer to the troubleshooting section for more assistance.

6. Click the Services tab, and press the Test button next to the service named “TestActiveDirectoryConnection”. Execute the service on the next page. This Service will return a value of “true” if your configuration parameters are valid.

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Example Local Active Directory Configuration

The screenshots in this section show the configuration and expected results of a properly configured “Local” Active Directory connection.

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Successful connection to the local AD instance (shown previously), and the groups to which the user has

access rights

A screenshot of the User in ThingWorx, which was created automatically via the Active Directory Extension. This user has a description created which specifies that the ThingWorx user was created by

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Configuring a Remote Domain

Creating the Application Key for your Remote Domain

For your Remote Active Directory to be able to communicate with the ThingWorx Platform, you must first set up an Application Key that the remote connection will use. This Application Key is added to the appropriate XML element in the ConfigurationLDAP.xml file located on the remote machine.

Follow the steps below to create an Application Key.

1. Log in to ThingWorx Composer as a user with Administrator privileges. 2. Under the Security dropdown in the Composer, select Application Keys. 3. Select New to create a new key.

4. Configure your Application Key as follows:

 Name: ActiveDirectoryAppKey (this name is optional)

 User Name Reference: ActiveDirectoryAdministrator (this value is required)

5. Select Save. Your Application Key is generated.

Configuring the ConfigurationLDAP.xml

The ConfigurationLDAP.xml is what controls the connection between your remote thing and the ThingWorx platform. To set up the configuration files follow the below instructions.

This file can be set up to support multiple Active Directory Domains if there happens to be multiple domains on your network that you would wish to validate against.

Example ConfigurationLDAP.xml Setup

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<name>Globex</name>

<password>Your Password in Plain Text Here</Password> <encrypted-password></encrypted-password> </domain> </domains> <client> <name>GlobexClient</name> <url>ws://Globex-VM:443/Thingworx/WS</url> <appkey>46ad9fed-4291-470f-a294-3e14c4cafeb5</appkey> <scanrate>1000</scanrate> <reconnectinterval>15</reconnectinterval> </client> </things>

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XML Elements and Descriptions

Element Description

<domain> Each instance of your Active Directory Domain.

<name> The name of your AD Domain. This must resemble the prefix for your local domain.

Example: If your network is DC=Globex,DC=Com then the name would be Globex.

<password> Plain text password that your Active Directory lookup user will use. Once ADAgent.exe is started, the application will convert your plain text password into a hashed secure password so it is not in plain text. <encrypted-password> Hashed password (created after ADAgent.exe executes).

Note: If you wish to change the password of the Active Directory user,

you need to place a new plain text password in the <password> element and run ADAgent.exe again.

<client> Information used by the ThingWorx Platform to communicate with this remote thing.

<name> Name of your client. Set this to your domain with “Client” at the end. Example: GolbexClient

<url> This is the address of your ThingWorx Platform. Change the IP address and port to match that of your ThingWorx server.

Example: ws://<yourIP>:<port>/Thingworx/WS

<appkey> Application Key that was created in the section Creating the Application Key for your Remote Domain. Copy it to this element. <scanrate> How frequently (number of milliseconds) the thing will look for

changes in configuration from the ThingWorx Platform.

<reconnectinterval> How often (number of seconds) this remote thing will attempt to reconnect to the ThingWorx Platform if disconnected.

Running the ADAgent

To run the configured ADAgent, double-click the executable.

Verifying the ADAgent is running and visible

To verify that the ADAgent is running and visible to the ThingWorx Platform, do the following: 1. Run the ADAgent.exe on your remote location.

2. Log in to the ThingWorx Platform with an Administrator user. 3. Select Monitoring on the header bar of the Composer. 4. Select Remote Things under Status.

5. In the ThingWorxMonitor select Unbound. If everything was set up correctly, the page will show your Remote AD.

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Remote Domain Installation in ThingWorx Composer

Now that your remote Active Directory has been setup and is currently running on its remote location, you can begin setting up the thing inside the Composer, as explained below.

1. Log in to the ThingWorx Composer as a user with Administrator privileges. 2. Under the Visualization dropdown in the Composer, select Mashups. 3. Select to open the Active Directory Management Mashup.

4. Select View Mashup.

The mashup is shown. Your unbound domain appears in the Unbound Remote Domains section of the mashup..

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5. Select your unbound domain and click Create Things.

This executes a service that finds this currently active remote domain (as long as it’s currently running on your remote location) and creates the base configuration of your Thing Entity. After you click Create Things, you’ll see that domain disappear from the list.

6. Navigate to the Composer Home screen. 7. Under the Modeling dropdown, select Things.

You will see your new thing listed here, as well as an accompanying organization entity. For example, if your remote domain is named “ACME”, then the thing and organization that are created will share that same name. The name of this thing can also be found on the remote location in the ConfigurationLDAP.xml file.

8. Open your newly created Thing for editing.

9. Select the Configuration tab under Entity Information.

10. Configure your remote thing by filling in the User, Server, Domain Controller, and Port fields with the proper information to connect to your AD instance. An example configuration is shown in the following figure:

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Note: Your Username may include the domain as a prefix as well, depending on your

configuration. To include the domain in your User field (for this example), enter it with the following format: “ACME\ACMEADUser” for a domain of ACME and a username of ACMEADUser.

11. Select Save.

12. Navigate to the Services section in this Remote Thing. 13. Select Test on service testActiveDirectoryConnection.

14. Select Execute Service. The result will show True if your configuration settings are correct.

Troubleshooting tips for a false test result

If you receive a False test result, use the following troubleshooting tips to try to resolve it.

 Save the thing and then try Test again.

 Determine if there is an issue with the configuration settings.

 The user in the configuration that is used to do the Active Directory lookup may require the domain to prefix the name as explained in the previous note. For example:

Globex\Administrator.

 Make sure the Application Key is correct and included in the ConfigurationLDAP.xml file.

 Make sure the remote service is running on your remote domain.

 Check the Application Log for error messages.

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Enabling Authenticator

The Authenticators are located in the ThingWorx Explorer under Security. In order to use the ActiveDirectoryAuthenticator it must first be enabled.

1. Open the ActiveDirectoryAuthenticator and click Edit. 2. Select Enabled and click Save.

Important: By default, the ActiveDirectoryAuthenticator comes in with the highest priority – 1. If you

wish to use this authenticator, the priority should not be changed.

Logging Into ThingWorx via Forms Login

Default Form Login Page

Once this extension has been imported into the ThingWorx Platform, it will generate a default

Organization called “ActiveDirectoryLogin”. This organization is the generic login point for ThingWorx. In this login page, you can access and log in as any user in the Platform (that is, ThingWorx default

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The special case in this instance is that if you wish to use this page to log in to one of your domains, you will be required to prefix your user name with the domain you’re trying to validate against.

The default URL to access the ActiveDirectoryLogin page:

http://<yourServerIP>:<port>/Thingworx/FormLogin/ActiveDirectoryLogin

where you replace yourServerIP, port, and ActiveDirectoryLogin with your specific information.

When you have successfully set up your remote domain, an Organization entity in the ThingWorx Platform will have been created. For example: If your domain is “Globex” then a “Globex” Organization entity will exist on your Platform.

To access the login page for users to use, go to the following URL:

Note: Only users who are on this specific domain can log in to the ThingWorx Platform from this

location. Domain prefix in the username is NOT required to log in here.

In this example, the login username would be “Globex”. To log in to that user from this Form Login page, all that is required is your Username, without the “Globex” prefix, followed by your Active Directory Password.

If you’d like to add your company logo to this login page, navigate to this organization entity in the ThingWorx Composer and select a Login Image under the General Information section.

Also, it should be noted that the appropriate ThingWorx Active Directory groups must first be set up in the ThingWorx Platform. If at least one group to which the user belongs in Active Directory is not configured, then that user will be denied access. Also, groups that have been added via the group

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management mashup (discussed later), will need to be added to other groups that have configured permissions, or will need to have permissions configured for them.

Note: A user’s ability to view groups and his current AD status are only refreshed and loaded upon

logging in to ThingWorx from the Form Login page. Any changes made while the user is logged in to ThingWorx will not be reflected on the ThingWorx Platform until that user’s next login.

Active Directory Group Maintenance

The Active Directory Group Maintenance Mashup has been provided for ease of use in configuring the Active Directory groups within ThingWorx. The mashup allows users with appropriate permissions to add the Active Directory groups to ThingWorx, and, if desired, assign them to existing ThingWorx groups.

Active Directory Management Mashup

The Active Directory Management Mashup consists of two tree view selectors. The left-hand tree view selector contains the list of active directory groups associated with the domain (Available Active

Directory Groups). The right-hand tree view contains the list of groups that have been configured for

the selected domain (Configured ThingWorx Groups).

All ThingWorx domain-specific group names are prefaced with the domain name in order to maintain uniqueness across domains. For instance, if the example group “ACME” contained an Administrators group in its Active Directory, and “Globex” also had an Administrators group in its Active Directory, these would be maintained uniquely and could co-exist inside the ThingWorx environment by nature of being provisioned with the domain name.

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1. From the Available Active Directory Groups, select the active directory group.

2. From the Configured ThingWorx Groups list, select the parent group to which the active directory group should be added

3. Press the Add Group  button. To remove groups from your Platform

1. From the Configured ThingWorx Groups list, select the group.

2. Press the  Remove Group button. If this group does not belong to any other groups, then it

will be deleted.

You can also choose to filter the list of Available Active Directory Groups by typing in the text box next to the magnifying glass in the top-right (the “Filter Groups List” text box). After you type in the box, exit the text box to have it automatically filter the Available Active Directory Groups.

ThingWorx groups may be assigned access rights to maintain all domains. Users who are members of these groups will be able to switch domains by pressing the domain name displayed in the upper left hand corner. This will then trigger the display of a domain name selector popup.

Logging In to ThingWorx via Forms Login

Default Form Login Page

Once this extension has been imported into the ThingWorx Platform, it will generate a default

organization called “ActiveDirectoryLogin”. This organization is the generic login point for ThingWorx. In this login page, you can access and log in as any user in the platform (that is, ThingWorx default

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The special case in this instance is that if you wish to use this page to log in to one of your domains, you will be required to prefix your username with the domain against which you’re trying to validate. Default URL to access ActiveDirectoryLogin page:

Domain Form Login Pages

When you have successfully set up your remote domain, an organization entity in the ThingWorx Platform will have been created. For example: If your domain is “Globex” then a “Globex” Organization entity will exist on your Platform.

To access the login page for users to use, go to the following URL:

Note: Only users that are on this specific domain can login to ThingWorx from this location. Domain

prefix in the username is NOT required to login here.

In this example, the login username would be “Globex”. To log in to that user from this Form Login page, all that is required is your Username, without the “Globex” prefix, followed by your Active Directory Password.

If you’d like to add your company logo to this login page, navigate to this organization entity in the composer and select a “Login Image” under the General Information section.

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Also, it should be noted that the appropriate ThingWorx active directory groups must first be set up in ThingWorx. If at least one group the user belongs to in the Active Directory is not configured, that user will be denied access. Also, groups that have been added via the Group Management Mashup (discussed below), will need to be added to other groups that have configured permissions, or will need to have permissions configured for them.

Note: A User’s ability to view groups and his current AD status are only refreshed and loaded upon

logging in to ThingWorx from the Form Login page. Any changes made while the user is logged in to ThingWorx will not be reflected on the ThingWorx Platform until that user’s next login.

Active Directory Group Maintenance

The Active Directory Group Maintenance Mashup has been provided for ease of use in configuring the Active Directory Groups within ThingWorx. The mashup allows users with appropriate permissions to add the Active Directory groups to ThingWorx, and, if desired, assign them to existing ThingWorx groups.

Active Directory Management Mashup

The Active Directory Management Mashup consists of two tree view selectors. The left-hand tree view selector contains the list of active directory groups associated with the domain (Available Active

Directory Groups). The right-hand tree view contains the list of groups that have been configured for

the selected domain (Configured ThingWorx Groups).

All ThingWorx domain-specific group names are prefaced with the domain name in order to maintain uniqueness across domains. For instance, if the example group “ACME” had an Administrators group in its active directory, and “Globex” also had an Administrators group in its active directory, these would be uniquely maintained and could co-exist inside the ThingWorx environment by nature of being provisioned with the domain name.

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To add new groups to your Platform

1. From the Available Active Directory Groups, select the active directory group.

2. From the Configured ThingWorx Groups list, select the parent group to which the active directory group should be added

3. Press the Add Group  button. To remove groups from your Platform

1. From the Configured ThingWorx Groups list, select the group.

2. Press the  Remove Group button. If this group does not belong to any other groups, then it

will be deleted.

You can also choose to filter the list of Available Active Directory Groups by typing in the text box next to the magnifying glass in the top-right (the “Filter Groups List” text box). After you type in the box, exit the text box to have it automatically filter the Available Active Directory Groups.

ThingWorx groups may be assigned access rights to maintain all domains. Users that are members of these groups will be able to switch domains by pressing the domain name displayed in the upper left hand corner. This will then trigger the display of a domain name selector popup.

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Troubleshooting

Problem Solution(s)

1 When testing the Active Directory Connection, the service returns “False”.

1. For local testing, verify that the computer running ThingWorx is a part of the same Domain as the Active Directory.

2. Verify that the configuration criteria are all correct. You may benefit from downloading a tool such as Softerra LDAP Administrator to assist in diagnosing incorrect configuration criteria.

3. Check the ThingWorx Application Log (Monitoring > Logs

> Application Log) to narrow down LDAP connection

problems.

4. If you see the following error in the application log (error code 49 – 80090308), it is likely your user credentials are incorrect. Confirm them and try again.

2 I am connected to my Active Directory, but no Groups are showing either on the Mashup or through the

“GetDomainGroups” Service.

1. You’ll need to verify that the permissions and domain membership of the user you are logged in as have access to see the groups you expect on your Active Directory instance. Contact your IT Administrator for assistance. 2. On the configuration page for your ThingWorx AD

Instance, try using a username whose permissions and group membership you have confirmed are accessible to that user.

3 I cannot see any Groups, or my Active Directory Domain is not listed on the Mashup.

1. Verify that you are connected to the Active Directory by running the TestActiveDirectoryConnection service on your Thing entity.

2. On the Mashup, click the link next to “Domain” at the top-left of the screen. Following this, a pop-up window should

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Problem Solution(s)

appear in the center of the window with a drop-down box for choosing the correct Domain. Choose your domain if it is listed, and click OK.

3. Verify that you are able to see Active Directory groups via the Test button the services section of your thing Entity to confirm that the service works before attempting to populate them on the Mashup.

Compatibility

This Extension has been tested for compatibility with the following ThingWorx and PC Operating Systems:

Component Description

ThingWorx Platform Version ThingWorx 6.0.1

OS Windows 7, Service Pack 1

Document Revision History

Revision Date Version Description of Change

Active Directory Extension User Guide. Version 1.0