CHOOSING AN IDENTITY PROVIDER FOR YOUR APPLICATION

A common requirement for software vendors using device-based licensing is to extend or replace it with user-based licensing.

User-based licensing requires user authentication. This is typically handled by an identity provider, while SLASCONE manages the licensing and authorization logic.

AUTHENTICATION AND AUTHORIZATION

In user-based licensing scenarios, authentication and authorization should be considered separately:

• Authentication: User login, password management, multi-factor authentication, and account lifecycle management are handled by an identity provider. SLASCONE is not an identity provider for your application.

• Authorization: Licensing permissions, named user assignments, and license-based access rules are handled by SLASCONE. For more information, see Named User Licenses.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN IDENTITY PROVIDER

We generally discourage implementing a custom identity provider. Identity management is complex and requires significant effort to build, secure, operate, and maintain, especially when legal, data privacy, and compliance requirements are considered.

Instead, we recommend using an established identity provider such as Microsoft Entra External ID, Auth0, Okta, or Keycloak.

RECOMMENDED OPTION: MICROSOFT ENTRA EXTERNAL ID

SLASCONE can work with different identity providers. However, if you do not already have an identity provider for your application, Microsoft Entra External ID is often a good choice, especially for customer-facing scenarios that require license self-management.

One reason is that SLASCONE also uses Microsoft Entra External ID for its own customer-facing identity scenarios. Using the same identity platform for your application can help you maintain one user store for:

• Application authentication

• Access to the SLASCONE Customer Portal

This can simplify user management and reduce integration effort, because the same user identity can be used across your application and the SLASCONE portal experience.

USING OTHER IDENTITY PROVIDERS

You can also use other identity providers such as Auth0, Keycloak, or Okta. In such scenarios, federation with Microsoft Entra External ID may be required to provide single sign-on access to the SLASCONE Customer Portal.

This allows your application to continue using your preferred identity provider, while still enabling a consistent sign-in experience for customer portal access.