-How to Use Guest Login/Access with SAML Authentication

Products

• CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager

Issue/Introduction

We have recently implemented SAML authentication with Okta in our Test environment. While testing, we encountered an issue regarding guest logins. We use the guest login for users who need password reset or do not have their information configured yet. We also have a handful of knowledge documents that are available for guest access and allow them to navigate directly to the article using a deep link that specifies the username like:

https://SDM-server:8443/CAisd/pdmweb.exe?username=anonymous+OP=SHOW_DETAIL+PERSID=KD:400578+HTMPL=kt_document_view.htmpl+open_mode=2

Is there another way to allow users to access the guest options with SAML enabled?

Environment

Release : 17.3

Component : SDM - Authentication/LDAP/AD/EEM

Resolution

As of 8/22/2022, Service Desk does not support for anonymous links like this in a SAMLed env.

As a workaround, SDM admin should configure a dedicated app server that is not configured using SAML authentication and all the URL links would need to point to that app server.

Of course, this extra/additional app server can be used by a small group of users for test or even development purpose.