SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management) (Bonus): A standard for automating the exchange of user identity information between identity domains or IT systems.
Definition: SCIM is a standard protocol designed to automate the exchange of user identity information between identity domains or IT systems. It simplifies the management of user identities in cloud-based applications and services by providing a consistent and standardized way to create, read, update, and delete user identities.
Key Components of SCIM
- SCIM Client: The system or application that makes requests to the SCIM server to manage user identities.
- SCIM Server: The system or application that receives and processes SCIM requests, typically providing user management functions.
SCIM Workflow
- User Provisioning: Automates the creation of user accounts in various applications.
- Example: Creating a new employee account in a company’s HR system automatically provisions the user in the organization’s email system, CRM, and other services.
- User De-provisioning: Automatically removes user accounts when they are no longer needed.
- Example: When an employee leaves the company, their access to all associated applications is automatically revoked.
- User Updates: Synchronizes changes to user information across systems.
- Example: Updating an employee’s role or department in the HR system automatically updates their permissions in other integrated applications.
SCIM Operations
SCIM defines a set of standard operations that can be performed on resources (users, groups, etc.):
- Create: Adds a new resource.
- Read: Retrieves information about a resource.
- Update: Modifies an existing resource.
- Delete: Removes a resource.
SCIM Endpoints
SCIM uses RESTful API endpoints to manage resources:
- /Users: Manages user resources.
- /Groups: Manages group resources.
- /Schemas: Provides information about supported resource schemas.
- /ServiceProviderConfig: Provides configuration details for the SCIM service.
SCIM Example
A common SCIM request is creating a new user. Here’s an example of a SCIM API request to create a user:
Request:
http Copy code
POST /Users HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer access_token
{
“schemas”: [“urn:ietf:params:scim:schemas:core:2.0:User”],
“userName”: “bjensen”,
“name”: {
“givenName”: “Barbara”,
“familyName”: “Jensen”
},
“emails”: [
{
“value”: “[email protected]”,
“type”: “work”,
“primary”: true
}
]
}
Response:
http
Copy code
HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Content-Type: application/json
{
“schemas”: [“urn:ietf:params:scim:schemas:core:2.0:User”],
“id”: “2819c223-7f76-453a-919d-413861904646”,
“userName”: “bjensen”,
“name”: {
“givenName”: “Barbara”,
“familyName”: “Jensen”
},
“emails”: [
{
“value”: “[email protected]”,
“type”: “work”,
“primary”: true
}
]
}
Benefits of SCIM
- Standardization: Provides a consistent way to manage user identities across different systems.
- Automation: Reduces the manual effort required for user provisioning and de-provisioning.
- Interoperability: Ensures compatibility between various identity management systems and applications.
- Efficiency: Streamlines identity management processes, reducing errors and improving security.
SCIM vs. SAML
- SCIM: Focuses on provisioning, managing, and synchronizing user identities across systems.
- SAML: Focuses on exchanging authentication and authorization data for single sign-on (SSO) purposes.
Summary
SCIM is a powerful standard for automating the exchange and management of user identity information across multiple domains and IT systems. It streamlines user provisioning, de-provisioning, and updates, enhancing efficiency and security in managing user identities.