user_guide.wsdlsirplugin.rst

Plugin for WSDL services protected using SAML WEB SSO Profile

Taverna's WSDL activity is compatible with different security mechanisms (Basic HTTP Auth, WS-Security, ...), but lacks of compatibility with web browser based mechanisms for federation, such as the SAML WEB SSO Profile.

We have developed a plugin that helps accessing services protected within a federation. Concretely the SIR federation.

Notice, that the WSDL describing the service need to be accessible without any security mechanisms. If the services provider is protecting it, we would need to get its contents using a browser and save them in a file in order to include it as WSDL location.

The source code can be found at:

https://github.com/polmr/wsdlsir

Requisites

A taverna workbench 2.5 installation is required

Installation

In order to install WSDL SIR Plugin, we proceed this way:

1. Click on Advanced/Updates and plugins

Updates and plugins

2. Click on Find New Plugins

Find new plugins

3. Add update site

Add update site

4. We give a name to our new site and the URL:

   https://srv-prj-wsamiga-sir.fcsc.es/plugin/

Add plugin site

5. Then click on Install

Install the plugin

We will be told to restart taverna. So shall we.

Usage

Once we have the plugin installed, we will be able to import a new kind os service:

Using the plugin. Import new service.

We select the service and then introduce the URL to the WSDL description of some services that are protected within a federation (with SAML Web SSO profile).

Using the plugin. Add the URL of some protectes services

Then we import the service into the workflow (as we would normally do with a WSDL service)

Using the plugin. Add service to workflow

Now it is time to configure the security. We right-click onto the imported service and select Configure security...

Using the plugin. Configure security

We select SAML WEB SSO profile authentication and click on the botton to authenticate

Using the plugin. Select security

We will be prompted for the Idp to authenticate against:

Using the plugin. Select the Identity provider

We enter our credentials (as we would to using a browser)

Using the plugin. Enter user credentials.

And then we are ready to go. The authentication is already performed and we would have obtained a cookie that will be stored within our taverna's credential manager. In further invocations of the service, the cookie will be used to authenticate. In case it stops working, please delete the entry in your Credential Manager or re-authenticate repeating the previous proceedings.