Guide to ForgeRock Identity Platform™ modules.
About the ForgeRock Identity Platform
The ForgeRock Identity Platform is the only offering for access management, identity management, user-managed access, directory services, and an identity gateway, designed and built as a single, unified platform.
This guide describes in general terms the ForgeRock modules that compose the ForgeRock Identity Platform, and indicates where to find the documentation corresponding to each module:
In addition to the modules listed in this guide, you can use the following ForgeRock software to enhance platform deployments:
- ForgeRock DevOps Examples
DevOps Examples demonstrate installation, configuration, and deployment of ForgeRock Identity Platform components using DevOps techniques.
See the ForgeRock DevOps documentation.
- ForgeRock Authenticator Application
This app allows end users to perform multi-factor authentication and transactional authorization from a registered Android or iOS device. It is designed for use in both multi-factor and passwordless authentication scenarios. It is associated with a Push Authentication Simple Notification Service module that depends on the module described in "Intelligent Authentication Module".
See About Push Authentication and Introducing Transactional Authorization.
For further details and help gaining access to additional software, contact ForgeRock at info@forgerock.com. If your project or deployment requires source code access, also contact ForgeRock.
This guide includes general statements of functionality for the following software:
ForgeRock Access Management 6.5, with Web Agent 5 and Java Agent 5
ForgeRock Identity Management 6.5
ForgeRock Directory Services 6.5
ForgeRock Edge Security Modules
This document is not meant to serve as a statement of functional specifications. Software functionality may evolve in incompatible ways in major and minor releases, and occasionally in maintenance (patch) releases. Release notes cover many incompatible changes. If you see an incompatible change for a stable interface that is not mentioned in the release notes, please report an issue with the product documentation for that release.
Chapter 1. Access Management
Access Management modules:
1.1. Overview of Capabilities
Intelligent authentication
Mobile authentication
Push authentication
Adaptive risk authentication
Authorization policies and enforcement
Federation
Single sign-on (SSO)
User self-services and social sign-on
High-availability and scalability
Adaptable monitoring and auditing services
Developer-friendly, rich standards support
1.2. Dependencies
Several Access Management modules require other modules. For example, the Federation module requires the Intelligent Authentication module. The following diagram summarizes Access Management module dependencies:
1.3. Intelligent Authentication Module
This module will help you build secure, robust, centrally managed single sign-on services. The user, application, or device signs on once and then is granted appropriate access everywhere. Authentication management integrates delegated authentication chains with many authentication methods supported by default. Authentication trees store authentication sessions in the client as a cookie, or in the CTS store. If the AM server goes down or the user is redirected to another AM while authenticating, the new AM server can grab the authentication session and continue the flow. All authentication-related events are logged for auditing and reporting purposes.
Required modules: none.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication Trees and Nodes | Authentication trees provide fine-grained authentication, social authentication, and multi-factor authentication. Trees are made up of authentication nodes. Authentication nodes allow multiple paths and decision points throughout the authentication flow, enabling AM to handle different modes of authenticating users. | About Authentication Trees |
| Authentication Modules | AM provides more than 25 authentication modules, including multi-factor and strong authentication, to handle different modes of authenticating users or entities. The modules can be chained together so that a user's or entity's credentials must be evaluated by one module before control passes to another module. | Authentication Module Properties |
| Adaptive Risk Module | Risk assessment based on predetermined characteristics to determine whether to complete further authentication steps in a chain. | Adaptive Risk Authentication Module |
| Session High Availability | Persistent access management sessions, authenticating the user until the session expires. | Session high availability is enabled by default with no setup required. |
| Multi-Factor and Strong Authentication | Capability to challenge for additional credentials when authentication takes place under centrally-defined risky or suspicious conditions. | About Multi-Factor Authentication |
| External Configuration Store | Configuration storage in ForgeRock Directory Services for high-availability. | Preparing an External Configuration Data Store |
| REST and SOAP STS | Secure Token Service (STS) for bridging identities across web and enterprise identity access management (IAM) systems through a token transformation process, securely providing cross-system access to service resources by authenticated requesting applications. | Introducing the Security Token Service |
| Web and Java Agents for SSO | Intercept requests to access protected resources and redirect for appropriate authentication. | Web Agents User Guide and Java Agents User Guide |
| Mobile Authenticator | Sample iOS and Android applications for strong multi-factor authentication with one-time passwords, secure QR code provisioning, and recovery codes for lost or stolen devices. | Sample Mobile Authentication Applications |
| User Login Analytics | Measure authentication flows using counters and start/stop timers to monitor performance. | Timer Node Start, Timer Node Stop, Meter Node, and Monitoring Metric Types |
1.4. Authorization Module
This module will help you create powerful, context-based policies with a GUI-based policy editor and with REST APIs to control access to online resources. Resources can be URLs, external services, or devices and things. Authorization management lets you manage policies centrally and enforce them locally through installable agents, or through REST, C, and Java applications. Authorization management is extensible, making it possible to define external subjects, complex conditions, and custom access decisions.
Required module: Intelligent Authentication.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Entitlement Policies | Modern web-based policy editor for building policies, making it possible to add and update policies as needed without touching the underlying applications. | Introducing Authorization |
| Web and Java Agents for Enforcement | Access enforcement for online resources with the capability to require higher levels of authentication and session upgrade when accessing sensitive resources. | Web Agents User Guide and Java Agents User Guide |
| Transactional Authorization | Requires a user to perform additional actions such as reauthenticating to a module or node, or responding to a push notification, to gain access to a protected resource. | Implementing Transactional Authorization |
| OAuth 2.0 Dynamic Scopes | A single OAuth 2.0 client configured for a comprehensive list of scopes can serve different scope subsets to resource owners based on policy conditions. | Policy Decisions and Authorization Examples |
1.5. Federation Module
This module will help you extend SSO capabilities across organization boundaries based on standards-based interoperability.
Required module: Intelligent Authentication.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| SAML 2.0 IDP and SP | Identity federation with SaaS applications, such as Salesforce.com, Google Apps, WebEx, and many more. | Configuring IdPs, SPs, and COTs |
| SAML 2.0 SSO and SLO | Web Single Sign-On and Single Logout profile support. | Implementing SAML v2.0 SSO and SLO |
| ADFS | Federation with Active Directory Federation Services. | Introducing SAML v2.0 Support |
| SAML 2.0 Attribute and Advanced Profiles | Support for transmitting only attributes used by targeted applications. | SAML v2.0 Deployment Overview |
| OpenID Connect | OpenID Connect 1.0 compliance for running an OpenID Provider, including advanced profiles, such as Mobile Connect. | Introducing OpenID Connect 1.0 |
| OAuth 2.0 | OAuth 2.0 compliance for running an authorization server. | Introducing OAuth 2.0 |
| Social Login | For acting as an OAuth 2.0 client of social identity providers, such as Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. | Implementing Social Authentication |
| OAuth 2.0 Dynamic Scopes | A single OAuth 2.0 client configured for a comprehensive list of scopes can serve different scope subsets to resource owners based on policy conditions. | Policy Decisions and Authorization Examples |
1.6. User-Managed Access Module
This module consists of a consumer-facing implementation of the User-Managed Access (UMA) 2.0 standard. The standard defines an OAuth 2.0-based protocol designed to give individuals a unified control point for authorizing who and what can access their digital data, content, and services. For example, you can use this module to build a solution where end users can delegate access through a share button, and then monitor and change sharing preferences through a central dashboard.
Required modules: Authorization, Intelligent Authentication.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| UMA Standard Conformance | Conformance to the UMA 2.0 standard for interoperability with organizational and partner systems, including federated authorization and customer-centric use cases. | Introducing UMA 2.0 |
| UMA Authorization Server | Authorization server with dynamic resource set registration, end user control of resource sharing, responses to access requests, and full audit history. | Introducing UMA 2.0 |
| UMA Protector | ForgeRock Identity Gateway protection for resources and services with the UMA 2.0 standard. | Supporting UMA Resource Servers |
Chapter 2. Identity Management
ForgeRock Identity Management 6.5 brings together multiple sources of identity for policy and workflow-based management that puts you in control of the data. Build a solution to consume, transform, and feed data to external sources to help you maintain control over identities of users, devices, and things. Identity governance features in ForgeRock Identity Management let you gain visibility into employee provisioning, and help you proactively take action in managing employee access to external systems.
Identity Management modules:
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2.1. Overview of Capabilities
Provisioning
Synchronization and reconciliation
Adaptable monitoring and auditing services
Connections to cloud services with simple social registration
Flexible developer access
Password synchronization
Identity data visualization
Delegated administration
User self-service
Privacy and consent
Progressive profile completion
Workflow engine
OpenICF connector framework to external systems
Access request (Identity Governance)
Access review and reporting (Identity Governance)
2.2. Dependencies
Several Identity Management modules require other modules. For example, the Synchronization module requires the Identity Lifecycle and Relationship module. The following diagram summarizes Identity Management module dependencies:
2.3. Identity Synchronization Module
This module can serve as the foundation for provisioning and identity data reconciliation. Synchronization capabilities are available as a service and through REST APIs to be used directly by external applications. Activities occurring in the system can be configured to log and audit events for reporting purposes.
Required module: Identity Lifecycle and Relationship.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and Synchronization | Synchronization of identity data across managed data stores. | Synchronizing Data Between Resources |
| Reconciliation | Alignment between accounts across managed data stores. | Managing Reconciliation |
| Password Synchronization | Near real-time password synchronization across managed data stores. | Password Synchronization Plugin Guide |
| Directory Services and Active Directory Plugins | Native password synchronization plugins for ForgeRock Directory Services and Microsoft Active Directory. | Synchronizing Passwords With ForgeRock Directory Services (DS), and Synchronizing Passwords With Active Directory |
| Delegated Administration | Grant role-based, limited access to perform fine-grained administrative tasks on managed objects. | Privileges and Delegation |
| All Connectors | Extensible interoperability for identity, compliance, and risk management across a variety of specific applications and services. | Connecting to External Resources |
2.4. Self-Service Module
This module can be used to allow end users to manage their own passwords and profiles securely according to predefined policies.
Required modules:
Full capabilities: Identity Lifecycle and Relationship.
Basic capabilities: Intelligent Authentication. See Introducing User Self-Service for information about self-service capabilities in AM.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| User Self-Registration | End-user self-service UI that lets users create their own accounts with customizable criteria. | User Self-Registration |
| Password Management | End-user self-service UI for changing and resetting passwords based on predefined policies and security questions. | Resetting User Passwords |
| Password Reset | Mechanisms to allow users to reset their own passwords with predefined policies. | Configuring User Self-Service |
| Knowledge-Based Authentication | Verification for user identities based on predefined and end user-created security questions. | Configuring Self-Service Questions (KBA) |
| Forgotten Username | Mechanisms to allow users to recover their usernames with predefined policies. | Forgotten Username |
| Progressive Profile Completion | Short forms used to simplify registration and incrementally collect profile data over time. | Progressive Profile Completion |
| Profile and Privacy Management Dashboard | Dashboard for managing personal user information. | Privacy: My Account Information in the Self-Service UI |
| Consent and Preference Management | Configurable user preferences. | Configuring Synchronization Filters With User Preferences |
| Terms and Conditions (or Terms of Service) Versioning | Manage multiple terms and conditions. | Adding Terms and Conditions |
2.5. Workflow Module
This module can be used to visually organize identity synchronization, reconciliation, and provisioning into repeatable processes with logging and auditing for reporting purposes.
Required modules: Self-Service, Identity Lifecycle and Relationship.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Activiti Workflow Engine | Lightweight workflow and business process management platform. | Setting Up Activiti Integration |
| BPMN 2.0 Support | Standards-based Business Process Model and Notation 2.0 support. | BPMN 2.0 and the Activiti Tools |
| Workflow-Driven Provisioning | Define provisioning workflows for self-service, sunrise and sunset processes, approvals, escalations, and maintenance. | Integrating Business Processes and Workflows |
2.7. Identity Lifecycle and Relationship Module
This module can help you to provision user identities into IDM, and includes the capability to manage roles, relationships between identities, and entitlements.
Required modules: none.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound Provisioning Engine | Provisioning engine to import data from an external resource into IDM. | Synchronizing Data Between Resources |
| Data Modeling | Ability to map IDM objects to tables in a JDBC database or to organizational units in a DS repository. | Using Generic and Explicit Object Mappings |
| Identity Lifecycle Management | An extensible object model that enables you to manage the complete lifecycle of identity objects. | Working With Managed Objects |
| Identity Relationship Lifecycle Management | Ability to create and track relationship references between objects. | Managing Relationships Between Objects |
| Role Lifecycle Management | Provisioning roles to control how objects are exported to external systems and authorization roles to control authorization within IDM. | Working With Managed Roles |
| Entitlement Lifecycle Management | Entitlements to provision attributes or sets of attributes, based on role membership. | Working With Role Assignments |
2.8. Access Request Module
This module helps users search for and request entitlements for themselves, as well as on behalf of other members of the organization. Users can also view the status of existing requests, and take action on pending work items. Requests can be automatically approved or can require one or more approvals.
Required modules: Workflow, Self-Service, Identity Lifecycle and Relationship.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Entitlement Bundles | Administrators can create and manage entitlement bundles. Bundles are groups of entitlements to which users can request access. | Access Request Documentation |
| User Notifications | Access Request can send customizable user notifications for specific events that occur within the request process. | Access Request Documentation |
| Identity Glossary | The glossary provides consolidated management of entitlement metadata, bulk export and import, and extended relationship mapping. | Access Request Documentation |
2.9. Access Review Module
This module provides user certification, role management, policy enforcement, and reporting.
Required modules: Workflow, Self-Service, Identity Lifecycle and Relationship.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| User Certification | Multi-stage certifications let any number of certifiers participate in access decision processes, and provide an escalation process to ensure timely responses. | Access Review Documentation |
| Role Management | An extensible glossary allows for consolidated management of role and entitlement metadata, bulk export and import, and extended relationship mapping. | Access Review Documentation |
| Policy Enforcement | Supports proper segregation of duties. | Access Review Documentation |
| Reporting | Helps you meet compliance regulations and enables you to obtain a comprehensive understanding of your identity governance system. The reporting module includes a variety of reporting options such as systems access, certification, policy violations, and so on. | Identity Reporting Documentation |
Chapter 3. Directory Services
ForgeRock Directory Services 6.5 serves as a foundation for LDAPv3 and RESTful directories.
Directory Services modules:
3.1. Overview of Capabilities
Large-scale, distributed read and write performance
Flexible key-value data model for storing users, devices, and things
Data storage with confidentiality, integrity, and security
High-availability through data replication and proxy services
Single logical entry point for use in protecting LDAPv3 directory services
Load balancing and failover for LDAPv3 directory services
Maximum interoperability and pass-through delegated authentication
Adaptable monitoring and auditing services
Easy installation, configuration, and management
Developer-friendly, rich standards support
3.2. Dependencies
Neither of the Directory Services modules are dependent upon other modules.
3.3. Directory Server Module
The ForgeRock Directory Server module helps you store store identities for users, devices, and things in a highly available and secure way. This module provides data replication to help you build highly available directory services. It also offers fine-grained access control, password digests, encryption schemes, and customizable password policies to allow you to build very secure directory services. Data may be accessed using LDAP or REST with the same level of security constraints and access control.
Required modules: none.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| LDAPv3 | Compliance with the latest LDAP protocol standards. | Understanding Directory Services |
| REST APIs and REST to LDAP Gateway | HTTP-based RESTful access to user data and server configuration. | RESTful Client Access Over HTTP |
| DSMLv2 Gateway | HTTP-based SOAP access to LDAP operations for web services. | DSML Client Access |
| High-Availability Multi-Master Replication | Data replication for always-on services, enabling failover and disaster recovery. | Managing Data Replication |
| User/Object Store | Flexible key-value data model for storing users, devices, and things. | Managing Directory Data |
| Passwords and Data Security | Password digests, encryption schemes, and customizable rules for password policy compliance to help protect data on disk and shared infrastructure. | Encrypting Directory Data, Configuring Password Policy |
3.4. Directory Proxy Server Module
The ForgeRock Directory Proxy Server module helps you increase the availability of a Directory Service deployment, providing a single point of access to a large-scale distributed data store. The module offers a choice of strategies for request load balancing and failover. Data may be accessed using LDAP or REST with the same level of security constraints and access control.
Required modules: none.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Single Point of Access | Uniform view of underlying LDAPv3 directory services for client applications. | Deploying a Single Point of Directory Access |
| High Service Availability | LDAP services with reliable crossover and DN-based routing. | Deploying Proxy Services for High Availability |
| Load Balancing and Failover | Configurable load balancing across directory servers with redundancy, and capabilities to handle referrals, connection failures, and network partitions. | Choosing a Load Balancing Algorithm |
| Protection For Directory Services | Secure incoming and outgoing connections, and provide coarse-grained access control. | Securing Network Connections, About Global Access Control Policies |
| Scaling Out Using Data Distribution | Distribute data across multiple shards. | Scaling Out Using Data Distribution |
| LDAPv3 | Compliance with the latest LDAP protocol standards. | Understanding Directory Services |
| REST APIs | HTTP-based RESTful access to user data and server configuration. | RESTful Client Access Over HTTP |
Chapter 4. Edge Security
Use ForgeRock Edge Security software to integrate web applications, APIs, microservices, Internet of Things devices, and cloud-based services with the ForgeRock Identity Platform.
Edge Security modules:
4.1. Dependencies
Neither of the Edge Security modules are dependent upon other modules.
4.2. Identity Gateway Module
ForgeRock Identity Gateway helps you integrate web applications, APIs, and microservices with the ForgeRock Identity Platform, without modifying the application or the container where it runs. Based on reverse proxy architecture, it enforces security and access control in conjunction with the Access Management modules.
ForgeRock Identity Gateway software provides the following capabilities:
Protection for IoT services, microservices, and APIs
Policy enforcement
Adaptable throttling, monitoring, and auditing
Secure token transformation
Support for identity standards such as OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML 2.0, and UMA 2.0
Password capture and replay
Rapid prototyping
Required modules: none.
| Feature | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | User interface for rapid development and prototyping. | Configuring Routes With Studio and Technology Preview of Freeform Studio |
| Single Sign-On | Single sign-on in a single domain and across domains. | Single Sign-On and Cross-Domain Single Sign-On |
| Password Replay | Secure replay of credentials to legacy applications or APIs. | Getting Login Credentials From Data Sources and Getting Login Credentials From AM |
| Policy Enforcement | Enforcement of centralized authorization policies for applications requiring Access Management. | Enforcing Policy Decisions From AM and Hardening Authorization With Advice From AM |
| Federation | OpenID Connect 1.0. | Acting As an OpenID Connect Relying Party |
| OAuth 2.0. | Acting As an OAuth 2.0 Resource Server | |
| SAML 2.0. | Acting As a SAML 2.0 Service Provider | |
| SAML resources for mobile applications. | Transforming OpenID Connect ID Tokens Into SAML Assertions | |
| Finance APIs | Support for OAuth 2.0 Mutual TLS and Financial-Grade APIs. | Validating OAuth 2.0 Access Tokens Obtained Through mTLS and FapiInteractionIdFilter |
| WebSocket Protocol | Detection of requests to upgrade from HTTPS to the WebSocket protocol, and creation of a secure, dedicated tunnel to send and receive WebSocket traffic. | Proxying WebSocket Traffic |
| Throttling | Throttling to limit access to protected applications. | Throttling the Rate of Requests to Protected Applications |
| UMA Resource Server | Protection for resources and services according to the UMA 2.0 standard. | Supporting UMA Resource Servers |
| DevOps Tooling | Deployment of basic and customized configurations through Docker. | Deployment Guide |
4.3. Microservices Security Module
Required modules: none.
| Microservice | Description | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Microgateway |
Sidecar-type, container-optimized gateway for securing microservices. | Microgateway Release Notes |
| Token Validation Microservice |
Platform satellite for introspection of stateful and stateless OAuth 2.0 access tokens. | About the Token Validation Microservice |
2.6. Social Identity Module
With this module, you can allow users to register and authenticate with specified standards-compliant social identity providers. These users can also link multiple social identity providers to the same account, thus establishing a single consumer identity.
With the attributes collected from each user profile, you can configure the module to authorize access to applications and resources, including lead generation tools.
Required modules: Self-Service, Identity Lifecycle and Relationship.