Edit

Tutorial: Microsoft Entra Single sign-on (SSO) integration with Cornerstone

  • Article

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to set up the single sign-on integration between Cornerstone and Microsoft Entra ID. When you integrate Cornerstone with Microsoft Entra ID, you can:

  • Control in Microsoft Entra ID who has SSO access to Cornerstone.
  • Enable your users to be automatically signed-in to Cornerstone with their Microsoft Entra accounts.
  • Manage your accounts in one central location.

Prerequisites

To get started, you need the following items:

  • A Microsoft Entra subscription. If you don't have a subscription, you can get a free account.
  • Enabled SSO in Cornerstone.

Note

This integration is also available to use from Microsoft Entra US Government Cloud environment. You can find this application in the Microsoft Entra US Government Cloud Application Gallery and configure it in the same way as you do from public cloud.

Scenario description

In this tutorial, you configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO in a test environment.

  • Cornerstone supports SP initiated SSO.

  • Cornerstone supports Automated user provisioning.

  • If you are integrating one or multiple products from this particular list then you should use this Cornerstone Single Sign-On app from the Gallery.

    We offer solutions for :

    1. Recruiting
    2. Learning
    3. Development
    4. Content
    5. Performance
    6. Career
    7. HR

To configure the Microsoft Entra SSO integration with Cornerstone, you need to...

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > New application.
  3. In the Add from the gallery section, type Cornerstone Single Sign-On in the search box.
  4. Select Cornerstone Single Sign-On from results panel and then add the app. Wait a few seconds while the app is added to your tenant.

Alternatively, you can also use the Enterprise App Configuration Wizard. In this wizard, you can add an application to your tenant, add users/groups to the app, assign roles, as well as walk through the SSO configuration as well. Learn more about Microsoft 365 wizards.

Configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO for Cornerstone

Configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Cornerstone using a test user called B.Simon. For SSO to work, you need to establish a link relationship between a Microsoft Entra user and the related user in Cornerstone.

To configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Cornerstone, perform the following steps:

  1. Configure Microsoft Entra SSO - to enable your users to use this feature.
    1. Create a Microsoft Entra test user - to test Microsoft Entra single sign-on with B.Simon.
    2. Assign the Microsoft Entra test user - to enable B.Simon to use Microsoft Entra single sign-on.
  2. Configure Cornerstone Single Sign-On - to configure the SSO in Cornerstone.
    1. Create Cornerstone Single Sign-On test user - to have a counterpart of B.Simon in Cornerstone that is linked to the Microsoft Entra representation of user.
  3. Test SSO - to verify whether the configuration works.
  4. Test SSO for Cornerstone (Mobile) - to verify whether the configuration works.

Configure Microsoft Entra SSO

Follow these steps to enable Microsoft Entra SSO.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.

  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Cornerstone Single Sign-On application integration page, find the Manage section and select Single sign-on.

  3. On the Select a Single sign-on method page, select SAML.

  4. On the Set up Single Sign-On with SAML page, click the pencil icon for Basic SAML Configuration to edit the settings.

    Edit Basic SAML Configuration

  5. On the Basic SAML Configuration section, perform the following steps:

    a. In the Identifier text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<PORTAL_NAME>.csod.com

    b. In the Reply URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<PORTAL_NAME>.csod.com/samldefault.aspx?ouid=<OUID>

    c. In the Sign on URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<PORTAL_NAME>.csod.com/samldefault.aspx?ouid=<OUID>

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Reply URL, Identifier and Sign on URL. Please reach out to your Cornerstone implementation project team to get these values. You can also refer to the patterns shown in the Basic SAML Configuration section.

  6. On the Set up Single Sign-On with SAML page, in the SAML Signing Certificate section, find Certificate (Base64) and select Download to download the certificate and save it on your computer.

    The Certificate download link

  7. On the Set up Cornerstone Single Sign-On section, copy the appropriate URL(s) based on your requirement.

    Copy configuration URLs

Create a Microsoft Entra test user

In this section, you'll create a test user called B.Simon.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a User Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Users > All users.
  3. Select New user > Create new user, at the top of the screen.
  4. In the User properties, follow these steps:
    1. In the Display name field, enter B.Simon.
    2. In the User principal name field, enter the username@companydomain.extension. For example, B.Simon@contoso.com.
    3. Select the Show password check box, and then write down the value that's displayed in the Password box.
    4. Select Review + create.
  5. Select Create.

Assign the Microsoft Entra test user

In this section, you'll enable B.Simon to use single sign-on by granting access to Cornerstone.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Cornerstone Single Sign-On.
  3. In the app's overview page, select Users and groups.
  4. Select Add user/group, then select Users and groups in the Add Assignment dialog.
    1. In the Users and groups dialog, select B.Simon from the Users list, then click the Select button at the bottom of the screen.
    2. If you are expecting a role to be assigned to the users, you can select it from the Select a role dropdown. If no role has been set up for this app, you see "Default Access" role selected.
    3. In the Add Assignment dialog, click the Assign button.

Configure Cornerstone Single Sign-On

To configure SSO in Cornerstone, you need to reach out to your Cornerstone implementation project team. They set this setting to have the SAML SSO connection set properly on both sides.

Create Cornerstone Single Sign-On test user

In this section, you create a user called Britta Simon in Cornerstone. Please work with your Cornerstone implementation project team to add the users in Cornerstone. Users must be created and activated before you use single sign-on.

Cornerstone Single Sign-On also supports automatic user provisioning, you can find more details here on how to configure automatic user provisioning.

Test SSO

In this section, you test your Microsoft Entra single sign-on configuration with following options.

  • Click on Test this application, this will redirect to Cornerstone Sign-on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

  • Go to Cornerstone Sign-on URL directly and initiate the login flow from there.

  • You can use Microsoft My Apps. When you click the Cornerstone Single Sign-On tile in the My Apps, this will redirect to Cornerstone Sign-on URL. For more information about the My Apps, see Introduction to the My Apps.

Test SSO for Cornerstone (Mobile)

  1. In a different browser window, log in to your Cornerstone website as an administrator and perform the following steps.

    a. Go to the Admin -> Tools -> CORE FUNCTIONS -> Core Preferences -> Authentication Preferences.

    screeenshot for Authentication Preferences mobile appilcation Cornerstone.

    b. Search the Division Name by giving the Division Name in the search box.

    c. Click the Division Name in the results.

    d. From the SAML/IDP server URL dropdown, select the appropriate SAML/IDP server that should be used for user Authentication.

    screeenshot for Other credentials validated against client SAML/IDP server.

    e. Click Save.

  2. Go to Admin > Tools > Core Functions > Core Preferences > Mobile.

    a. Select the appropriate Division OU.

    b. Select Allow users in this OU to access the Cornerstone Learn app on their mobile and tablet device and checkbox in Enable Mobile Access.

    c. Click Save.

  3. Open Cornerstone Learn mobile application. On the sign in page, enter the portal name.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation Cornerstone.

  4. Click Alternative Login and then click SSO.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation Alternative Login.

  5. . Enter your Microsoft Entra credentials to sign into the Cornerstone application and click Next.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation Microsoft Entra credentials.

  6. Finally after successful sign in, the application homepage will be displayed as shown below.

    screeenshot for mobile appilcation home page.

Next steps

Once you configure Cornerstone Single Sign-On you can enforce Session control, which protects exfiltration and infiltration of your organization’s sensitive data in real time. Session control extends from Conditional Access. Learn how to enforce session control with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.