nService Manual - Authentication

nService User Authentication

You can set up nService to authenticate users in one of the three modes: nService Authentication, Active Directory Authentication and Windows Integrated Authentication.
nService Authentication	This mode validates users with the users in nService's database. This is the default. It doesn't require additional step to set up. Users need to type in their user names and passwords to sign in to the protected area of the website.
Active Directory Authentication	This mode first attempts to validate users with Active Directory. If the user is validated, it creates a corresponding user account in nService's database with information from Active Directory. If the account already exists in nService, it updates it. If the user is not validated by Active Directory, it validates the user with the users in nService's database. With this mode, users need to type in their user names and passwords to sign in to the protected area of the website. To set up this type of authentication, you need to sign in to the website and run the "Import Data from Active Directory" at least once on the "Users and Assets" menu.
Windows Integrated Authentication	This mode doesn't validate users. Instead, it picks up the user's Windows account, retrieves his information from Active Directory and creates a corresponding account in nService. If the account already exists in nService, it updates it. You must have Active Directory on your network. If the user is already logged into the network, he does not need to provide user name and password to log in to nService. It is done automatically. If the user is a remote user, he would get a log on dialog popped up on his browser. To set up Windows Authentication, take the following steps. 1.Log on to nService as an administrator and run the "Import Data from Active Directory" under “Users and Assets” once to import the organization tree. 2.Add a new user in nService using your Windows logon name. Select System Administrator as its group. The ns4.admin account will stop working once this authentication mode is enabled. 3.Rename \Inetpub\nService4\web.config to web.config-non-ad in case you change your mind later on. 4.Rename \Inetpub\nService4\web.config-ad to web.config. The web.config-ad has the authentication mode set to "Windows" and all location tags removed. 5.You also need to set up the nService4 application in IIS to authenticate user using Windows Integrated Authentication. To do that, go to IIS Manager, nService4 application, Properties, Directory Security, Edit Authentication and access control. Check the Integrated Windows Authentication checkbox. You get 401.5 (401 5) error if it is not checked. Common problems and fixes: 1.This article explains why some times browsers still prompt users for user name and password. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/258063 2.This article explains why you may receive “HTTP Error 401.1”. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/871179 (Note: This authentication mode complies with US government’s smart card log-on mandate.)