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Tutorial: Microsoft Entra integration with Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth

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In this tutorial, you'll learn how to integrate Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth with Microsoft Entra ID. When you integrate Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth with Microsoft Entra ID, you can:

  • Control in Microsoft Entra ID who has access to Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth.
  • Enable your users to be automatically signed-in to Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth 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.
  • A Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth single sign-on (SSO)-enabled subscription.

Scenario description

In this tutorial, you configure and test Microsoft Entra single sign-on in a test environment.

  • Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth supports SP initiated SSO.

Add Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth from the gallery

To configure the integration of Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth into Microsoft Entra ID, you need to add Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth from the gallery to your list of managed SaaS apps.

  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 Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth in the search box.
  4. Select Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth 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 Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth

Configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth 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 Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth.

To configure and test Microsoft Entra SSO with Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth, 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 Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth SSO - to configure the single sign-on settings on application side.
    1. Create Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth test user - to have a counterpart of B.Simon in Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth that is linked to the Microsoft Entra representation of user.
  3. Test SSO - to verify whether the configuration works.

Configure Microsoft Entra SSO

In this section, you enable Microsoft Entra single sign-on.

To configure Microsoft Entra single sign-on with Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth, perform the following steps:

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

  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth application integration page, select Single sign-on.

  3. On the Select a Single sign-on method dialog, select SAML/WS-Fed mode to enable single sign-on.

  4. On the Set up Single Sign-On with SAML page, click pencil icon to open Basic SAML Configuration dialog.

    Edit Basic SAML Configuration

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

    a. In the Sign-on URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<yourblackoardlearnserver>.blackboardlearn.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login

    b. In the Identifier box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<yourblackoardlearnserver>.blackboardlearn.com/shibboleth-sp

    c. In the Reply URL text box, type a URL using the following pattern: https://<yourblackoardlearnserver>.blackboardlearn.com/Shibboleth.sso/SAML2/POST

    Note

    These values are not real. Update these values with the actual Sign-On URL, Identifier and Reply URL. Contact Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth Client support 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, click Download to download the Federation Metadata XML from the given options as per your requirement and save it on your computer.

    The Certificate download link

  7. On the Set up Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth section, copy the appropriate URL(s) as per 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 [email protected]. For example, [email protected].
    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 Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth.

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Cloud Application Administrator.
  2. Browse to Identity > Applications > Enterprise applications > Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth.
  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 Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth SSO

To configure Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth single sign-on, please refer to this document.

Create Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth test user

In this section, you create a user called Britta Simon in Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth. Work with Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth support team to add the users in the Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth platform. Users must be created and activated before you use single sign-on.

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 Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth Sign-on URL where you can initiate the login flow.

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

  • You can use Microsoft My Apps. When you click the Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth tile in the My Apps, you should be automatically signed in to the Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth for which you set up the SSO. For more information about the My Apps, see Introduction to the My Apps.

Next steps

Once you configure Blackboard Learn - Shibboleth 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.