IBM Cloud
Configure IBM Cloud App ID federation
Prerequisites
- Administrator access to an IBM Cloud account (Account Owner or Administrator role for IAM Identity Service)
- A SplitSecure Identity Provider created and approved
- An IBM Cloud Pay-As-You-Go or Subscription account
- A separate browser or browser profile with SplitSecure configured (for testing)
IBM Cloud Configuration
Navigate to Identity Providers
Log in to the IBM Cloud console
Go to Manage → Access (IAM) → Identity providers
- Or navigate directly to: https://cloud.ibm.com/iam/identity-providers
Click Add
Select IBM Cloud SAML
Configure Service Provider Details
Name your IBM Cloud service provider configuration
- Choose a descriptive name (e.g.,
SplitSecure-Production) - This helps identify the configuration if you have multiple IdP connections
- Choose a descriptive name (e.g.,
Review the Advanced settings and adjust if necessary
Download the SP metadata for SplitSecure, by clicking Download metadata file to get the XML file
SplitSecure Configuration
Configure SplitSecure with IBM Cloud Details
- In SplitSecure, navigate to Secure Accounts → Create Account
- Select IBM Cloud
- Enter a name for the account (e.g.,
IBM Cloud Secure Account) - Select your Identity Provider
- Upload the IBM Cloud metadata XML file downloaded in Part 1
- Provide your login URL which can be found at https://cloud.ibm.com/iam/identity-providers under Login URL next to your IdP
- Click Create Account
Download SplitSecure IdP Metadata
- In SplitSecure, navigate to Secure Accounts → SAML2 Identity Providers → [Your IdP] → Details
- Click Download Metadata
Complete IBM Cloud Configuration
Upload IdP Metadata
Return to IBM Cloud and continue the setup:
- Upload IdP metadata
Upload will fail if spaces are present in the file name (e.g., metadata-ACcHpUNa3UFmAAAA (1).xml). Rename the file if necessary before uploading.
- Click Next
Verify SAML Connection
- Click Verify
- You will be redirected to SplitSecure’s authentication page
- Sign in using your SplitSecure/corporate credentials
- If successful, a confirmation message appears
Configure Assertion Mapping
Should show “All required claims found and mapped”
- Click Next
Test the Connection
- Click Test
- Sign in with your SplitSecure credentials on the IdP login page
- Verify the connection is successful
- Click Next
Complete Setup
- Click Create to finalize the configuration
- Note your IdP URL for user access (e.g.,
https://cloud.ibm.com/authorize/<your-identifier>)
User Access Configuration
Option A: Dynamic User Onboarding (Recommended)
Users are automatically added to your IBM Cloud account on first login.
- In Identity providers, edit your IdP configuration
- Enable Dynamic onboarding
- Configure access using Trusted Profiles or Access Group dynamic rules
Option B: Static User Onboarding
Users must exist in IBM Cloud before they can log in.
- Go to Manage → Access (IAM) → Users
- Invite users with email addresses matching their SplitSecure identity
Configure Access Groups with Dynamic Rules (Optional)
To automatically assign permissions based on SAML attributes:
- Go to Manage → Access (IAM) → Access groups
- Create or select an access group
- Click Dynamic rules → Add
- Configure:
- Authentication method: Users federated by IBM Cloud SAML
- Identity provider: Select your SplitSecure IdP
- Conditions: Define rules based on SAML attributes
Test Authentication
Use a separate browser or browser profile with SplitSecure configured to test without affecting your current session.
Test Authentication (SP-Initiated)
- Navigate to your IdP URL (e.g.,
https://cloud.ibm.com/authorize/<your-identifier>) - You should be redirected to SplitSecure for authentication
- Fill out the form
- After successful authentication, you should be logged into IBM Cloud
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| “User not authorized” | User doesn’t exist or lacks permissions | Verify user is onboarded and has appropriate access group membership |
| SAML assertion error | Attribute mapping mismatch | Verify required attributes (username, email, firstName, lastName) are in the assertion |
| Certificate error | Expired or incorrectly formatted certificate | Re-download metadata from SplitSecure |
| Verification timeout | Network/firewall issue | Ensure SplitSecure SSO URL is accessible from IBM Cloud |
| Attributes not mapped | Custom attribute names in IdP | Update assertion mapping in IBM Cloud to match your IdP’s attribute names |
External Resources
- IAM Identity Providers IAM identity provider console
- SAML Federation Guide Complete federation tutorial
- Identity Provider Integration Integration documentation
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