NewSPAttribute

Recognize & Utilize a New Attribute for the SP

Before accepting and using a new attribute for access control purposes, ensure that you're fully aware of the definition and population of the attribute. This should be supplied either by your federation or the IdP with which you're interoperating. Ensure that good naming practices are followed.

AAP.xml

The only change that must be performed is to add the attribute to AAP.xml. This is done by editing the file and adding a section such as the following:

<AttributeRule Name="https://www.example.org/sports/battingaverage" Header="Shib-BattingAverage" Alias="BattingAverage">
	<AnySite>
		<AnyValue/>
	</AnySite>
</AttributeRule>

This will accept any attribute value from any trusted IdP. The parameters for your situation should be informed by local policy needs, such as a controlled vocabulary or a limited number of trusted asserters.

The attribute will now be available as a standard HTTP header with the name of the Header attribute above.

Using the Attribute in Webapps

The attribute can be used in web server directives by using the name provided in the above configuration in a standard rule. The way the new attribute is made available to and utilized by web applications varies by web environment. K.U. Leuven has assembled a set of demonstration pages in various languages to provide examples of attribute use in applications.

Requesting this Attribute

If you wish to ensure that this attribute is considered required for a given application or for your SP in general, information needs to be added to shibboleth.xml or metadata.xml. One or more <saml:AttributeDesignator> attributes may be added to an <Application> element using the SAML attribute names to restrict the attributes available to it, while one or more <RequestedAttribute> elements in your metadata will express your desire for this data.