AssertionConsumerService
Ā
Advanced Configuration
Note, this is an advanced configuration feature. Most deployments can rely on the <SSO>
shorthand element.
TheĀ <md:AssertionConsumerService>
Ā element is used to configure handlers that are responsible for consuming SAML assertions; that is, they process an assertion according to a profile, extract its contents, create a new user session, and typically produce a cookie to represent the session.
An ACS does most of the work of SSO for the SP and is the "receiving" half of the SSO message exchange started by aĀ SessionInitiator. As a multi-protocol system, the SP itself is oblivious to specific SSO protocols; each ACS provides the implementation of a particular protocol. The "assertion" terminology is SAML-specific but is an abstraction at this level.
Protocols
ACS implementations exist for these protocols.Ā Precisely which ACS is defined the theĀ Ā Binding
Ā attribute.