This article provides steps on enabling Web Server authentication in FootPrints 12.1.XX - 20.XX
NOTE: These instructions apply to using Web Server authentication on Integrated systems (IIS and Tomcat) or (Apache and Tomcat on a Windows Server).

IMPORTANT! Prior to enabling Web Server Authentication in the FootPrints 12.1.XX - 20.XX application, the Web Server (Apache or IIS) must be integrated with Tomcat.  

For any FootPrints Service Core authentication method, when a user attempts to login to FootPrints 12.1.XX - 20.XX, the system will verify the user exists in User Management, and also that the user has the authentication method configured in their preferences (or as configured by an Administrator in User Management) that matches the credentials provided by the user to login. In order to use Web Server Authentication, the authentication method has to be enabled at Administration level, a user has to exist in FootPrints 12.1.XX - 20.XX where the User ID matches that of the Windows Domain credentials, and Web Server Authentication has to be configured as the authentication method for that user in FootPrints (either by the Administrator when creating the account or by the user choosing the method in their Preferences).

For example: For a user named John Doe, whose Windows domain username is jdoe, to be authenticated in FootPrints Service Core using Windows domain credentials, a FootPrints Service Core administrator has to enable Web Server Authentication and create/edit a user that represents John Doe in FootPrints Service Core with Web Server Authentication as the authentication method. For example: Name: John Doe User ID: jdoe Authentication Method: Web Server Authentication With this configuration, a user will be able to authenticate using the Windows domain credentials and Web Server Authentication.


 

Prerequisites:

How to integrate IIS and the FootPrints Service Core 12 Tomcat server
How to integrate Apache and the FootPrints Service Core 12 Tomcat server

Footprints Settings

These steps detail how to enable Web Server Authentication in FootPrints 12.1.XX - 20.XX:

1. Login to FootPrints Service Core as a System Administrator.
2. Go to the Administration tab.
3. On the left side menu locate System Management, select System Settings and click on the Authentication link.
4. The Authentication Methods tab should be opened.
5. Select the Web Server Authentication method from the list.
6. Select the Actions button.
7. Click on the Edit Configuration option.
8. The Configure Authentication Method dialog should appear.
9. Check the "Enable Web Server Authentication" box.
10. Save and close the Configure Authentication Method dialog.
11. Web Server Authentication method is now enabled in FootPrints Service Core. Now you can configure Web Server Authentication as the authentication method of a user on the User Preferences page.

Update the Footprints Base URL value
To allow users to click the ticket URL link in a Footprints notification using the new web server authentication URL, you must update the 'Base URL'.
NEW in Footprints 12.1.08:
In FootPrints 12.1.08 (and later), a new field has been added Web Server Authentication Base URL.

By default, the new field will have the same value as the Base URL field.

The Base URL should contain the URL that points directly to Tomcat. While the Web Server Authentication Base URL field should point to the IIS (or Apache) URL that will be used for Web Server Authentication.
 
Example:
Note: After configuring Web Server Authentication, users that have an account configured to use the Web Server Authentication method, should access FootPrints using the following URL:
http://FPserver/footprints/servicedesk (or the actual URL as configured at the Base URL [or in the new Web Server Authentication Base URL] page.)
Users should edit any browser bookmarks to remove the "/login.html" portion of the URL.

Note: If SSL is enabled in IIS or Apache, the certificate needs to be registered in the Java Keystore to allow scheduled reports to run. Please see the link below.
Footprints 12 Auto-Run Report Errors - Register certificate in Java