SailPoint IdentityNow REST API’s

Introduction

API stands for Application Programming Interface. APIs are mechanisms that enable two software components to communicate with each other using a set of definitions and protocols.

API architecture is usually explained in terms of client and server. The application sending the request is called the client and the application sending the response is called the server.

API Workflow

Fig. – API dataflow

What is REST API:

  REST stands for Representational State Transfer. This is the most popular and flexible APIs found on the web today. The client sends requests to the server as data. The server uses this client input to start internal functions and returns output data back to the client.  REST defines a set of functions like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. that clients can use to access server data. Clients and servers exchange data using HTTP.

The main feature of REST API is statelessness. Statelessness means that servers do not save client data between requests. Client requests to the server are similar to URLs you type in your browser to visit a website. The response from the server is plain data, without the typical graphical rendering of a web page.

Rest API operation in SailPoint IdentityNow

Post Operation: POST APIs request allows appending data to the endpoint. This is a method used to add information within the request body in the server. It is commonly used for passing delicate information.

GET operations: GET APIs request is used to obtain details from the endpoint and does not have any impact on the endpoint. The GET request does not update any endpoint data while it is triggered.

UPDATE operations: PUT APIs request is used to pass data to the server for creation or modification of an endpoint. The difference between POST and PUT is that POST request is not idempotent.

DELETE operations: DELETE APIs request deletes a resource already present in the server. The DELETE method sends a request to the server for deleting the request mentioned in the endpoint.

Let us understand usage of REST API’s in SailPoint IdentityNow in the following below presentation:

Pre-requisite

  • Base URL of SailPoint tenant.
  • secret key and client ID for the token generation.
  • Generating access token with Authorization code.

Rest API Authentication in IdentityNow

              Authentication is the process of determining whether someone or something is, in fact, who or what it says it is. Authentication provides access control for systems by checking to see if a user’s credentials match the credentials in a database of authorized users or in a data authentication server. In doing this, authentication assures secure systems, secure processes and enterprise information security.

OAuth 2.0

  • OAuth 2.0 is the industry-standard protocol for AUTHORIZATION.
  • OAuth 2.0 is designed primarily as a means of granting access to a set of resources, in simple way OAuth 2.0 Access Token is a string that the OAuth client uses to make requests to the resource server.

JSON Web Token

          JSON Web Token (JWT) authentication is a stateless method of securely transmitting information between two parties as (JSON) object. It is often used to authenticate and authorize users in web applications and APIs.

Rest API Authorization in IdentityNow

          Authorization in system security is the process of giving the user permission to access a specific resource or Authorization is the act of validating the user’s permission to access a given resource. This term is often used interchangeably with access control or client privilege.

Personal Access Token in IdentityNow

In IdentityNow a personal access token (PAT) is a method of authenticating to an API as a user without providing a username and password.

Now, let us go through a demo on how we can use these REST API’s in SailPoint IdentityNow.

Features of Rest API in IdentityNow

  • APIs extend IdentityNow functionality and Usability
  • Advanced configuration such as
    • Transform creation
    • Customization of account profiles
    • Ranking authoritative source priority
    • System level changes
    • Object management
  • Interface with other systems – pull data/initiate processes

Oracle Fusion Integration with SailPoint IdentityIQ

About Oracle Fusion: Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM is a complete cloud solution that connects every human resource process and every person across the enterprise.

Benefits of Oracle Fusion:

  • Oracle HCM cloud enables HR leaders by delivering an end-to-end solution to manage every stage of the employee lifecycle.
  • Human capital management transforms the traditional administrative functions of human resource departments – recruiting, training, payroll, compensation, and performance management into opportunities to drive engagement, productivity, and business value.
  • It also offers Data Efficiency by preserving history of changes made to the attributes of some objects. As a Professional user, you can retrieve and edit past and future versions of an object.
  • Many HCM objects, including person names, assignments, benefits-plans, grades, jobs, locations, payrolls, and positions are date-effective. Date-effective objects include one or more physical records. Each record has effective start and end dates. One record is current and available to transactions. Others are past or take effect in the future. Together, these records constitute the logical record or object instance.

Integration with SailPoint IdentityIQ

Here, Oracle Fusion application is integrated with SailPoint using Webservices connector. Let us have a quick overview of basic configuration parameters of SailPoint IdentityIQ Webservices Connector

Webservices connector application configuration
  • Base URL: The base URL is used to connect to the web service managed system.
  • Authentication Method: Authentication methods that is supported are: OAuth2, API Token, Basic Authentication and No/Custom Authentication
  • Schema Attribute for Account Enable status: Attribute name and value required to be provided to check the Enable status. For example: status=Active
  • Username: Username of the resource owner
  • Password: Password of the resource owner
  • Grant Type: We can select the type of Grant from below: Refresh Token, JWT, Client Credentials, Password and SAML Bearer Assertion
  • Client Id: (Optional for JWT and SAML Bearer Assertion) Client Id for OAuth2 authentication.
  • Client Secret: (Optional for JWT and SAML Bearer Assertion) Client Secret for OAuth2 authentication.
  • Token URL: URL for generating access token.

Basically, connecting SailPoint to your Web Services allows you to configure any web service supported managed system which can read and write on the managed system using the respective managed system’s Web Services. Web Services supports JSON and XML for read and write.

Oracle Fusion Integration with SailPoint IdentityIQ

Now, let us have a look at the Oracle Fusion REST APIs used in the Integration process. Below is the list of APIs used for integrating Oracle Fusion to SailPoint:

  • Get all Workers API: This fetches all the worker records as of the specified date. Worker types include employee, contingent worker, and pending worker. By default, the current date is retained.
  • Get all User Accounts API: This fetches all the userAccounts. We may need to manage user accounts for the workers to assign or revoke Fusion Roles
  • Get all Roles API: This is used the get the roles assigned to the user accounts.
  • Create Employee API: This is used to create an Employee record in Oracle Fusion.
  • Update Employee API: This is used to update an Employee record in Oracle Fusion.
  • Terminate Worker API: This is used to Disable a Worker record in Oracle Fusion.
  • Role Revoke API: This is used to revoke an assigned role.
  • Rehire Employee API: This is used to Enable an Employee record in Oracle Fusion.

And here, we will be using Basic Authentication in the Integration Process where we have used Username and Password of the resource owner to from connection between Oracle Fusion and SailPoint IdentityIQ

Prerequisites for integrating Oracle Fusion with SailPoint

  1. Oracle Fusion REST APIs
  2. Oracle Fusion instance
  3. Base URL of the Oracle Fusion instance
  4. As we are using Basic Authentication, we need username and password for the APIs

Now, let us discuss the use cases involved in the integration process.

Use Cases

1. Joiner/Create account Process

Joiner Process starts with the creation of account in Truth Source application. Then that account will be brought to SailPoint through a scheduled aggregation task.

Joiner/Create Account Process

Then through a Scheduled Refresh Identity Cube task and using a configured Business Role and Assignment Rule, two conditions are checked.

  1. Identity or Account in Truth Source is Active
  2. Business Unit is XXXX

If these two conditions are satisfied. Then the account creation process for Oracle Fusion application gets triggered. As part of the Joiner or Account creation process, Basic access will be provisioned to the newly created account from the Fusion end automatically.

2. Leaver/Disable Account Process:

Leaver process starts when the Last working day attribute of account is populated in Truth Source application.

Leaver/Disable Account Process

Then that Last working day for that account will be updated in SailPoint through a scheduled aggregation task. Then through a Scheduled Refresh Identity Cube task, it is checked that if that Last working day is equal to Today’s date. In other words, it is checked that if the Last working day has reached.

If the Last working day has reached, then the account disable process for Oracle Fusion application gets triggered.

As part of the Termination process, all the Roles which that account has, will be de-provisioned.

3. Rehire/Enable Account Process:

Rehire Process starts by enabling the account in Truth Source application. Then that is updated in SailPoint through a scheduled aggregation task.

Rehire/Enable Account Process

Then through a Scheduled Refresh Identity Cube task, the account enable process for Oracle Fusion application gets triggered.

As part of the Rehire/Enable account process, another new Assignment is created for that account with AssignmentName and AssignmentNumber appended with “R”. And Basic access will be assigned to that enabled account as we saw in the create account use case.

Advantages of Integrating Oracle Fusion with Sailpoint IdentityIQ:

  1. In this integration, we have automated the creation of account in Oracle Fusion. Whereas before the integration, Oracle Fusion team had to create an account in Oracle Fusion manually for the new Joiners
  2. In this integration, we have also automated the Disabling and Role Revoke operations. Actually, when the Last Working Date of the user has reached, then the Oracle Fusion account of this leaver will be disabled and Oracle Fusion Roles assigned to this leaver will Revoked, by Sailpoint. Whereas, before the integration, Oracle Fusion team had to disable the account and Revoked Roles in Oracle Fusion manually for the leavers.
  3. In this Integration, we have also automated the update operation as well. From Sailpoint, we are updating the attributes such as LegalEmployerName, Department, Job, Grade, FirstName, LastName, DisplayName, etc. Whereas, before the integration, Oracle Fusion team had to handle these updates manually which will be a tedious task to do.
  4. We have also automated the Rehire Process. When a user got rehired, then for that user, Oracle Fusion account will be enabled and a new work relationship will be created from Sailpoint.

When a user got Rehired, only the Basic access will be given, not the access that user had before Leaver process for that user initiated.
The detailed discussion of Oracle Fusion introduction, Oracle Fusion TEST APIs, use cases and integration approach is discussed in the following video:

Now, let us a have a demo on integration of Oracle Fusion with SailPoint IdentityIQ in the following video: