🔐 Azure AD + Camunda 8 SSO Setup – Complete OIDC Guide

 Setting up Single Sign-On (SSO) between Camunda 8 and Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is a must-have requirement for enterprise deployments.

This integration enables:
✔ Centralized authentication
✔ Login using corporate Azure AD accounts
✔ Secure OAuth2 / OIDC authentication
✔ Role-based access control (RBAC)
✔ Seamless user experience across Tasklist, Operate, and Optimize

⭐ 1. SSO Architecture Overview

Authentication Flow

  1. User opens Tasklist / Operate

  2. Camunda redirects to Azure AD

  3. User authenticates (SSO)

  4. Azure AD returns an OIDC ID Token

  5. Camunda Identity (Keycloak) validates the token

  6. Access is granted based on mapped roles

👉 Camunda Identity is the central component handling authentication.

⭐ 2. Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

✔ Camunda 8 deployed (AKS / Kubernetes / Docker)
✔ Active Azure AD tenant
✔ Azure AD admin privileges
✔ Public domain with HTTPS
✔ Access to Azure Portal

⭐ 3. Register Camunda 8 Application in Azure AD

🔹 Step 1: Open Azure AD

  • Azure Portal → Azure Active Directory

  • App registrations → New registration

🔹 Step 2: Application Details

  • Name: camunda-8-sso

  • Supported account types: Single tenant

  • Redirect URI (Web):

https://<camunda-domain>/auth/realms/camunda/protocol/openid-connect/callback

✔ Click Register

⭐ 4. Configure Client Secret & OIDC Endpoints

🔹 Client Secret

  • Go to Certificates & secrets

  • Create a New client secret

  • Copy the value (shown only once)

🔹 OIDC Endpoints

From Overview → Endpoints, note:

  • Issuer URL

  • Authorization endpoint

  • Token endpoint

  • JWKS URI

👉 These values are required by Camunda Identity.

⭐ 5. Configure Token Claims (Critical Step)

Add Azure AD Group Claims

  • Token configuration → Add groups claim

  • Select Security groups

  • Enable for ID Token and Access Token

👉 This allows Azure AD groups to be mapped to Camunda roles.

⭐ 6. Configure Camunda Identity (OIDC)

Camunda 8 uses Keycloak internally for Identity.

Example values.yaml (Helm)

identity:
  enabled: true
  keycloak:
    env:
      - name: KC_OIDC_CLIENT_ID
        value: camunda-8-sso
      - name: KC_OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET
        value: <client-secret>
      - name: KC_OIDC_ISSUER_URI
        value: https://login.microsoftonline.com/<tenant-id>/v2.0
      - name: KC_OIDC_USERNAME_CLAIM
        value: preferred_username

After updating, redeploy Identity pods.

⭐ 7. Map Azure AD Groups to Camunda Roles

Common Camunda Roles

  • admin

  • operate

  • tasklist

  • optimize

Recommended Mapping

Azure AD GroupCamunda Role
CAMUNDA_ADMINadmin
CAMUNDA_USERtasklist
CAMUNDA_OPERATEoperate

👉 Role mapping is done in Camunda Identity / Keycloak.

⭐ 8. Enable SSO for Tasklist & Operate

Once configured:

  • Restart Identity / Keycloak pods

  • Access:

    • /tasklist

    • /operate

You will be automatically redirected to Azure AD.

✔ Successful SSO login
✔ No local Camunda passwords required

⭐ 9. Security Best Practices

✔ Enforce HTTPS everywhere
✔ Store secrets in Azure Key Vault
✔ Rotate client secrets regularly
✔ Use Azure AD groups for RBAC
✔ Restrict network access (private AKS if possible)
✔ Enable authentication logs

⭐ 10. Troubleshooting Common Issues

IssueLikely Cause
Login loopIncorrect redirect URI
Access deniedAzure AD groups not mapped
Invalid tokenWrong issuer URL
User has no permissionsMissing group claims
401 errorClient secret expired

👉 Always check Camunda Identity / Keycloak logs first.

⭐ 11. Enterprise Use Cases

✔ Centralized IAM management
✔ Automatic access removal on employee exit
✔ Compliance with ISO, SOC, GDPR
✔ Full audit trail
✔ Secure enterprise SSO experience

🎉 Conclusion

Configuring Azure AD SSO with Camunda 8 provides:

✔ Enterprise-grade security
✔ Centralized identity management
✔ Seamless login experience
✔ Standards-based OIDC authentication

👉 This setup is essential for any production Camunda 8 platform.


💼 Professional Support Available

If you are facing issues in real projects related to enterprise backend development or workflow automation, I provide paid consulting, production debugging, project support, and focused trainings.

Technologies covered include Java, Spring Boot, PL/SQL, Azure, and workflow automation (jBPM, Camunda BPM, RHPAM).


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