BizTalk 2013: SSO Application Configuration Storage Tool

Beep Beep Boop!!

Finally, Here it is! The ultimate solution for all the issues and questions faced for storing the configuration in SSO store. Before introducing the windows application, what is SSO storage tool? why is it required? Storing configuration data in the SSO database with ease of access in all application. Key Value pairs can be access by any application which are part SSO affiliation or SSO administrators group. The key value pairs can be accessed by the BizTalk Server process without need to refresh the server process.

“THIS IS THE TOOL HAVING FEATURES OF BOTH ‘SSO APPLICATION CONFIGURATION BIZTALK 2013‘ AND ‘SSO WINDOWS APPLICATION‘”

Why do we need to encrypt SSO config files? The SSO configuration  has got popular since the tool was conceptualize by Richard Seroter since 2007. It is when I started learning BizTalk Server 2006 r2. The tool is used to very sensitive data such as connection strings, passwords. With many customers where deployment process is strictly followed and the protection of sensitive information become important. Encryption of the configuration plays a key role. MD5 with TripleDES symmetric encryption is used with Electronic CodeBook mode. The encrypted data is the base64 encoded format.

Custom Tool: I started adding up more and more features as and when as required and was using it for self use. The thoughts and the features started to add in the tool and have come up for handy features. Being a developer, wanted to put all possible effort to make tools which can to make our life simpler. This is tool is based on the Microsoft.BizTalk.Interop.SSOClient.dll, Microsoft.EnterpriseSingleSignOn.Interop.dll version 9.0.1000.0. The tool is developed in dotnet 4.0 and is not testing if it supports prior versions.

Old Features: – Displays application list9.0.1000.0 – One click modification of key/value pairs – One click of multiple application export. – Doesn’t display junk applications starting with ‘{‘

Release version 2.0.0.0 Summary: – User accounts can be auto populated – User accounts can now be edited – fixed user accounts snapping issue for multiple export – Lasted version support Microsoft.EnterpriseSingleSignOn.Interop 9.0.1000.0 – Microsoft MMC SSO config storage compatibility support – MD5 symmetric encrypt/decrypt support

File Formats Used: *.sso  – encrypted MMC console *.xml  – xml legacy format *.ssox – encrypted legacy format *.encrypt – encrypted file *.decrypt – decrypted file note: The format *.sso and *.ssox are different as the plain text xml formats are different. *.sso files needs to be used only with the compatibility mode as “mmc console” and *.ssox needs to be used with the mode “Windows App”. The tool also provides encryption and decryption of the sample files to troubleshoot/understand the file format issues. In case of MMC console mode (for case of *.sso), application name is considered from the file name wheres the application name is part of xml. The sample xml file format is as below: Storage Tool:

The tool can be download at here Any suggestions are welcome! Write To: manjunathp@ymail.com