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Configuring the Initialization Block Used for User Authentication

This task is part of Using Oracle Internet Directory for User Authentication in Oracle BI.

If an initialization block that is used for user authentication is already created in the repository, then you must modify it to use LDAP authentication.

NOTE:  This initialization block is typically named Authentication. If no initialization block for user authentication exists in the repository, you must create one and configure it to use LDAP authentication.

To configure an initialization block for user authentication in OID

1. In Administration Tool, open the Variable Manager by selecting Manage > Variable from the menu bar.
2. Under Session > Initialization Blocks, select the existing init block for user authentication (typically named Authentication).

   If no such init block exists, create a new init block.

   • Right-click and select New Initialization Block.
   • In the Session Variable Initialization window, enter a name for the init block.

     For example, Authentication.

   • Check the "Required for authentication" check box.
3. In the Session Variable Initialization Block window, click on the "Edit Data Source..." button.
4. In the Session Variable Initialization Block Data Source window, select LDAP as the Data Source Type from the drop-down.
5. Click on the Browse button and select the LDAP Server that was created in the taskCreating an LDAP Server Entry in the Repository for OID.

   Click OK. Click OK again to close the Data Source window.

6. In the Variable Target box of the Session Variable Initialization Block window, select the Edit Data Target button.
7. In the Session Variable Initialization Block Variable Target window, the USER session variable should be listed in the Variable column. If this variable exists, proceed to the next step.

   If this variable does not exist, click on the New button. In the System Session Variable window, enter "USER" in the Name field. Click OK. Click OK when asked to confirm if you want to use this name.

8. In the Session Variable Initialization Block Variable Target window, set the LDAP variable for the USER variable to the LDAP attribute that should be mapped to the USER variable. Note that the LDAP variable should exactly match the case of the LDAP attribute in Oracle Internet Directory.

   For example, LDAP variable = mail

9. Click OK to close the Session Variable Initialization Block Variable Target window.
10. Test the authentication by clicking on the Test button in the Session Variable Initialization Block window.

    Enter the credentials for a test user.

    In this example, mail was set as the attribute to uniquely identify users in Step 4 of Creating an LDAP Server Entry in the Repository for OID.

    User ID = user.name@mycompany.com

    Password = <password for user>

    The Results window should show the value of the LDAP variable that was set in Step 8. In this example, the mail variable value for the user will be returned.

In addition to basic user authentication, Oracle Internet Directory can also provide the Oracle BI Server with other attribute information, such as the user display. This information is contained in the LDAP variables that get passed to session variables during the process of user authentication.