SAML login failed

Question

Clicking the Test button in setting up the SAML, always gives me an error Login Failed, check your settings. Would like to know how to identify in what part of the configuration am i failing? Is there a log file or alerts wherein i can see a more detailed error message.

Tom Ryan · Accepted Answer

If you haven't already done so, it might help to review the following Knowledge Base articles:

community.appian.com/.../kb-1153-saml-authentication-faq
community.appian.com/.../kb-1073-how-to-configure-saml-in-appian-7-11-and-later

You will be able to find more detail regarding the error in the application server log, eg if you are using JBoss, <JBoss Home>/standalone/log/server.log.

If the error message is not detailed enough, you may be able to find more information by increasing logging levels. One place to start would be updating the following lines in <Appian Home>/ear/suite.ear/resources/appian_log4j.properties from:

#log4j.logger.com.appiancorp.security=DEBUG
log4j.logger.org.springframework.security=ERROR

to:

log4j.logger.com.appiancorp.security=DEBUG
log4j.logger.org.springframework.security=DEBUG

(you would have to set both lines to ERROR when you are done to return the logging levels to normal). You may also be able to find more information regarding the issue by reviewing the SAML exchange. There are browser plugins which will assist with that.