DRAFT KB-XXXX SAML authentication results in a 401 error due to wrong server time

Symptoms

SAML authentication results in a 401 error for all users. The SAML authentication attempt is logged as FAILED in the <APPIAN_HOME>/logs/login-audit.csv file. However, Appian authentication works as expected.

Cause

This issue may occur when a wrong date or time is set on the servers involved in the authentication process, which will invalidate the SAML request/response. For example, there is a mismatch between the server time on IdP server and the server hosting Appian.

Action

Ensure that the servers involved in the authentication process are configured with the correct time.

Affected Versions

This article applies to all versions of Appian.

Last Reviewed: March 2019