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Overview

There are two main approaches for handling user identification and matching in LMS integrations:

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Approach 1: List Users and Store Data

You provision users into your database and match your identifier (email/SSO ID) with the user metadata. Store the StackOne ID and use this in the URL of the User Assignments/Completions request. Benefits:
  • Minimal SSO configuration specifications
  • Complete user data available
  • Reliable user identification across sessions
  • Better tracking and analytics capabilities
Drawbacks:
  • Storing lots of user data
  • Requires regular synchronization
  • Higher storage requirements

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Approach 2: SSO Identifier Alignment

Both you and your customer align on SSO identifiers using the StackOne docs. You map this to a reusable specific custom field and use this as the ID in the user completions/assignments requests. Documentation Examples: Benefits:
  • Minimal data storage requirements
  • Direct SSO integration
  • Real-time user identification
  • No need for user data synchronization
Drawbacks:
  • Requires customer SSO configuration
  • More complex initial setup
  • Dependency on customer’s IdP configuration

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General Flow for Approach 2:

  1. Provider-Specific ID Required: There will be a specific ID required by the provider for creating completions
  2. Customer SSO Configuration: Your customer must configure this to an ID value in their IdP/SSO (e.g., lms_user_id)
  3. ID Mapping: You must map this value and pass it in as the user ID in the URL

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User Matching Flow Diagrams

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Approach 1: List Users and Store Data

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Approach 2: SSO Identifier Alignment

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Authentication Considerations

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SAML/SSO Support Scenarios

Scenario 1: LMS/IDP Supports SAML 2.0 SSO
  • LMS acts as Identity Provider (IdP)
  • Users redirected with SAML assertion
  • Application receives SSO ID for identification
  • Smoothest user experience with single sign-on
Scenario 2: LMS Doesn’t Support SAML/SSO & Customer doesn’t have IDP
  • Users authenticate directly with your application
  • Fallback authentication methods required:
    • Email and password authentication
    • Social login (Google/Microsoft)
  • Additional user provisioning strategies needed

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User Provisioning Strategy

To ensure reliable identification across any LMS platform:
  • Support multiple authentication flows simultaneously
  • Store required identifiers for matching (SSO ID, email, external references)
  • Implement fallback authentication when SAML unavailable