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Configuring Mobile
Use the HCL Connections mobile app to perform common tasks from a mobile device.
Administering HCL Connections™ 8 mobile
Depending on the version of HCL Connections™ that your organization is using, there are specific configuration properties that you can customize for the mobile environment.
Configuring OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication
Connections Mobile supports OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication using the internet standard RFC 6749 – The OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework. Because Connections Mobile is a public application available on public app stores, it implements the Authorization Code Grant Flow to an Authorization Server.
Configuring ISAM as the OAuth Authorization server
HCL Security Access Manager (ISAM) is a security appliance that is capable of providing OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server support as well as an edge proxy that can consume the tokens for authorization and authentication by means of its WebSEAL proxy. For documentation, see ISAM OAuth 2.0 and OIDC support.
Ensuring the WebSEAL junction ignores HTTP Authorization headers
When setting up the WebSEAL junction with the Connections Server, it is recommended to use the -b ignore option which will cause WebSEAL to ignore HTTP Authentication responses coming back from the Connections server and pass them on to the Connections Mobile Server application. This is required for the /mobile junction.

Configuring Mobile
Use the HCL Connections mobile app to perform common tasks from a mobile device.
- Accessibility features for HCL Connections™ iOS mobile app
  Accessibility features help users who have a disability, such as restricted mobility or limited vision, to use information technology products successfully.
- Configuring security for Mobile
  You can secure devices that access Connections content using the Connections mobile app.
- HCL Connections™ Social Cloud
  If your users log in to a HCL Connections™ Social Cloud server, there are mobile configuration properties that you can customize for the cloud environment.
- Administering HCL Connections™ 8 mobile
  Depending on the version of HCL Connections™ that your organization is using, there are specific configuration properties that you can customize for the mobile environment.
  - Updating Mobile app configuration properties for HCL Connections 8 via the Mobile Administration console
    Configuration properties control how users can interact with the Connections mobile app.
  - Mobile configuration properties for HCL Connections™ 8
    Configuration properties in the mobile-config.xml file control how users can interact with the Connections mobile app.
  - Changing Mobile configuration property values
    Modify the configuration properties in the mobile-config.xml file to control how users can interact with the Connections Mobile native app.
  - Configuring Push Notifications for Mobile
    Enable notifications to be sent to mobile users about Connections events.
  - Configuring HTTP Proxy support for Push Notifications for Mobile
    Enable notifications to be sent to mobile users about Connections events.
  - Configuring OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication
    Connections Mobile supports OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication using the internet standard RFC 6749 – The OAuth 2.0 Authorization Framework. Because Connections Mobile is a public application available on public app stores, it implements the Authorization Code Grant Flow to an Authorization Server.
    - Roadmap for enabling OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication
      Here are the high level steps for enabling OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication. Consult the links for detailed instructions for each step.
    - Configuring the OAuth Authorization server
      HCL Connections Mobile uses internet standard OAuth 2.0 authentication flows when using the OAuth authentication feature. It has been explicitly tested using the following authentication servers: IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.5.10 and Security Access Manager (ISAM) 9.0.4.
    - Configuring the Connections Mobile server for OAuth
      This is a two-step process to first update the WebSphere Trust Association Interceptor filter for OAuth, and then second, update the mobile-config.xml.
    - Configuring WebSphere as the OAuth Authorization server
      This section provides guidance on how to setup the Connections WebSphere Application Server as the OAuth Authorization server itself. If you are using a different server as the OAuth Authorization server, then this section would not apply to your environment and can be ignored.
    - Configuring ISAM as the OAuth Authorization server
      HCL Security Access Manager (ISAM) is a security appliance that is capable of providing OAuth 2.0 Authorization Server support as well as an edge proxy that can consume the tokens for authorization and authentication by means of its WebSEAL proxy. For documentation, see ISAM OAuth 2.0 and OIDC support.
      - Configure a reverse proxy and Advanced Access Control to recognize OAuth
        Enable Advanced Access Control with the ISAM administration console, then configure a reverse proxy server to connect to the Connections server. Finally, configure the Advanced Access Control module and reverse proxy server to recognize OAuth.
      - Registering the Connections Mobile Server application
        Steps to register the Connections Mobile Server application when using ISAM as the OAuth Authorization server.
      - Updating the WebSEAL configuration to return login headers
        Update the WebSEAL configuration to return the isam_op header when a login is required. This is needed since the WebSEAL server is not able to always return a 401 response code after an expired token is detected.
      - Ensuring the WebSEAL junction ignores HTTP Authorization headers
        When setting up the WebSEAL junction with the Connections Server, it is recommended to use the -b ignore option which will cause WebSEAL to ignore HTTP Authentication responses coming back from the Connections server and pass them on to the Connections Mobile Server application. This is required for the /mobile junction.
      - Adding the ISAM OAuth Endpoint URLs to mobile-config.xml
        The default ISAM OAuth endpoint URLs are required when populating mobile-config.xml and using ISAM as the OAuth Authorization server.
    - Migrating from previous authentication types to using OAuth
      If there are users who have deployed the Connections Mobile app, they can be automatically migrated to using OAuth once the OAuth infrastructure is in place and the mobile-config.xml has been modified to indicate that OAuth should be used as the authentication type. If there are already users deployed with Connections Mobile, make sure that the OAuth Authorization server is in place and functional before making any changes to mobile-config.xml. Updating mobile-config.xml must be the last step, as once this is made, Connections Mobile apps will start using a new authentication method.
    - Using client identity certificates
      Connections Mobile 6.0.7 or later supports authentication using client identity certificates plus OAuth token-based authentication. This provides an additional authentication factor if this is desired.
    - Using device identity certificates
      Enable the aunthentication checks using certain device certificates.
- Administering HCL Connections™ 7 mobile
  Depending on the version of HCL Connections™ that your organization is using, there are specific configuration properties that you can customize for the mobile environment.
- Administering HCL Connections™ 6.5 mobile
  Depending on the version of HCL Connections™ that your organization is using, there are specific configuration properties that you can customize for the mobile environment.
- Administering HCL Connections™ 6.0 mobile
  Depending on the version of HCL Connections™ that your organization is using, there are specific configuration properties that you can customize for the mobile environment.
- Administering HCL Connections™ 5.5 mobile
  Depending on the version of HCL Connections™ that your organization is using, there are specific configuration properties that you can customize for the mobile environment.

Ensuring the WebSEAL mobile junction ignores HTTP Authorization headers

When setting up the WebSEAL junction with the Connections Server, it is recommended to use the -b ignore option which will cause WebSEAL to ignore HTTP Authentication responses coming back from the Connections server and pass them on to the Connections Mobile Server application. This is required for the /mobile junction.

About this task

If authentication is failing from the Connections Mobile app and this is the first time you are setting up ISAM, it is possible that this setting has been set to filter rather than ignore. To verify this is set properly, use ISAM administration portal to perform the following steps:

Procedure

Using the ISAM administration portal, navigate to Manage Reverse Proxy.
Select the WebSEAL instance for your Reverse Proxy for Connections
Select the option for Manage > Junction management.
Select the /mobile junction and then select Edit.
On the Identity tab, ensure that the option for HTTP Basic Authentication Header is set to Ignore.
Save and deploy the updated configuration if changes are required.

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