SAML [1] is standar and many companies are using this protocol to transfer user data.

The plugin require the implementation of a SP based on simplesamlphp [2]. With this SP you can connect to any Identity Provider based on SAML or implement your own Identity Provider.  The IdP based on simpleSAMLphp offers you a huge set of differents auth sources: Yahoo, Google, OpenId, Oauth, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, ldap, cas, databases etc

Also is a good solution to enable a sso feature at your enviroment for all your applications. Our solution "Uniquid" set SAML support for many applications [3]

More info at uniquid site [4] or at the elgg section [5], there is a demo available there to check how it works

My company, Yaco Sistemas, offers comercial support to deploy an Identity Provider, Service Provider and for the Elgg SAML plugin or the SAML plugin for other application.

Follow SAML news and Uniquid releases at twitter: @UniquidNews

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Assertion_Markup_Language

[2] http://simplesamlphp.org/

[3] http://www.yaco.es/uniquid/conectores/

[4] http://www.yaco.es/uniquid/

[5] http://www.yaco.es/uniquid/conectores/elgg

Important info: Since Elgg uses its own session handler is possible that you get a "Lost State Error" when trying to log in. Here you can read why the conflicts between sessions happens:

• http://code.google.com/p/simplesamlphp/wiki/LostState

The fastest solution: Use a different session handler for elgg and simplesamlphp.You can read more about how to set session handler in simpleSAMLphp here: 

• http://simplesamlphp.org/docs/trunk/simplesamlphp-maintenance#section_2 

Donations

If the plugin is usefull to you maybe you can be interested in donate to contribute to help me in keep maintaining it:

• https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=9AT7DQ6JCW62C