EDIT

# EDIT Federation

The EDIT Federation represents an implementation of the federation concept defined within the [Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)](http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=security) standards family. In the first instance, the EDIT federation is open to any members or affiliates of the EDIT project. Nevertheless, some day the EDIT federation envisions to merge into a larger (!BioDiv) federation community reflecting at minimum the most important biodiversity research institutions.

Currently, there are three membership types offered by the EDIT federation.

* registered EDIT user

* registered EDIT Service Provider (SP)

* EDIT Identity Provider(IdP)

First, registered EDIT users benefit from the enhancements of EDIT's [[CSSO|Community Single Sign-on (CSSO)]] and are enabled to use any services offered by EDIT CSSO Service Providers passing through a single login procedure only. 

Second, becoming an EDIT Service Provider (SP) mainly addresses EDIT web application or service providers who want to offer their regular users the convenience of single sign-on or those who do not want to deal with large EDIT user lists and rely on the confidentiality of the EDIT federation's user registration process. Even though, user authentication is done by EDIT's Identity Provider (IdP), EDIT Service Providers keep complete control of what users are allowed to access their services. 

This is due to the [[EDITFederationShibbolethAttributes|EDIT Federation attributes]] transmitted by EDIT's IdP along with any authentication request. That way, access control may be based on these [[EDITFederationShibbolethAttributes|EDIT Federation attributes]] stating e.g. the user id, group membership or roles of any authenticated EDIT user. 

Third, EDIT Identity Provider will be assigned the job to maintain a user database and to authenticate EDIT Federation users in addition to already existing IdPs within the EDIT Federation. This option may come into consideration for larger institutions managing a significant amount of (potential) EDIT users. That way, user management could be decentralised and located at the users' origin. Currently, that option is not implemented. 

Though, the remaining sections will provide some guidance on how become member of the EDIT Federation to any potential EDIT users or service providers.

## How to become an EDIT user ?

In order to become an registered EDIT user the following information will be requested

* valid email address

* first name, last name

* desired user id (login name)

* warrantor (name, email address) or institution stating the user's EDIT and workpackage membership

Along with these information, please send an email to the EDIT Federation administrator (mailto:suhrbier(at)@inf.fu-berlin.de)

## How to become an EDIT Service Provider ?