Forms based authentication in SharePoint 2010 - Part 1

In this article we will be seeing how to configure forms based authentication for claims based web application using Active directory provider.

Steps Involved:

• Create a claim based web application
• Configure the web.config files
  -> Central Administration Web application web.config file
  -> Forms-based authentication claims-based Web application Web.Config file
  -> Security Token Service web.config file

Create a claim based web application:

• Go to Central Administration =>Application Management => Manage web applications.
• In the Contribute group click on New.
  
  
   
• In the Authentication section of the Create New Web Application dialog box, click Claims Based Authentication.
  
  
   
• In the Claims Authentication Types section, select Enable Forms Based Authentication (FBA).
• Type a membership provider name.
• Click OK to create the Web application.
  
  
  

Configure the web.config files:

• The Central Administration Web application Web.Config file.
• The forms-based authentication claims-based Web application Web.Config file.
• The Security Token Service Web.Config file.

Central Administration Web application web.config file:

• Go to Start => Run => inetmgr.
• Go to Sites => SharePoint Central Administration => Right Click => Explore.
  
  
   
• Open the web.config file.
• Inside the <configuration></configuration> section add the following entry.
  
  <connectionStrings>
      <add name="adconn" connectionString="LDAP://serverName.atest.btest.et/DC=atest,DC=btest,DC=et" />
    </connectionStrings>
  </configuration>
   
• And also add the following entry.
  
    <membership defaultProvider="i">
        <providers>
          <add name="i" type="Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.Claims.SPClaimsAuthMembershipProvider, Microsoft.SharePoint,Version=14.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" />
          <add name="adMembers" type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0,
  Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" connectionStringName="adconn" enableSearchMethods="true" attributeMapUsername="sAMAccountName" />
        </providers>
      </membership>
   
• Save and close the web.config file.

Forms-based authentication claims-based Web application Web.Config file:

• Go to Start => Run => inetmgr.
• Go to Sites => SharePoint - 2014 => Right Click => Explore.
• Open the web.config file.
• Inside the <configuration></configuration> section add the following entry.
  
  <connectionStrings>
      <add name="adconn" connectionString="LDAP://serverName.atest.btest.et/DC=atest,DC=btest,DC=et" />
    </connectionStrings>
  </configuration>
   
• And also add the following entry.
  
    <membership defaultProvider="i">
        <providers>
          <add name="i" type="Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.Claims.SPClaimsAuthMembershipProvider, Microsoft.SharePoint, Version=14.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" />
          <add name="adMembers" type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" connectionStringName="adconn" enableSearchMethods="true" attributeMapUsername="sAMAccountName" />
        </providers>
      </membership>

Security Token Service web.config file:

• Go to Start => Run => inetmgr.
• Go to Sites => SharePoint Web Services =>Security TokenServiceApplication => Right Click => Explore.
• Open the web.config file.
• Inside the <configuration></configuration> section add the following entry.
  
  <connectionStrings>
      <add name="adconn" connectionString="LDAP://serverName.atest.btest.et/DC=atest,DC=btest,DC=et" />
    </connectionStrings>
  </configuration>
   
• And also add the following entry.
  
  <system.web>
      <membership defaultProvider="adMembers">
        <providers>
          <add name="adMembers"
               type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
  PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"
               connectionStringName="adconn"
               enableSearchMethods="true"
               attributeMapUsername="sAMAccountName" />
        </providers>
      </membership>
    </system.web> 

Policy for Forms-based authentication claims-based Web application:

• Go to Central administration => Application management => Manage service applications.
   
• Select the web application (SharePoint - 2014).
   
• In the Policy group, select User policy.
  
  
   
• Click on Next.
• In the Choose Users section, click on Browse option to search for the users.
  
  
   
• Search for "sptestuser1" user who belongs to "Forms auth" category.
  
  
   
• Select the User =>Add => OK.
• Select the option "Full control - Has full control" from Choose permissions section.
  
  
   
• Click on Ok.
• Click on Finish.
• You could see the user added as shown in the following.

Testing:

• Create a site collection for the web application SharePoint - 2014.
• When you try to access the site collection it will be redirected to the login page.
• Choose forms authentication.
  
  
   
• Enter the user name and password.
  
  
   
• You are now logged into your site as "sptestuser1", with site administrator privileges.