15.5
Table Of Contents
- Dragon_NMCInstallGuideCover_20160929_v4
- About this guide
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Preparing for your installation
- Chapter 3: Installing the servers
- Chapter 4: Post-installation tasks
- Chapter 5: Upgrading Nuance Management Center
- Chapter 6: Preparing for your Active Directory single sign-on configuration
- Chapter 7: Installing the Local Authenticator
- Chapter 8: Preparing for your Central Authentication single sign-on configuration
- Appendix A: Database backups and data retention
Nuance Management Center Server Installation and Configuration Guide
Central authentication overview
Central Authentication provides an alternative method for implementing single sign-on in your organization.
Using Central Authentication, you can use your existing Identity Provider (IdP) to authenticate against
Nuance applications. Central Authentication uses federated identity management - the ability to use the same
identification data to allow users to access all resources in a group - to provide a single source of
authentication that is secure, simple, and seamless. Central Authentication also provides the option to use
multi-factor authentication, such as access cards or voice biometrics.
With Central Authentication enabled, Nuance clients authenticate against the Central Authentication
federation server hosted in the cloud by Auth0. When a user logs in to a Nuance application, Central
Authentication performs a redirect to your IdP (or to the NMC server, which can also be used as an IdP).
Authentication occurs within the IdP, which then federates with the Central Authentication federation server.
The federation server then passes back a secure token that grants users access to their application.
If you are already using single sign-on with the existing Active Directory method, you can optionally switch to
Central Authentication for a more secure, server-to-server authentication solution.
A Nuance representative configures most of your Central Authentication single sign-on implementation,
regardless of whether you are using the Nuance cloud-hosted NMC server or your own on-premise NMC
server.
Central Authentication benefits
Choosing to implement single sign-on in your organization with Central Authentication offers the following
benefits:
l You can use your existing identity provider, if you have one.
l Server-to-server authentication is simple, secure, and seamless.
l You can optionally implement multi-factor authentication, such as access cards and voice
biometrics.
l You can extend the strong password policy and security protocols that already exist through your
identity provider to your Nuance applications.
l You can onboard and offboard employees easily using your identity provider.
l If you are using the Nuance cloud-hosted NMC server, usernames and passwords are not stored on
the Nuance server.
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