Federation Guides › Partnership Federation Guide › Export Metadata to Aid Partnership Configuration

Export Metadata to Aid Partnership Configuration

This section contains the following topics:

Metadata Export Overview

Entity-level Metadata Export

Partnership-Level Metadata Export

How To Enable WS-Federation Metadata Exchange

Metadata Export Overview

A local entity generates metadata to help a remote entity create its entities and form partnerships. Metadata makes the partnership configuration more efficient because many aspects of the partnership are defined in the metadata file. A remote partner can import metadata and can create a partnership or a remote entity that is based on the information in a metadata document.

You can export metadata from an existing local asserting or relying entity.

The Administrative UI offers several options for exporting metadata:

• Export from a local entity.
• Export from a local partnership.
• Metadata exchange for local WSFED partnerships.

Regardless of whether you send metadata using a file or using the metadata exchange profile, the end goal of acquiring metadata is the same.

Note: For SAML 1.1, the terms in a metadata file are SAML 2.0 terms. This convention adheres to the SAML specification. When you import the SAML 1.1 data, the terms are imported correctly using SAML 1.1 terminology.

Entity-level Metadata Export

You can export data from a local entity. When you export metadata at the entity level, provide a partnership name for the data you are exporting. The export at this level defines basic partnership data.

Follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Administrative UI
2. Select Federation, Partnership Federation, Entities.
3. Click the Action pull-down menu next to any local entity in the list and select Export Metadata.

   The Export Metadata dialog opens.

4. Specify a new partnership name. The metadata file that results from the export contains information to establish a basic partnership.
5. Complete the remaining fields on the dialog. Be sure to fill in the settings in the Metadata Export Options section of the dialog.

   Note: Click Help for a description of fields, controls, and their respective requirements.

6. Click Export.
7. A dialog prompting you to open or save the metadata file displays.

   Only open it to view it.

8. Save the data to an XML file on your local system.

The metadata is exported to the specified XML file. You can send this file to any partner.

Partnership-Level Metadata Export

You can export data from a local partnership. The export at this level defines basic partnership data.

Follow these steps:

1. Log in to the Administrative UI
2. Select Federation, Partnership Federation, Partnerships.
3. Select the Action pull-down menu next to any partnership in the list.
4. Select Export Metadata.

   The Export Metadata dialog opens.

5. Review the information. The metadata file that results from the export contains information to establish a basic partnership.
6. Complete the settings in the Metadata Export Options section for signing the metadata document and validating it.

   Note: Click Help for a description of fields, controls, and their respective requirements.

7. Click Export.
8. A dialog prompting you to open or save the metadata file displays.

   Only open it to view it.

9. Save the data to an XML file on your local system.

The metadata is exported to the specified XML file. You can send this file to any partner.