Federation Security Services Guide › Identify Consumers at a SAML 1.x Producer › Configure Attributes to Include in SAML 1.x Assertions (Optional) › Attribute Types

Attribute Types

Attributes identify the information that the Policy Server passes to the consumer. There are several types of attributes that you can use in an attribute. The types of attributes determine where the Policy Server finds the proper attribute values.

You can specify the following types of attributes:

• Static--Returns data that remains constant.

  Use a static attribute to return a string as part of a SiteMinder response. This type of response can be used to provide information to a Web application. For example, if a group of users has specific customized content on a Web site, the static response attribute, show_button = yes, could be passed to the application.

• User Attribute--Returns profile information from a user's entry in a user directory.

  This type of response attribute returns information associated with a user in a directory. A user attribute can be retrieved from an LDAP, WinNT, or ODBC user directory.

  Note: For the Policy Server to return response attributes that contain values from user directory attributes, the user directories must be configured in the SiteMinder User Directory dialog box.

• DN Attribute--Returns profile information from a directory object in an LDAP or ODBC user directory.

  This type of attribute is used to return information associated with directory objects to which the user is related. Groups to which a user belongs, and Organizational Units (OUs) that are part of a user DN, are examples of directory objects whose attributes can be treated as DN attributes.

  For example, you can use a DN attribute to return a company division for a user, based on the user's membership in a division.

  Note: For the Policy Server to return response attributes using values from DN attributes, the user directories must be configured in the SiteMinder User Directory dialog box.

When you configure a response attribute, the correct Value Type for the response attribute is displayed in the upper right corner of the SiteMinder Response Attribute Editor dialog box.