Problem

Enterprise systems often integrate multiple identity providers (PIV, LDAP, external IdPs). Without a clear routing mechanism, authentication failures occur due to incorrect flow selection.

Architecture Diagram

flowchart TD

    A[User] --> B[Entry Point\nPortal]

    B --> C[Routing Layer\nPre Authentication]

    C --> D1[PIV Certificate\nAuth]
    C --> D2[LDAP Username\nPassword]
    C --> D3[External IdP\nSAML OIDC Okta]

    D1 --> E[ForgeRock AM]
    D2 --> E
    D3 --> E

    E --> F[Token\nSession Creation]

    F --> G[Backend Applications\nSplunk APIs]

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Key Idea

A routing layer determines the correct authentication path before the request reaches the authentication engine.

This design avoids common failure patterns in multi-identity provider systems, such as:

• Incorrect realm routing leading to authentication failures
• Misaligned identity provider selection
• Increased complexity inside authentication trees

By separating routing from authentication:

• Authentication flows remain simpler and more maintainable
• Multiple identity providers can be supported cleanly
• Failure isolation becomes easier in enterprise IAM environments

Related Article

This repository is part of a broader discussion on authentication system design:

👉 Designing Authentication Systems Across Multiple Identity Providers