sso-manager-node/docs/deployment.md

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Deployment Guide

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Two supported methods:

1. Docker — a single all-in-one image bundling the app + OpenLDAP + Redis.
2. Bare metal — install.sh on Debian/Ubuntu (Node.js, OpenLDAP, Redis, systemd unit).

Method 1: Docker (all-in-one)

The image (Dockerfile.openldap) bundles OpenLDAP + the app + Redis in one container. The app connects to the bundled slapd over localhost:389 automatically; you only need to set a few secrets.

# Minimal: an LDAP admin password + a JWT secret, then build + start.
LDAP_ADMIN_PASS='choose-a-strong-password' \
JWT_SECRET="$(openssl rand -hex 32)" \
docker compose up -d --build

For a customized deployment, put overrides in a .env next to docker-compose.yml:

LDAP_BASE_DN=dc=yourdomain,dc=com
LDAP_DOMAIN=yourdomain.com
LDAP_ADMIN_PASS=your-admin-password
ORG_NAME=Your Org
JWT_SECRET=your-jwt-secret
OAUTH_ISSUER=https://sso.yourdomain.com   # browser-facing URL the proxy serves
LDAP_CERT_CN=sso.yourdomain.com            # hostname LDAPS clients verify
SMTP_HOST=smtp.yourdomain.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_USER=noreply@yourdomain.com
SMTP_PASS=your-smtp-password
SMTP_FROM=Your Org <noreply@yourdomain.com>
PORT=3001
LDAPS_PORT=636

Then docker compose up -d --build.

Access

• SSO Manager UI: http://localhost:3001 (HTTP — put a TLS-terminating proxy in front)
• Health: http://localhost:3001/health → {"status":"ok"}
• OIDC discovery: http://localhost:3001/.well-known/openid-configuration
• LDAPS (legacy apps / direct binds): ldaps://<host>:636

Environment variables

Variable	Default	Description
LDAP_BASE_DN	dc=example,dc=com	slapd suffix + app user/group base
LDAP_DOMAIN	derived from base DN	DNS domain; default for cert CN + issuer
LDAP_ADMIN_PASS	admin	slapd root password + app bind password
ORG_NAME	SSO Manager	org name in UI/email/group descriptions
JWT_SECRET	auto-generated	OAuth JWT signing secret (persist it)
OAUTH_ISSUER	https://sso.<LDAP_DOMAIN>	OIDC issuer (browser-facing URL)
LDAP_CERT_CN	LDAP_DOMAIN	CN/SAN on the LDAPS cert
LDAP_CERT_DIR	/etc/openldap/certs	look for ldap.crt+ldap.key here (mount your own)
SMTP_HOST/SMTP_PORT/SMTP_USER/SMTP_PASS/SMTP_FROM	localhost / 587 / empty	outbound email
PORT	3001	host port mapped to the UI
LDAPS_PORT	636	host port mapped to LDAPS

Any app_* var may also be set directly to override any config value — see Configuration.

LDAP TLS (LDAPS / StartTLS)

The bundled slapd generates a self-signed cert on first start (CN = LDAP_CERT_CN, valid 10y, SAN = CN + localhost + 127.0.0.1) and listens on ldaps:/// (636) + StartTLS on ldap:/// (389). The cert lives on the ldap-certs volume so it persists across container recreation.

• Trust it (clients): copy the cert out and add it to the client's CA store, or set TLS_REQCERT never for quick LAN use:

  docker compose cp sso-manager:/etc/openldap/certs/ldap.crt ./ldap.crt
  

• Use your own cert: replace the ldap-certs named volume with a bind mount containing your ldap.crt + ldap.key. The entrypoint leaves existing certs untouched.

Port 389 (plain LDAP) is not mapped to the host by default — direct-LDAP clients should use LDAPS (636) or StartTLS.

Backups (~100 users)

docker compose exec sso-manager slapcat -f /etc/openldap/slapd.conf \
  -b "dc=yourdomain,dc=com" > ldap-backup-$(date +%F).ldif

Restorable with ldapadd/ldapmodify against a fresh instance. Redis is in-memory (session/cache only — safe to lose). Persist JWT_SECRET + LDAP_ADMIN_PASS outside the container (your .env, a password manager).

Method 2: Bare metal (Debian/Ubuntu)

install.sh is an idempotent installer: Node.js 20.x, OpenLDAP (modules + overlays + custom schema + directory tree + required groups), the app at /opt/sso-manager, and a systemd unit.

sudo ./install.sh \
  -p 'your-ldap-password' \
  -b 'dc=yourdomain,dc=com' \
  -n 'Your Org' \
  -o 3001

Flag	Description
-p, --admin-pass	LDAP admin password (required)
-b, --base-dn	Base DN (default dc=example,dc=com)
-n, --org-name	Org name (default SSO Manager)
-o, --port	HTTP port (default 3001)
-j, --jwt-secret	JWT secret (default auto-generated)
-s, --smtp-config	SMTP as host:port:user:pass
--skip-ldap	Skip LDAP setup (use existing)
--skip-app	LDAP setup only
--dry-run	Show actions without making changes

Post-install:

sudo systemctl enable --now sso-manager
curl http://localhost:3001/health    # -> {"status":"ok"}

For an existing LDAP server, run sudo ./install.sh --skip-ldap … and point the app at it. To (re)configure overlays on an already-installed slapd, prefer ops/ldap-setup.sh (idempotent, auto-detects the user database).

Fronting with a reverse proxy

The SSO runs HTTP inside the container; terminate TLS at a front proxy. The theta42/proxy is an OIDC-protected reverse proxy and a natural fit — it's both an OIDC client of this SSO and a direct LDAP client for user lookups.

1. One Docker network so the proxy reaches the SSO internally at http://sso-manager:3001 (token/userinfo, server-to-server) without exposing the SSO's HTTP port.
2. Set the SSO's OAUTH_ISSUER to the browser-facing HTTPS URL the proxy serves the SSO at (e.g. https://sso.yourdomain.com).
3. Register the proxy as an OIDC client in the SSO UI, with redirectUri matching the proxy's callback (https://proxy.yourdomain.com/api/auth/oidc/callback).
4. LDAP for the proxy: point ldap.url at ldaps://sso-manager:636 and create a dedicated service account under ou=people (e.g. cn=ldapclient,ou=people,…) — don't reuse the admin DN.

The theta42/theta-env unified repo automates all four steps with ./setup.sh — see theta-env docs.

Security notes

1. Never commit secrets.js — it's in .gitignore.
2. Use LDAPS / StartTLS for any LDAP that crosses the network. Port 389 is not mapped to the host by default so LAN clients can't bind in cleartext.
3. Persist JWT_SECRET — an auto-generated one invalidates all tokens on container recreation.
4. Don't expose the UI's HTTP port to the internet — terminate TLS at a front proxy and keep 3001 on the Docker network / localhost only.
5. The all-in-one image runs slapd as the ldap user but the app as root (matches the bare-metal unit). Harden to a non-root user for production.

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