Single Sign-On - SSO

 What is Single Sign-On (SSO)?

Single Sign-On is an authentication mechanism that allows users to access multiple applications and services using a single set of login credentials. Instead of remembering separate usernames and passwords for each application, SSO enables users to authenticate once and gain seamless access to various resources. 🔑

How does SSO work?

1. 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: When a user attempts to access an application integrated with SSO, they are redirected to the SSO login page. The user enters their credentials (username and password) on this centralized login page. 🔍

2. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 (𝗜𝗱𝗣) 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The SSO system, acting as the Identity Provider (IdP), verifies the user's credentials against its database. If the credentials are valid, the IdP generates a token or a session cookie. 🆗

3. 𝗧𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: The token or session cookie is then shared with the application the user is trying to access. This token serves as proof of the user's authenticated status. 🔄

4. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: The application receives the token, validates it, and grants access to the user based on the associated permissions and roles defined within the application. 🔓

Benefits of SSO

- 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: SSO eliminates the need for users to remember multiple usernames and passwords, providing a seamless and convenient login experience across different applications. 😊

- 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: With SSO, users have fewer passwords to manage, reducing the risk of weak or reused passwords. Additionally, SSO allows for centralized authentication and access control, making it easier to enforce strong security policies. 🛡️

- 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: By minimizing the time spent on logging in and out of various applications, SSO enables users to focus more on their core tasks, boosting overall productivity. ⏰

- 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: SSO simplifies user management for administrators. User provisioning, deprovisioning, and access control can be managed centrally, reducing administrative overhead. 🧑‍💼

Implementing SSO can greatly streamline the user authentication process, enhance security, and improve the overall user experience.

DDD - Subdomain & Bounded Context

 Example:

Domain: E-commerce

• Subdomain: Order Management

• Bounded Contexts:

1. Payment Processing

• Cohesive Bounded Context: Transaction Authorization, Billing, Fraud Detection

2. Customer Management

• Cohesive Bounded Context: Customer Registration, Account Management, Customer Support

3. Inventory Management

• Cohesive Bounded Context: Product Catalog Management, Stock Keeping, Replenishment

4. Shipping and Logistics

• Cohesive Bounded Context: Carrier Integration, Shipping Methods, Package Tracking

5. Returns and Refunds

• Cohesive Bounded Context: Return Authorization, Refund Processing, Reverse Logistics

 Let's explore some examples:

1. Payment Processing:

• This cohesive bounded context focuses on handling the payment aspects of order management.
• Concepts within this context include payment authorization, transaction processing, fraud detection, and payment reconciliation.
• Rules and processes within this context govern how payments are verified, processed, and reconciled with order information.

2. Customer Management:

• This cohesive bounded context deals with managing customer-related aspects of order management.
• Concepts within this context include customer registration, authentication, account management, and customer support.
• Rules and processes within this context focus on managing customer accounts, preferences, and interactions throughout the order lifecycle.

3. Inventory Management:

• This cohesive bounded context focuses on managing inventory-related aspects of order fulfillment.
• Concepts within this context include product catalog management, inventory tracking, stock keeping, and replenishment.
• Rules and processes within this context govern how inventory levels are monitored, products are cataloged, and stock is managed to fulfill orders efficiently.

4. Shipping and Logistics:

• This cohesive bounded context deals with managing shipping and logistics aspects of order fulfillment.
• Concepts within this context include carrier integration, shipping methods, package tracking, and delivery management.
• Rules and processes within this context focus on selecting shipping methods, generating shipping labels, tracking shipments, and managing delivery logistics.

5. Returns and Refunds:

• This cohesive bounded context focuses on handling returns and refunds for orders.
• Concepts within this context include return authorization, refund processing, restocking, and reverse logistics.
• Rules and processes within this context govern how returns are initiated, refunds are processed, and returned items are restocked or disposed of.

 

Can each bounded context be a microservice???

While each cohesive bounded context represents a distinct area of functionality within the broader "Order Management" domain, whether each one should be implemented as a microservice depends on various factors such as the system's architecture, scalability requirements, team structure, and deployment strategy. Here are some considerations:

1.     Granularity: Microservices are typically smaller, independently deployable units of functionality. Depending on the complexity and size of each cohesive bounded context, it may be appropriate to implement each one as a microservice. However, if a cohesive bounded context is relatively simple or tightly coupled with other contexts, it may be more practical to implement it as part of a larger microservice.

2.     Autonomy: Microservices should be autonomous, meaning they can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. If each cohesive bounded context requires independent development, deployment, or scalability, implementing it as a microservice may be beneficial to achieve greater autonomy.

3.     Team Ownership: Microservices are often aligned with cross-functional teams, where each team owns one or more microservices. If the development and maintenance of a cohesive bounded context align well with a specific team's expertise and responsibilities, implementing it as a microservice may facilitate team ownership and autonomy.

4.     Integration Complexity: Microservices communicate with each other via APIs, which introduces integration overhead. If the cohesive bounded contexts need to interact frequently or share data extensively, implementing them as separate microservices may introduce complexity in managing inter-service communication and data consistency.

5.     Operational Overhead: Microservices introduce operational complexity, such as service discovery, monitoring, and deployment automation. If the benefits of implementing each cohesive bounded context as a microservice outweigh the operational overhead, then microservices may be a suitable architectural choice.

In summary, while each cohesive bounded context represents a potential candidate for a microservice, the decision to implement it as such should be based on factors such as granularity, autonomy, team ownership, integration complexity, and operational considerations. Careful analysis and consideration of these factors are essential to determine the most appropriate architectural approach for your system.