Configuring Office 365 Federation with WS-Federation
Complete Step-by-Step Implementation Guide with SDO Integration - All 44 Steps
Last Updated: November 2024 | Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes
⚠ Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure you have:
- ✓ Office 365 Global Administrator access
- ✓ SDO (Secret Double Octopus) admin credentials
- ✓ PowerShell with administrative privileges
- ✓ SDO federation script downloaded
- ✓ Domain ownership verified in Office 365
- ✓ Enabling staged rollout groups (optional) - See Video
- ✓ Octopus Authenticator app installed on mobile device
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Section 1: Initial Setup and Script Preparation (Steps 1-9)
1 Check that you don't already have a WS-Fed service
Verify no existing WS-Federation service is configured before proceeding.
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2 Run PowerShell as an Administrator
Right-click on PowerShell and select "Run as Administrator".
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3 Change to the directory where you downloaded SDO federation script
Navigate to the folder containing your SDO federation script using the cd command.
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4 Run the SDO federation script
Execute the SDO federation PowerShell script.
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5 Set PowerShell execution policy
Run the command: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
Note: This temporarily allows the unsigned script to run in the current PowerShell session only.
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6 Type A to accept All
When prompted, type 'A' to accept all execution policy changes.
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7 Press [Return]
Press the Enter key to continue.
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8 Run the SDO federation script again
Run the SDO federation script again now that the execution policy is set.
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9 Press [Return]
Press Enter to proceed to the main menu.
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Section 2: SDO Service Creation (Steps 10-16)
10 Type 1 from the selection menu
Type 1 to select "Create New Service" and press Enter.
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11 Press [Return]
Press Enter to confirm your selection.
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12 Type your SDO admin user and press [Return]
Enter your SDO administrator username and press Enter.
Important: Use your SDO administrator account credentials.
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13 Approve the push on your mobile
Check your mobile device for the SDO authentication push notification and approve it.
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14 Type the name of the O365 service you want to create and press [Return]
Enter a descriptive name for your Office 365 service (e.g., "Office365-Production") and press Enter.
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15 Type your O365 domain name you want to federate and press [Return]
Enter the domain you want to federate (e.g., yourdomain.com) and press Enter.
Note: Ensure this domain is verified in your Office 365 tenant.
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16 Select the directory you want to assign to the service and press [Return]
Choose the appropriate directory from the list and press Enter.
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Section 3: SDO Management Console Configuration (Steps 17-30)
17 Open SDO Management console
Navigate to the SDO Management Console in your web browser.
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18 Under "Services" you should see the new service created
Verify that your newly created service appears in the Services list.
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19 Click "edit" on the newly create service
Click the Edit button for the service you just created.
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20 Click "Parameters"
Navigate to the Parameters tab in the service configuration.
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21 Click "OVERRIDDEN BY"
Click on the OVERRIDDEN BY option to configure domain-specific settings.
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22 Click "your domain"
Select your domain from the list.
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23 Verify fields are populated for EntraID Directory
Make sure the below fields are populated for EntraID Directory. For On-prem Directory it should be "ObjectGUID" under Immutable ID.
Important: Ensure the correct Immutable ID field is configured based on your directory type.
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24 Click "Users"
Navigate to the Users tab to assign users to the service.
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25 Click "ADD"
Click the ADD button to start adding users to the service.
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26 Click "users"
Select the users option to view available users.
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27 Select the users you want to assign to the service
Check the boxes next to the users you want to assign to this Office 365 service.
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28 Click "SAVE"
Save your user selections.
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29 Click "PUBLISH"
Click PUBLISH to apply your configuration changes.
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30 Click "PUBLISH" to confirm
Confirm the publish action when prompted.
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Section 4: Office 365 Federation Setup (Steps 31-39)
31 Go back to the SDO script in PowerShell and type 2, press [Return]
Return to PowerShell and type 2 to proceed with federation setup.
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32 Type your SDO admin user and press [Return]
Re-enter your SDO admin username and press Enter.
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33 Type the service number you created earlier and press [Return]
Enter the service number that was assigned to your Office 365 service.
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34 Enter your O365 admin "Email"
Enter your Office 365 Global Administrator email address.
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35 Enter your O365 admin [Password]
Enter your Office 365 Global Administrator password.
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36 Click "Sign in"
Click the Sign in button to authenticate with Office 365.
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37 Type your domain and press [Return]
Enter your domain name that you want to federate and press Enter.
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38 Type Short Display Name and press [Return]
Enter a short display name for the federation (e.g., "SDO") and press Enter.
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39 A message display will show successful federation of your domain
The script will display a success message confirming your domain has been federated.
Success! Your domain has been successfully federated.
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Section 5: Verification and Exit (Steps 40-44)
40 Type 4 and press [Return]
Type 4 to verify the federation status and press Enter.
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41 Type your domain you just federated and press [Return]
Enter the domain name you just federated to verify its status.
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42 Enter your O365 admin email and password if asked
If prompted, re-enter your Office 365 admin credentials for verification.
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43 Make sure the Authentication type is showing federated
Verify that the Authentication type displays as "Federated" to confirm successful configuration.
Verification: This confirms your domain is now federated successfully.
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44 Type 5 and press [Return to exit]
Type 5 and press Enter to exit the federation script.
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✓ Federation Configuration Complete!
Your Office 365 domain has been successfully federated with WS-Federation using SDO.
Users can now authenticate using SDO's passwordless authentication methods.
★ Next Steps
- Test user authentication with a federated domain account
- Configure conditional access policies if required
- Set up additional domains for federation as needed
- Review SDO authentication policies and settings
- Document the configuration for your organization
⚙ Troubleshooting Tips
- Script execution fails: Ensure PowerShell is running as Administrator
- Authentication issues: Verify your SDO admin credentials are correct
- Domain not federating: Confirm domain ownership in Office 365
- Mobile push not received: Check Octopus Authenticator app is installed and logged in
- Federation status not showing: Wait 5-10 minutes for changes to propagate
☎ Need Help?
If you encounter any issues during the federation process:
- Contact your SDO support team
- Review the SDO Federation Documentation
- Check Office 365 service health dashboard
- Submit a support ticket with error screenshots
This guide contains ALL 44 steps for configuring Office 365 Federation with WS-Federation.
Follow each step carefully to ensure successful federation.
© 2024 - Office 365 Federation Guide | SDO Integration