Subscribe an Authentication Scheme in Oracle APEX

Introduction
Subscribing to an authentication scheme in Oracle APEX allows multiple applications to share a common authentication setup. This approach centralizes user authentication management, making it easier to maintain consistency and apply changes across all subscribing applications. If your organization has several APEX applications requiring the same login process, subscribing to a shared authentication scheme saves time and improves security governance.

How to Subscribe to an Authentication Scheme in Oracle APEX

1. Open Your Application
   Log in to Oracle APEX and open the application where you want to subscribe to an existing authentication scheme.

2. Navigate to Authentication Schemes
   In the application menu, go to Shared Components and select Authentication Schemes under the Security section.

3. Create a Subscription to an Authentication Scheme

   • Click Create to add a new authentication scheme.

   • Select Subscribe to a Scheme from the list of options.

   • Choose the application that contains the authentication scheme you want to subscribe to.

   • Select the specific authentication scheme from that application.

   • Provide a name for your subscribed scheme if necessary.

   • Click Create and Make Current to activate the subscribed scheme.

4. Test the Subscribed Scheme
   Run your application and verify the login behavior to ensure it correctly uses the shared authentication settings.

Subscribing to an Authentication Scheme allows applications to reuse authentication configurations from a master application. This ensures consistency across multiple applications and makes it easier to manage authentication settings.

Why Subscribe to an Authentication Scheme?

• Ensures authentication settings remain consistent across multiple applications.

• Reduces maintenance effort by allowing changes to be managed from a single master scheme.

• Automatically updates subscribed authentication schemes when changes are made to the master.

How to Subscribe to an Authentication Scheme

1. Navigate to the Authentication Schemes Page

• Log in to your Oracle APEX workspace.

• Open App Builder and select your application.

• Click Shared Components from the application menu.

• Under Security, select Authentication Schemes.

2. Select or Create an Authentication Scheme

• If you are creating a new authentication scheme, click Create and follow the setup process.

• If you want to subscribe an existing scheme, select it from the list.

3. Subscribe to an Authentication Scheme

• On the Authentication Scheme Create / Edit page, find the Subscription section.

• Under Subscribe From, select the source application that has the master authentication scheme.

• Click Apply Changes to establish the subscription.

4. Manage Subscription Updates

• When the master authentication scheme is updated, subscribed schemes can be refreshed to reflect changes.

• To update, navigate to Authentication Schemes, select the subscribed scheme, and click Refresh Subscription.

5. Unsubscribe if Needed

• If you want to detach the authentication scheme from the master, select Unsubscribe on the Authentication Scheme Edit page.

• Once unsubscribed, the authentication scheme becomes independent and no longer receives updates from the master.

By subscribing to an authentication scheme, developers can streamline authentication management across multiple applications while maintaining security and consistency.

Creating a Login Page in Oracle APEX

A login page is essential for securing your application by authenticating users before granting access. Oracle APEX automatically generates a login page when you create an application that requires authentication. However, you can also create a custom login page manually.

Steps to Create a Login Page in Oracle APEX

1. Navigate to the App Builder

• Log in to Oracle APEX.

• Open App Builder and select the application where you want to create a login page.

2. Create a New Page

• Click Create to add a new page.

• Select Login Page under Authentication.

• Click Next to proceed.

3. Configure the Login Page

• Page Name: Enter a name for the login page (e.g., "User Login").

• Page Mode: Choose whether this will be the default login page or a custom one.

• Authentication Scheme: Select the authentication scheme to use (e.g., APEX Accounts, Database Authentication, LDAP, Social Sign-In).

• Click Next and then Create Page.

4. Customize the Login Page (Optional)

• Open the newly created Login Page in Page Designer.

• Modify UI elements like the username and password fields, buttons, and messages.

• Add any additional PL/SQL validation logic for custom authentication.

5. Set the Login Page as the Authentication Page

• Go to Shared Components > Authentication Schemes.

• Open your authentication scheme and ensure it references the newly created Login Page as the Login URL.

• Click Apply Changes.

6. Test the Login Page

• Run the application and verify that the login page appears before accessing other pages.

• Enter credentials to confirm authentication works correctly.

Customizing the Login Process

• Use Session State Protection to enhance security.

• Add custom authentication logic using PL/SQL functions.

• Implement password reset functionality if needed.

By following these steps, you can create a fully functional login page in Oracle APEX, ensuring that only authenticated users can access your application.

Best Practices

• Use subscription when managing multiple applications that require consistent authentication methods.

• Document all subscribing applications to understand the scope of shared authentication.

• Test thoroughly after subscribing to verify user access and login workflows.

• Be cautious when modifying the original authentication scheme, as changes affect all subscribing applications.

• Use clear naming conventions to differentiate between original and subscribed schemes.

Oracle APEX Documentation
For full details and examples, refer to the official Oracle APEX documentation:
https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/apex/23.2/aeapp/subscribing-authentication-schemes.html

Conclusion

Subscribing to an authentication scheme in Oracle APEX is an efficient way to centralize and standardize user authentication across multiple applications. This helps maintain consistent security policies and simplifies administration. By following best practices and carefully managing subscriptions, you can enhance both security and manageability in your APEX environment.