API Authentication

Comprehensive authentication mechanisms for secure access to SOLVEFORCE API endpoints, supporting multiple authentication methods, security protocols, and access control frameworks for enterprise integration.

🔐 Authentication Overview

SOLVEFORCE API supports multiple authentication methods to accommodate different integration scenarios, security requirements, and organizational policies. All authentication methods implement industry-standard security protocols with comprehensive audit logging and monitoring.

🎯 Supported Authentication Methods

Primary Authentication Options:

API Key Authentication - Simple bearer token authentication for service-to-service communication
OAuth 2.0 with PKCE - Industry-standard authorization framework with enhanced security
JWT (JSON Web Tokens) - Stateless authentication with embedded claims and permissions
Mutual TLS (mTLS) - Certificate-based authentication for maximum security
SAML 2.0 Integration - Enterprise SSO integration with identity providers

Secondary Authentication Factors:

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) - Additional security layer for sensitive operations
IP Whitelisting - Network-based access control and restriction
Time-based Restrictions - Temporal access controls for enhanced security
Geographic Restrictions - Location-based access policies and compliance

🔑 API Key Authentication

📋 API Key Overview

API keys provide a simple and effective authentication method for programmatic access to SOLVEFORCE services. Each API key includes embedded permissions, rate limiting, and comprehensive audit logging.

API Key Characteristics:

Format: 64-character alphanumeric strings with prefixes for easy identification
Scope: Configurable permissions for specific endpoints and operations
Lifetime: Configurable expiration with automatic rotation options
Rate Limiting: Per-key rate limits with burst capability
Audit Logging: Comprehensive usage tracking and security monitoring

🛠️ API Key Implementation

Basic API Key Authentication:

# Standard Bearer Token Authentication
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_1234567890abcdef..." \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/services

# Alternative X-API-Key Header Format
curl -H "X-API-Key: sk_live_1234567890abcdef..." \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/services

Advanced API Key Usage with Parameters:

# API Key with Request Signing
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_1234567890abcdef..." \
     -H "X-Timestamp: $(date +%s)" \
     -H "X-Signature: $(echo -n "$(date +%s)POST/v1/services" | openssl dgst -sha256 -hmac "your_secret" -binary | base64)" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -X POST \
     -d '{"service_type": "voice", "configuration": {...}}' \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/services

🔧 API Key Management

Creating API Keys:

POST /v1/auth/api-keys
{
  "name": "Production Integration Key",
  "description": "Primary API key for production environment",
  "permissions": [
    "services:read",
    "services:write",
    "billing:read",
    "support:create"
  ],
  "rate_limit": {
    "requests_per_minute": 1000,
    "burst_limit": 100
  },
  "restrictions": {
    "ip_whitelist": ["192.168.1.0/24", "10.0.0.0/8"],
    "expires_at": "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "api_key": {
    "id": "ak_1234567890abcdef",
    "key": "sk_live_1234567890abcdef...",
    "name": "Production Integration Key",
    "permissions": ["services:read", "services:write", "billing:read", "support:create"],
    "created_at": "2024-11-01T12:00:00Z",
    "expires_at": "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z",
    "last_used": null,
    "usage_count": 0
  }
}

API Key Rotation and Management:

# Rotate API Key
curl -X POST \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_current_key..." \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/auth/api-keys/ak_1234567890abcdef/rotate

# List API Keys
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_1234567890abcdef..." \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/auth/api-keys

# Revoke API Key
curl -X DELETE \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_1234567890abcdef..." \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/auth/api-keys/ak_1234567890abcdef

🌐 OAuth 2.0 Authentication

📋 OAuth 2.0 Implementation

SOLVEFORCE implements OAuth 2.0 with PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange) for enhanced security in both server-side and client-side applications. Supports multiple grant types for different integration scenarios.

Supported OAuth 2.0 Flows:

Authorization Code with PKCE - Recommended for web applications and mobile apps
Client Credentials Flow - For server-to-server authentication
Device Authorization Flow - For devices with limited input capabilities
Refresh Token Flow - For maintaining long-term access without re-authentication

🔄 Authorization Code Flow with PKCE

Step 1: Initialize OAuth Flow

# Generate PKCE Parameters
CODE_VERIFIER=$(openssl rand -base64 32 | tr -d "=+/" | cut -c1-43)
CODE_CHALLENGE=$(echo -n $CODE_VERIFIER | sha256sum | base64url)

# Authorization Request
https://auth.solveforce.com/oauth/authorize?
  response_type=code&
  client_id=your_client_id&
  redirect_uri=https://yourapp.com/callback&
  scope=services.read+services.write+billing.read&
  state=random_state_string&
  code_challenge=$CODE_CHALLENGE&
  code_challenge_method=S256

Step 2: Handle Authorization Callback

// Client-side callback handling
function handleAuthCallback() {
  const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
  const authCode = urlParams.get('code');
  const state = urlParams.get('state');
  
  if (state !== expectedState) {
    throw new Error('Invalid state parameter');
  }
  
  return exchangeCodeForToken(authCode);
}

Step 3: Exchange Authorization Code for Tokens

curl -X POST https://auth.solveforce.com/oauth/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "grant_type=authorization_code" \
  -d "client_id=your_client_id" \
  -d "client_secret=your_client_secret" \
  -d "code=received_auth_code" \
  -d "redirect_uri=https://yourapp.com/callback" \
  -d "code_verifier=$CODE_VERIFIER"

Token Response:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "token_type": "Bearer",
  "expires_in": 3600,
  "refresh_token": "rt_1234567890abcdef...",
  "scope": "services.read services.write billing.read",
  "user_id": "user_1234567890"
}

🔄 Client Credentials Flow

Server-to-Server Authentication:

curl -X POST https://auth.solveforce.com/oauth/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -u "client_id:client_secret" \
  -d "grant_type=client_credentials" \
  -d "scope=services.read services.write"

Response:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "token_type": "Bearer", 
  "expires_in": 3600,
  "scope": "services.read services.write"
}

🔄 Token Refresh and Management

Refreshing Access Tokens:

curl -X POST https://auth.solveforce.com/oauth/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "grant_type=refresh_token" \
  -d "refresh_token=rt_1234567890abcdef..." \
  -d "client_id=your_client_id" \
  -d "client_secret=your_client_secret"

Token Introspection:

curl -X POST https://auth.solveforce.com/oauth/introspect \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -u "client_id:client_secret" \
  -d "token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."

Token Revocation:

curl -X POST https://auth.solveforce.com/oauth/revoke \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -u "client_id:client_secret" \
  -d "token=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."

🎫 JWT (JSON Web Token) Authentication

📋 JWT Implementation

SOLVEFORCE supports JWT authentication for stateless, secure communication with embedded claims and permissions. JWTs are signed using RS256 (RSA Signature with SHA-256) for maximum security.

JWT Structure:

// JWT Header
{
  "alg": "RS256",
  "typ": "JWT",
  "kid": "key_identifier_2024"
}

// JWT Payload
{
  "iss": "https://auth.solveforce.com",
  "sub": "user_1234567890",
  "aud": "https://api.solveforce.com",
  "exp": 1703980800,
  "iat": 1703977200,
  "nbf": 1703977200,
  "jti": "jwt_unique_identifier",
  "permissions": [
    "services:read",
    "services:write",
    "billing:read"
  ],
  "organization_id": "org_abcdef123456",
  "rate_limit": {
    "requests_per_minute": 1000
  }
}

🔧 JWT Usage Examples

Using JWT for API Authentication:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..." \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/services

JWT Validation and Parsing (Node.js):

const jwt = require('jsonwebtoken');
const jwksClient = require('jwks-rsa');

// JWKS Client for public key retrieval
const client = jwksClient({
  jwksUri: 'https://auth.solveforce.com/.well-known/jwks.json',
  cache: true,
  rateLimit: true
});

function getKey(header, callback) {
  client.getSigningKey(header.kid, (err, key) => {
    const signingKey = key.publicKey || key.rsaPublicKey;
    callback(null, signingKey);
  });
}

// JWT Verification
function verifyToken(token) {
  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    jwt.verify(token, getKey, {
      audience: 'https://api.solveforce.com',
      issuer: 'https://auth.solveforce.com',
      algorithms: ['RS256']
    }, (err, decoded) => {
      if (err) reject(err);
      else resolve(decoded);
    });
  });
}

🔒 Mutual TLS (mTLS) Authentication

📋 mTLS Implementation

Mutual TLS provides the highest level of security by requiring both client and server certificate verification. Ideal for high-security environments and compliance requirements.

mTLS Configuration:

# Generate Client Certificate (if not provided)
openssl req -new -x509 -days 365 -nodes \
  -out client.crt \
  -keyout client.key \
  -subj "/C=US/ST=CA/L=San Francisco/O=Your Organization/CN=api-client"

# API Request with Client Certificate
curl --cert client.crt \
     --key client.key \
     --cacert solveforce-ca.crt \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/services

Certificate Registration:

# Register Client Certificate
curl -X POST https://api.solveforce.com/v1/auth/certificates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "certificate": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n...\n-----END CERTIFICATE-----",
    "name": "Production API Client",
    "permissions": ["services:read", "services:write"]
  }'

🔐 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

📋 MFA Implementation

Multi-Factor Authentication adds an additional security layer for sensitive operations and administrative functions.

MFA Challenge Flow:

# Initial API Request (triggers MFA challenge)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your_token" \
     -X POST \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/services/provision

# Response with MFA Challenge
{
  "error": "mfa_required",
  "challenge_id": "mfa_challenge_12345",
  "methods": ["totp", "sms", "email"],
  "message": "Multi-factor authentication required for this operation"
}

# Submit MFA Response
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your_token" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -X POST \
     -d '{
       "challenge_id": "mfa_challenge_12345",
       "method": "totp",
       "code": "123456"
     }' \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/auth/mfa/verify

TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) Setup:

# Generate TOTP Secret
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your_token" \
     -X POST \
     https://api.solveforce.com/v1/auth/mfa/totp/setup

# Response includes QR code and backup codes
{
  "secret": "JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP",
  "qr_code": "data:image/png;base64,...",
  "backup_codes": ["12345678", "87654321", ...],
  "setup_url": "otpauth://totp/SOLVEFORCE:user@example.com?secret=JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP&issuer=SOLVEFORCE"
}

🌍 SAML 2.0 Integration

📋 SAML SSO Implementation

SOLVEFORCE supports SAML 2.0 for enterprise Single Sign-On integration with identity providers like Azure AD, Okta, Ping Identity, and ADFS.

SAML Configuration:

<!-- SAML Metadata Configuration -->
<EntityDescriptor entityID="https://api.solveforce.com/saml/metadata">
  <SPSSODescriptor protocolSupportEnumeration="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:protocol">
    <AssertionConsumerService 
      Binding="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:bindings:HTTP-POST" 
      Location="https://api.solveforce.com/saml/acs" 
      index="0" />
    <AttributeConsumingService index="0">
      <ServiceName xml:lang="en">SOLVEFORCE API Access</ServiceName>
      <RequestedAttribute Name="email" NameFormat="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:attrname-format:basic" isRequired="true" />
      <RequestedAttribute Name="groups" NameFormat="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:attrname-format:basic" isRequired="false" />
    </AttributeConsumingService>
  </SPSSODescriptor>
</EntityDescriptor>

SAML Authentication Flow:

# Initiate SAML SSO (redirect user to IdP)
https://api.solveforce.com/saml/sso?
  SAMLRequest=base64_encoded_request&
  RelayState=optional_return_url

# After successful IdP authentication, user is redirected back with SAML Response
# API generates JWT token for subsequent API calls

🔧 Authentication Best Practices

🛡️ Security Recommendations

Token Security:

Store tokens securely using encrypted storage or secure key management systems
Implement token rotation and automatic refresh mechanisms
Use short-lived access tokens (15-60 minutes) with longer-lived refresh tokens
Implement proper token revocation on logout or security incidents

Network Security:

Use HTTPS/TLS 1.3 for all authentication requests
Implement certificate pinning for mobile applications
Use IP whitelisting for server-to-server authentication
Monitor for unusual authentication patterns and implement rate limiting

Development Security:

Never embed credentials in source code or version control
Use environment variables or secure configuration management
Implement proper error handling without exposing sensitive information
Regular security audits and penetration testing

📊 Authentication Monitoring

Audit Logging:

{
  "timestamp": "2024-11-01T12:00:00Z",
  "event_type": "authentication_success",
  "user_id": "user_1234567890",
  "client_id": "client_abcdef123456",
  "ip_address": "192.168.1.100",
  "user_agent": "MyApp/1.0.0",
  "authentication_method": "oauth2",
  "token_type": "access_token",
  "scopes": ["services:read", "billing:read"],
  "session_id": "session_xyz789"
}

Security Metrics:

Failed authentication attempts per user/IP
Token usage patterns and anomaly detection
Geographic distribution of authentication requests
Authentication method adoption and success rates

📞 Authentication Support

🆘 Integration Support

Technical Support:

Authentication Issues: auth-support@solveforce.com
OAuth Integration: oauth-help@solveforce.com
Enterprise SSO: sso-support@solveforce.com
Security Questions: security@solveforce.com

Documentation and Resources:

Interactive API Explorer: https://api.solveforce.com/docs
Authentication Examples: https://github.com/solveforce/api-examples
Postman Collection: Available with comprehensive authentication examples
SDK Documentation: Language-specific authentication guides

Support Availability:

24/7 Critical Issues: Authentication failures affecting production systems
Business Hours Support: Integration assistance and best practices
Community Forum: Developer community and peer support
Professional Services: Custom integration and enterprise deployment assistance

Secure API Access – SOLVEFORCE Authentication Excellence.

Comprehensive authentication solutions designed for enterprise security, developer productivity, and seamless integration across all platforms and environments.

SOLVEFORCE.COM Documentation