AxioWorks SQList supports the following authentication methods:
- Networks Credentials authentication;
- SharePoint Online Credentials authentication;
- Forms authentication;
- Web Login authentication;
- App Only authentication;
- Azure AD Application Permissions authentication;
- Azure AD Delegated Permissions authentication.
Choosing the most appropriate authentication method depends on your environment. See below a summary of each with their pros and cons.
| Authentication method | Supported on SharePoint | Requires Admin setup | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network Credentials | On-Prem | No | This is the most common form of authentication on SharePoint On-Prem environments. It uses network credentials (username and password) to log into SharePoint. The connection has access only to the sites accessible by the user logging in. Warning: this method does not work in you have dual factor authentication (2FA) enabled on the account. |
| SharePoint Online Credentials | Online | No | This is the most common form of authentication on SharePoint Online environments. It uses SharePoint credentials (username and password) to log into SharePoint. The connection has access only to the sites accessible by the user logging in. Warning: this method does not work in you have dual factor authentication (2FA) enabled on the account. Furthermore, this is not a modern authentication method and may be disabled by default on your SharePoint site. |
| Forms | On-Prem | No | This form of authentication must be used if your SharePoint site uses Forms authentication. Forms authentication also uses username and password to authenticate. The connection has access only to the sites accessible by the user logging in. |
| Web Login | Online, On-Prem (limited) | No | This form of authentication will open a browser window and take you through the SharePoint login process. This method supports 2FA is enabled. The connection has access only to the sites accessible by the user logging in. Warning: for SharePoint On-Prem, this method works only if the site uses Forms authentication. Also, in SharePoint Online, access has a limited period of time (a few days), after which the log in process has to be repeated therefore it is not recommended for use with SQList unless running occasional synchronisations. |
| App Only | Online | Yes | This form of authentication uses a pair of keys (AppId and AppSecret) to identify as an application registered in SharePoint. Various level of access, unrelated to users accounts, can be configured to sites and site collections. Note: the application must be configured in SharePoint before this method can be used. |
| Azure AD Application Permissions | Online | Yes | This form of authentication uses a key (Client ID) and a self-signed certificate to identify as an application registered in Azure AD that has been given access to SharePoint. This connection has access to all sites in the SharePoint tenant. Note: the application must be configured in Azure AD before this method can be used. |
| Azure AD Delegated Permissions | Online | Yes | This form of authentication uses a key (Client ID) to connect to an application registered in Azure AD that has been given access to SharePoint plus it request that the user goes through the log in process in SharePoint Online. This connection has access only to the sites accessible by the user logging in. Note: the application must be configured in Azure AD before this method can be used. Also, access has a limited period of time (90 days), after which the log in process has to be repeated therefore it is not ideal for use with SQList over long periods of times. |
When creating a connection to a SharePoint site in AxioWorks SQList, you can choose from the options shown below. Click on the options for full details on how to configure them in SQList.
- Username and password (Online and On-Prem): this option will automatically find the correct form of authentication among Networks Credentials, SharePoint Online Credentials, and Forms.
- Web login (Office 365): select this option for Web Login authentication;
- AppId and AppSecret: select this option for App Only authentication;
- Azure AD Application: select this option for Azure AD Application Permissions authentication;
- Azure AD Delegated: select this option for Azure AD Delegated Permissions authentication.
For further reading on SharePoint authentication, see this article: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/security-for-sharepoint-server/plan-user-authentication
