¶ What is User Pool

When you start to build an application, oftentimes the first thing is to build a user system. Building a user system always involves complicated authentication procedures and security issues. Using Authing can relieve you of these worries.

The first step in using Authing is to create a user pool. A user pool is the smallest unit of isolation of your user system. You can divide users in different scenarios into different user pools. Each user pool has its own users and applications, permissions, applications, and organizations. Between different user pools are completely isolated.

You can create users in Authing's user pool, import users through directory integration, or import users through application integration. Applications under the user pool are connections to public applications (such as Office365) or proprietary applications (such as your own applications). Through this connection, your users can quickly and efficiently complete authentication and authorization between different applications through an identity.

¶ URL address of the user pool

When creating an Authing user pool, a URL is assigned to each user pool. The typical organization URL is the tenant name (subdomain), followed by the domain name (such as 'you-tenant-domain.Authing.cn'). You can customize the URL of the Authing user pool by replacing the Authing domain name with your own domain name. Please check this document for details. Learn more。

¶ Admin console

The administrator console (or management console) is where you manage the Authing user pool. As an administrator, you need to log in to the administrator console through the domain name: [https://console.Authing.cn] (opens new window). In the administrator console, you can create a new user pool or switch between different user pools.

Enter a user pool in the management console to manage user data and application connection information in the user pool.

¶ Cross user pool

The user pool is a hard boundary between users or application resources, so user and application data cannot be shared between user pools. You can use federated authentication to allow users to log in across user pools, but the users still exist separately in each organization.

¶ Multiple user pools

In most cases, your company or project has only one user pool. A single user pool provides a standard resource management entry for the entire user group, provides an integration point for applications, and has low complexity. However, in more complex situations, you may need multiple user pools. For example, your company is a large organization with more than 10,000 employees, and there are many upstream and downstream suppliers. You need to coordinate employees and suppliers to complete a certain business process in an ERP application. At this time, two user pools can be established, the internal employees belong to one user pool, and external suppliers belong to another user pool. By connecting to the external identity sources, suppliers are allowed to access internal ERP applications. This achieves segmented management and collaborative work between the company's internal and external organizations. Multiple user pools allow complete isolation of internal and external users, and applications and changes of internal or external organizations will not affect each other. However, multiple user pools add complexity in terms of the number of environments to be managed. We recommend reducing the number of user pools as much as possible to reduce system complexity.

¶ Fee collection

In Authing, we use the user pool as the dimension for service management, and each user pool can have an independent service plan. It is divided into 「Developer 」Edition, 「Developer Pro」Edition and 「Enterprise」 Edition. The "Developer Edition" is suitable for CIAM scenarios for external customers. It has a larger monthly usage and provides a low price. The "Enterprise Edition" is suitable In complex scenarios within the enterprise, there are rich user directory synchronization and application connection solutions. You can choose freely according to the usage scenario, or you can contact a Authing business consultant for consultation.

¶ Function comparison of different versions

The following is a detailed comparison of the functions and services of the 「Developer 」Edition, 「Developer Pro」Edition and 「Enterprise」 Edition. For more details, please see https://Authing.cm/pricing (opens new window).

¶ Authentication Solutions

¶ User Management

¶ Security

¶ Enterprise Customization

¶ Enterprise Support

¶ Next

After understanding the concept of user pool, you can continue to learn the concept of Application.