Pony ID
The open-source LittleHorse Kernel natively supports User Tasks. However, the LittleHorse Kernel does not support the concept of user identity as it would require adding significant amounts of complexity and external dependencies to the open-source project.
The User Tasks Bridge solves this problem by allowing you to connect your own Identity Provider (IdP) to LittleHorse.
While the LittleHorse Kernel is open-source, the User Tasks Bridge is a paid product of LittleHorse Enterprises. The docker image present in this quickstart is suitable for local development but you should contact sales@littlehorse.io for production deployment of the User Tasks Bridge.
You can use open-source User Tasks in production without the User Tasks Bridge. To do so, we recommend checking out the open-source User Tasks Documentation to understand how to use User Tasks in your workflows.
Background
Instead of manually connecting your IdP to manage user identities and permissions, the User Tasks Bridge acts as a proxy and fills the gap between User Tasks and user identity. By integrating with your existing OIDC-compliant IdP, it ensures that only authorized users can access and complete tasks. You can also assign User Tasks to individual authenticated users or their respective user groups, enhancing security and efficiency.
How it Works
Inside the LittleHorse Server when a User Task has been assigned it stores an ID as a string without relationships. This ID is a theoretical mapping to the user in the IdP. We need to make the connection between the user in the LittleHorse Server and the user in the IdP. The User Tasks Bridge solves this problem by making the connection between the two and handling the permissions / actions that individual users can perform on a User Task.
Here is a diagram illustrating how the User Tasks Bridge integrates with IdP and User Tasks:
Architectural Components
User Tasks Bridge Backend
The User Tasks Bridge Backend is a REST service that makes the connection between the user in the LittleHorse Server and the user in the IdP. You can make requests to this API to assign, complete, cancel, and view User Tasks. You can interact with this API using HTTP requests or using the provided type-safe JavaScript client (User Tasks Bridge API Client).
User Tasks Bridge API Client
The User Tasks Bridge client is a type-safe JavaScript client is used to interact with the User Tasks Bridge Backend allowing you to embed this into your existing frontend without having to worry about the complexity of the underlying HTTP requests. This client also takes care of error handling to give you a better developer experience.
User Tasks Bridge Console
The User Tasks Bridge Console is a feature rich UI that we built. It can be used as a simple standalone back-office portal for users to view and manage their User Tasks. It also has a dashboard for administrators to view and manage all the User Tasks in the LittleHorse Server.
Ready to Use Your Own IdP?
If you're interested in integrating the User Tasks Bridge with your organization's Identity Provider, we're here to help! Contact us at sales@littlehorse.io to learn more about our offerings and how we can support your production deployment needs.