Authentication Overview

Authentication profiles in Maptaskr Power Maps control how your application securely connects to external map services like ArcGIS, Azure Maps, and other providers. These profiles store credentials, manage tokens, and handle the authentication process automatically.

What Authentication Does

Authentication profiles serve several critical functions:

• Secure Access: Protect access to premium map services and private data
• Credential Management: Safely store API keys, client secrets, and other credentials
• Token Handling: Automatically refresh access tokens and manage expiration
• Service Authorization: Enable access to specific features based on your service plan
• Usage Tracking: Allow providers to monitor and bill for API usage

Without proper authentication, you'll be limited to public, free-tier services or encounter access errors when trying to use premium features.

Authentication Manager

The Auth Manager lets you view, edit, and create authentication profiles for your map service providers.

To access Auth Manager:

1. Navigate to the Configuration area
2. Select the Auth Manager tab

Modify Default Profiles

Default profiles are created during installation (see Provider Manager). Customize or remove them to suit organisational requirements.

To edit an existing authentication profile:

1. Select the profile you want to edit from the list

2. Edit the profile name if needed (use descriptive names like "Production ArcGIS" or "Staging Azure Maps")

3. Configure authentication based on your service type:

   • For API Key services: Add your key in Additional URL Parameters
   • For OAuth services: Check "Has Auth Request" and provide Client ID/Secret
   • For Username/Password: Enable "Has Auth Request" for credential capture

4. Add credentials:

   • Additional Request Headers: For API keys in headers (e.g., X-API-Key)
   • Additional URL Parameters: For tokens or keys in URLs (e.g., token=your_key)

5. Test the profile to verify credentials work correctly

6. Save changes by clicking "Update Profile"

Getting Credentials

• ArcGIS: Get API keys and Client IDs from ArcGIS Developers
• Azure Maps: Obtain keys from Azure Portal

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Creating a New Authentication Profile

When you need to connect to a custom service or create environment-specific profiles (development, staging, production):

Step-by-Step Process

1. Access the Auth Manager

   • Go to Configuration → Auth Manager

2. Start a new profile

   • Click "Add New Profile" to open the authentication profile form

3. Configure the Auth Details tab

   The interface has two main tabs: Auth Details and Auth Request Details. Start with the Auth Details tab:

   • Auth Profile Name: Enter a unique, descriptive name (e.g., "Production Azure Maps", "Dev ArcGIS Enterprise")

   • Additional Request Headers: Click "Add Header" to add authentication headers

     • Name: Header name (e.g., X-API-Key, Authorization)
     • Value: Header value (your API key or token)
     • Use the trash icon to remove headers if needed

   • Additional URL Parameters: Click "Add Parameter" for URL-based authentication

     • Name: Parameter name (e.g., token, key, subscription-key)
     • Value: Parameter value (your API key or token)
     • Use the trash icon to remove parameters if needed
   Validation

   You'll see red error messages stating "Key and value pairs cannot be empty" if you add headers or parameters without filling in both fields.

4. Configure Auth Request Details (if needed)

   Switch to the Auth Request Details tab for OAuth or advanced authentication:

   • Has Auth Request: Check this checkbox to enable OAuth or token-based authentication

   • Can be used offline: Check if this profile should work in offline scenarios

   • Auth Request URL: Enter the authentication endpoint URL

     • Method dropdown: Select POST or GET
     • URL field: Enter the complete authentication URL

   • Auth Request Headers: Click "Add Header" for authentication request headers

     • Name: Header name (e.g., Content-Type)
     • Value: Header value (e.g., application/x-www-form-urlencoded)

   • Auth Request Body: Configure the request body format

     • Dropdown: Select content type (e.g., application/xml)

   • Token needs refreshing every: Set token refresh interval

     • Enter number of minutes before token expires

5. Save the profile

   • Click "Save" to save your changes
   • Or click "Save & Close" to save and return to the profile list

Common Configuration Examples

Authentication Type	Auth Details Tab	Auth Request Details Tab
Azure Maps API Key	Add URL Parameter: subscription-key = your_key	Leave unchecked
ArcGIS API Key	Add URL Parameter: token = your_key	Leave unchecked
Header-based API	Add Header: X-API-Key = your_key	Leave unchecked
OAuth Client Credentials	Leave empty	Check "Has Auth Request", configure OAuth endpoint

Your authentication profiles are now ready to securely connect your maps to external services.