Forms based authentication in SharePoint 2010

In this article we will be seeing how to configure forms based authentication for claims based web application using Active directory provider.

Steps Involved:

Create a claim based web application
Configure the web.config files
-> Central Administration Web application web.config file
-> Forms-based authentication claims-based Web application Web.Config file
-> Security Token Service web.config file

Create a claim based web application:

Go to Central Administration =>Application Management => Manage web applications.
In the Contribute group click on New.
In the Authentication section of the Create New Web Application dialog box, click Claims Based Authentication.
In the Claims Authentication Types section, select Enable Forms Based Authentication (FBA).
Type a membership provider name.
Click OK to create the Web application.

Configure the web.config files:

The Central Administration Web application Web.Config file.
The forms-based authentication claims-based Web application Web.Config file.
The Security Token Service Web.Config file.

Central Administration Web application web.config file:

Go to Start => Run => inetmgr.
Go to Sites => SharePoint Central Administration => Right Click => Explore.
Open the web.config file.
Inside the <configuration></configuration> section add the following entry.

<connectionStrings>
<add name="adconn" connectionString="LDAP://serverName.atest.btest.et/DC=atest,DC=btest,DC=et" />
</connectionStrings>
</configuration>
And also add the following entry.

<membership defaultProvider="i">
<providers>
<add name="i" type="Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.Claims.SPClaimsAuthMembershipProvider, Microsoft.SharePoint,Version=14.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" />
<add name="adMembers" type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0,
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" connectionStringName="adconn" enableSearchMethods="true" attributeMapUsername="sAMAccountName" />
</providers>
</membership>
Save and close the web.config file.

Forms-based authentication claims-based Web application Web.Config file:

Go to Start => Run => inetmgr.
Go to Sites => SharePoint - 2014 => Right Click => Explore.
Open the web.config file.
Inside the <configuration></configuration> section add the following entry.

<connectionStrings>
<add name="adconn" connectionString="LDAP://serverName.atest.btest.et/DC=atest,DC=btest,DC=et" />
</connectionStrings>
</configuration>
And also add the following entry.

<membership defaultProvider="i">
<providers>
<add name="i" type="Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.Claims.SPClaimsAuthMembershipProvider, Microsoft.SharePoint, Version=14.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c" />
<add name="adMembers" type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" connectionStringName="adconn" enableSearchMethods="true" attributeMapUsername="sAMAccountName" />
</providers>
</membership>

Security Token Service web.config file:

Go to Start => Run => inetmgr.
Go to Sites => SharePoint Web Services =>Security TokenServiceApplication => Right Click => Explore.
Open the web.config file.
Inside the <configuration></configuration> section add the following entry.

<connectionStrings>
<add name="adconn" connectionString="LDAP://serverName.atest.btest.et/DC=atest,DC=btest,DC=et" />
</connectionStrings>
</configuration>
And also add the following entry.

<system.web>
<membership defaultProvider="adMembers">
<providers>
<add name="adMembers"
type="System.Web.Security.ActiveDirectoryMembershipProvider, System.Web, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"
connectionStringName="adconn"
enableSearchMethods="true"
attributeMapUsername="sAMAccountName" />
</providers>
</membership>
</system.web>

Policy for Forms-based authentication claims-based Web application:

Go to Central administration => Application management => Manage service applications.
Select the web application (SharePoint - 2014).
In the Policy group, select User policy.
Click on Next.
In the Choose Users section, click on Browse option to search for the users.
Search for "sptestuser1" user who belongs to "Forms auth" category.
Select the User =>Add => OK.
Select the option "Full control - Has full control" from Choose permissions section.
Click on Ok.
Click on Finish.
You could see the user added as shown in the following.

Testing:

Create a site collection for the web application SharePoint - 2014.
When you try to access the site collection it will be redirected to the login page.
Choose forms authentication.
Enter the user name and password.
You are now logged into your site as "sptestuser1", with site administrator privileges.