Guiding you on how to Integrate Keycloak with Angular

For most frontend developpers, the question of authentication and authorization pops-up pretty quickly. Back in the days, few options were available, and usually it would end up being an in-house solution. but nowadays, with a complex security landscape and requirements, solutions like Keycloak makes it easy to spin off a secure application stack (frontend + backend) with no trouble.

Why Keycloak for Angular Apps?

Keycloak, a popular open-source IAM solution, provides a centralized platform for user authentication and authorization. Here’s why it’s a perfect fit for your Angular application:

• Simplified Authentication: Keycloak handles user login, leverages protocols like OpenID Connect (OIDC), and eliminates the need for in-app login management within your Angular code.
• Enhanced Security: Keycloak enforces strong authentication flows and token-based authorization, ensuring only authorized users can access specific resources.
• Improved Scalability: As your application grows, Keycloak scales effortlessly, managing user identities and access control efficiently.
• Reduced Development Time: By offloading authentication to Keycloak, you can focus on building the core functionalities of your Angular application.

Integrating Keycloak with Angular

The integration process involves configuring both Keycloak and your Angular application. Let’s break it down:

1. Keycloak Setup:
   • Create a Realm: Within the Keycloak server, establish a realm to represent your application’s user base.
   • Configure Clients: Register your Angular application as a client within Keycloak, specifying details like redirect URIs and valid origins for security.
   • Choose the Right Flow: Depending on your security needs, select the appropriate authorization flow (e.g., Authorization Code Flow with PKCE for enhanced security). We recommand PKCE since Angular is a client facing app and with OAuth 2.1, PKCE will be the new norm. For more details on authorization flows, take a look here
2. Angular Application Configuration:
   • Install Libraries: Utilize libraries like keycloak-angular and keycloak-js to manage communication with Keycloak for login, token management, and user information retrieval.
   • Configure the Client: Within your Angular application, configure the library with details like Keycloak server URL, client ID, and redirect URI.
   • Protected Routes: Implement logic to protect specific routes in your Angular application, requiring users to be authenticated through Keycloak before accessing them.

Authorization with Backend APIs

Once your Angular application leverages Keycloak for authentication, securing your backend APIs becomes crucial. Here are two common approaches:

1. Resource Server Pattern: Implement Keycloak as an authorization server. Your backend APIs validate access tokens issued by Keycloak to determine user permissions. Keycloak libraries exist for most backend languages, simplifying this process.
2. API Gateway with Keycloak Integration: Utilize an API Gateway like AWS API Gateway or Azure API Management. Configure the gateway to integrate with Keycloak, validating tokens and potentially enriching requests with user information before forwarding them to your backend APIs.

Benefits of this Approach

Integrating Keycloak with your Angular application offers numerous advantages:

• Centralized User Management: Manage user identities from a single source, simplifying administration and access control.
• Improved Security: Enforce robust authentication and fine-grained authorization, protecting your application and APIs from unauthorized access.
• Simplified Development: Focus on building core application functionalities while leveraging Keycloak’s robust IAM capabilities.

Conclusion

By integrating Keycloak with your Angular application, you can achieve a secure and scalable authentication and authorization solution. With Keycloak handling user identities and access control, your Angular application remains focused on delivering a great user experience while maintaining robust security practices.

On another blog post, we will look at the nitty gritty details on how to implement such an approach ;).