A User must have a valid InfraLink account and must authenticate with the system to access InfraLink functionality and the data maintained in the system. Depending on the operational requirements and security policy for the particular Instance, one or multiple authentication modes may be available to Users. InfraLink supports multiple methods for authenticating its Users:

• Username and password 
• Username and password with enterprise integration
• OpenID Connect
• PKI certificate-based

Based on the security policy established by the Instance owner, the administrator configures one or multiple authentication providers/domains. Each authentication provider/domain definition contains a descriptive user-friendly name, a specific supported authentication mode, and additional mode-specific parameters. By selecting the authentication provider/domain when requesting a new account or attempting to access the application you will be selecting the authentication mode defined for that provider. For instance, if you select an authentication provider configured for username/password authentication against the enterprise Active Directory / LDAP, InfraLink will require you to use the corresponding Active Directory credentials and will validate them against the enterprise directory. 

This article will cover the following topics and features related to accessing InfraLink.

Requesting a User Account

To access an InfraLink Instance, you must have a User Account specific to that instance. If you do not have a User Account, you can request one from the Instance Sign In page.

1. From any web browser, enter and go to the URL associated with the desired Instance. Note: If you are unsure of the Instance URL, speak to your supervisor, Project/Program Manager or Instance Administrator.
2. Click the Request Account link in bottom left corner of the sign-in window.
3. You will be presented with the New User Account Request form. You must complete all required fields, which are marked with an asterisk ( * ). 
   1. Authentication Provider/Domain: Select the correct Authentication Provider/Domain for your User Account. Your Instance Administrator will configure the Authentication Provider/Domain options to be intuitive. Please select the one appropriate for your account. If uncertain, contact your Instance Administrator for assistance. 
      1. A given InfraLink instance may support multiple categories of Users, and the Users may rely on different Authentication Providers/Domains to authenticate with the system. For example, some Users may use their corporate Active Directory/Domain accounts, while the other group of Users may rely on usernames/passwords managed directly in InfraLink. Similarly, an InfraLink Instance may be configured to authenticate Users via PKI certificates, such as DOD Common Access Cards (CAC). 
      2. Your InfraLink Instance may be configured to use PKI certificates for secure access. In such case, you may be prompted to supply your certificate by inserting the smart card (e.g., DOD CAC). Follow the instructions as they are presented.
   2. Enter a Login Name for your account.
   3. If prompted, enter a Password for your User Account. Note: Password requirements may vary based on the Authentication Provider/Domain selected.
   4. Notes: Enter a brief description of your project(s) role and responsibilities. This information informs account configuration.
   5. Email: Enter your company email address.
   6. First Name: Enter your first name.
   7. Last Name: Enter your last name.
4. Once all required fields are populated, click the Request button at the bottom right corner of the form.  
5. If all required information was provided, you will receive a request confirmation message.

User Account Approval and Activation

All New User Account Requests must be reviewed by an Instance Administrator. Upon the approval of your New User Account Request, you will receive an email notification. This notice will be sent to the email address specified on the New User Account Request form.

Logging In With an Existing User Account

If you already have an existing User Account, access InfraLink from the Sign In page for the Instance.

The Sign In page consists of the following controls:

• Authentication Provider / Domain: A given InfraLink instance may support multiple categories of Users, and the Users may rely on different means to authenticate with the system. For example, some Users may use their corporate Active Directory/Domain accounts, while the other group of Users may rely on usernames/passwords managed directly in InfraLink. Similarly, an InfraLink Instance may be configured to authenticate Users via PKI certificates, such as DOD Common Access Cards (CAC).
  Your InfraLink Instance Administrator will configure the Authentication Provider/Domain options to be intuitive. Please select the one, which matches the way your User Account is configured. If uncertain, you can try different options or contact your Instance Administrator for assistance.
  
• Login Name and Password: Use these fields to enter the login name and password created when registering your InfraLink account. Please note:
  • If you are using a PKI certificate (e.g., CAC) to authenticate, you will not need to enter the login name and password. The fields will be disabled when you select the Authentication Provider/Domain corresponding to your access method;
  • If you are using a domain (Active Directory) account, you will need to enter the login name and password maintained in Active Directory.

Note: When using an Active Directory account for authentication, you must access the Active Directory to change your password, not InfraLink.

Functionality Available Within InfraLink and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

The functionality available within InfraLink to an authenticated User depends on the permissions granted to the User by the Instance Administrator via the Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). Based on the nature of the projects supported by the Instance and the associated security policies, the User Permissions may be granted globally at the Contract level:

• Global permissions apply across all Contracts configured on the Instance. 
• Contract-level permissions give the User access to certain data and/or actions only within the scope of the specific Contracts. 

Based on the permissions granted by the Instance Administrator, some of the functionality and/or data may not be available to you within the InfraLink User Interface. If you believe the permissions granted to you are insufficient, please contact your Instance Administrator to adjust the access level.   

Logging Out, Ending and Extending Your InfraLink Session

To prevent unauthorized access and / or changes to the information maintained in InfraLink, it is recommended that you use the Logout function, available via the User Menu, to terminate your session.

If you do not use the logout function, InfraLink will terminate your session automatically after a certain period of inactivity. The automatic logout period is configured by your Instance Administrator and may be different from one Instance to another. Typically, it is set to 15-20 minutes. One minute before the session termination a banner that shows remaining time will appear on your screen, notifying you that session termination is approaching. At this point you may let the session expire, or use the Continue button to extend it.