Building a single login page for multi-region architecture

Mrinali Rao
3 min readbeginner
--
View Original

Overview

The article discusses the development of a centralized login page for SafetyCulture's iAuditor application, allowing users to access their data regardless of the hosting region. It outlines the technical design considerations and the process of redirecting users to the appropriate regional login based on their email domain.

What You'll Learn

1

How to create a centralized login experience for multi-region applications

2

Why email domain detection is crucial for user authentication in multi-region systems

3

When to implement a two-step login process for improved user experience

Key Questions Answered

How does the centralized login page work for users in different regions?
The centralized login page allows users to log in from a single URL, which detects their hosting region based on their email domain. Users are then redirected to the appropriate regional login page, ensuring a seamless experience regardless of where their data is hosted.
What technical considerations were made in designing the login experience?
Key technical considerations included supporting both basic authentication and SAML, changing the login process from a single form submission to a two-step process, and detecting the user's hosting region through email domain detection.
What happens if a user's email is not found in the region mapping table?
If a user's email is not found in the mapping table, they are redirected to the default region, which is the US. This ensures that users can still access the application even if their specific region is not recognized.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Implement a centralized login page to streamline user access across multiple regions.
This approach simplifies the user experience, as they no longer need to remember which region their data is hosted in, thus reducing confusion and support requests.
2
Utilize email domain detection for efficient user authentication.
By detecting the user's hosting region through their email domain, you can automatically direct them to the correct login page, enhancing user satisfaction and reducing login errors.
3
Consider a two-step login process to improve security and user experience.
This method allows for a more tailored login experience based on the user's authentication method, whether they are using basic authentication or SAML.

Common Pitfalls

1
Assuming users know which region their data is hosted in can lead to confusion.
This can be avoided by implementing a centralized login page that automatically redirects users based on their email domain, ensuring they always access the correct regional login.