Setting up SAML for Elastic Enterprise Search: Okta edition

Elastic Enterprise Search can be secured using Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) for single sign-on authentication, demonstrated using Okta as the identity provider. The process involves setting up an application in Okta and configuring SAML settings such as Single Sign-On URL and Audience URI, followed by adjustments in the Elasticsearch.yml configuration file within the Elastic Cloud console. Specific parameters from Okta, including metadata path and entity ID, need to be integrated into the configuration, along with ensuring separate SAML realms if using Kibana. Finally, the setup involves enabling SAML in Enterprise Search through the Elastic Cloud deployment configuration, specifying the auth source and configuration namespace, and restarting the cluster. The guide notes that the SAML configuration detailed is outdated, urging users to refer to the latest documentation, and offers a free 14-day trial for those new to Elastic Cloud.