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Login workflow

To use a service connected to the Helmholtz AAI, you simply choose one of the offered Helmholtz Cloud Services. You may also refer to the list of technically connected services and further documentation.

When logging in to a service, just search for “Helmholtz ID” or “Helmholtz AAI” and use your home institute’s credentials.

Please refer to our pictured tutorial on how to access Cloud Services via Helmholtz ID for more details.

VO membership needed for some services

Some services will require you to be member of a Virtual Organisation (VO). To become a member, you need to be invited/added by the PI (=Administrator) of the VO. These VOs are currently supported.

If your Home-IdP is from a Helmholtz centre and connected to Helmholtz ID, you are automatically member of the VO representing your organisation. If you have also a working contract with this Helmholtz centre, you are part of the Helmholtz-member VO. This allows you to automatically gain access to certain services that allow all users from your home organisation or employees of any Helmholtz centre.

Policies

As a user, you must only accept and abide by the Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) presented to you, either:

  • VO AUP: when joining a VO, or
  • SAUP: when using a service for the first time.

In addition, each VO you join and each service you use that processes your personal data is required to provide a Privacy Policy (PP) and make it available to you.

You can find more information about the policies in use in the Helmholtz AAI here.

Technical

How to log in with Helmholtz ID

When you click your service, you will be redirected to the Helmholtz ID, powered by Unity. For using Helmholtz ID you have to choose your home Identity Provider (see below) at which you log in.

First time login

On the first use you may need to register at Helmholtz ID, which creates the account. If your home organisation is not located in Germany or you are using an social IdP, you must verify your email address to complete the registration. After the registration you need to restart the login at the service. Just follow the procedures, it will work. Note that you need to click on “remember choice” at several places to make login work smoother in subsequent attempts.

During the registration the first part of your email address is stored as preferred username. You can update it in the home interface.

Identity Providers

Helmholtz ID does not manage identities by itself. For identities it trusts so called Identity Providers (IdPs). As a user you must have an account with one of the supported Identity Providers. Different classes of Identity Providers exist, with pros and cons:

  • “Home”-IdP: this is typically provided by your research centre or university. This is the place to which you get redirected in order to log in to a service.

  • Social IdP: “social” networks like Google or GitHub also provide identities. However, these do not verify user-passports and do not have a work contract with their users. The services accessible with such identities may be limited.

Need help?

Contact us if you need help.