Important SAML Certificate Update

Important App Platform Update

As part of the SAML authentication workflow used by Schoology for both Standard and Resource apps we make use of an SSL certificate. This SSL certificate will expire on Sun Apr 24 2022 05:30 UTC. In order to prevent a possible disruption in the use of your app you must update the certificate before this time. Schoology has published a new version of our PHP SDK, which includes the new certificate. You can find the SDK here and the certificate here.

What do I need to do?

If you use our PHP SDK, you simply need to update to the newest SDK found here. However, if you do not use our PHP SDK you must update the certificate your app uses to validate SAML from Schoology. For reference, here is the old soon to be expired certificate to help you find references in your code. You must replace all usage of this certificate with the new certificate.

When do I need to do this by?

Our current certificate will expire on Sun Apr 24 2022 05:30 UTC. To prevent a possible interruption in the use of your app, please update the certificate before that time.

What will happen if I do not make the change?

The impact may vary depending on how you validate certificates in your app and what programming language you use. If your app rejects the certificate as expired, users will be unable to use your app since it will be unable to retrieve the SAML Response from Schoology containing the user's ID. It is strongly recommended that you update the certificate used by your app as soon as possible.

Will I ever need to do this again?

Yes. Our certificates are set to expire every 10 years. The new certificate will expire in 2032 on Fri Feb 27 2032 21:36 UTC. We will publish a new certificate in advance of that expiration to ensure you have time to update.

Does this change impact LTI apps?

No. LTI makes use of an OAuth flow whereas Standard and Resource apps use SAML. Since the certificate is only used for our SAML workflow the issue should only impact Standard and Resource apps.

If I have a Schoology Test Environment, can I test changes beforehand?

Yes. The Schoology Test Environment has been updated with the new certificate as well as production. You can begin your testing at any time.