Udemy for Business Learning Management System Integration: SuccessFactors

Overview

To extend the value of the Udemy for Business collection, we are partnering with the SAP SuccessFactors  Learning Management System. We offer native support to integrate with SuccessFactors to bring ease in the discoverability and tracking of Udemy for Business courses. The  learning management system (LMS) and learning experience platform (LXP) native integration for SuccessFactors enables Learners to search and discover Udemy for Business content directly from their SuccessFactors Learning Management System. The integration also enables Admins to easily view reporting data from their SuccessFactors LMS on Udemy progress and completion activity. Udemy for Business Course deep-link URLs and Single Sign-On (via SAML 2.0) provide a seamless launch of Udemy courses directly from SuccessFactors. Course progress is automatically synchronized between Udemy and the learners SuccessFactors transcript on a daily basis.

Table of Contents

Integration Benefits

  • Allow learners to search and discover Udemy for Business content directly from their SuccessFactors LMS environment.
  • Automatically synchronize learner progress and completions with their SuccessFactors transcript.
  • Enable admins to easily enable the integration between their Udemy environment and SuccessFactors LMS;
    • Catalog Synchronization
    • Learner Progress and Completions Synchronization
    • Single Sign-On via SuccessFactors embedded SSO or via dedicated Identity and Access Management System (e.g., Azure, Okta, AD FS).

Capabilities Included

Catalog Synchronization

Learner Progress & Completions

Authentication

Yes: daily, via APIs.

Yes; daily via APIs for user progress.

Yes; SAML 2.0 Single Sign-On (SSO) recommended  via Identity & Access Management System (e.g., Okta, Azure, OneLogin, AD FS, etc).

Note: When setting up SSO, you will need to map the user’s SuccessFactors BizX ID to Udemy’s lmsUserID in your SAML claim attributes

 

Integration Process

The integration between the Udemy for Business Web application and SuccessFactors environment requires both systems to be configured. For your SuccessFactors environment, you will need to enable the integration via the SuccessFactors Open Content Network (OCN). The overall process is as follows: 

  • Step 1: Configure SuccessFactors OCN for Udemy. This will include the following:
    1. Configure OCN Provider Label for Udemy
    2. Enable OCN Provider for Udemy
    3. Configure Provider Logo for Udemy
    4. Create OCN Admin Role
    5. Create OCN Admin User
    6. Create OCN OAuth Credentials
  • Step 2: Enable Udemy LMS/LXP Integration. Enable the LMS/LXP Integration for SuccessFactors from your Udemy for Business admin portal. You will need the SuccessFactors API parameters in Step 1. Udemy requires the following parameters to enable the integration.
    1. Client ID
    2. Client Secret
    3. OAuth User ID
    4. SuccessFactors Environment Base Endpoint URL 

Udemy will validate these parameters when you save.

  • Step 3: Configure SSO. 
    1. Configure your organization’s Identity Provider (IdP) for Udemy for Business
    2. Configure SSO for your organization’s SSO connection for Udemy 

SuccessFactors OCN Configuration

Provider Label

For every OCN Provider it is recommended to attach a label to the ProviderID. The ProviderID is a fixed text identifier for content providers, whereas the label is more human-readable.

Successfactors reference on creating OCN provider labels: https://help.sap.com/viewer/9d4c9e0d04304afdbe8f1b4480d71403/2005/en-US/4ae2f73d864d4282a909bdf5143e2b58.html

The “label.u.UdemyForBusiness” is created in SuccessFactors under References > Manage Labels > Labels

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Enabling OCN Provider

The ProviderID is fixed text that is set in the System Administration > Configuration > System Configuration > Open Content Network settings. The label is as follows:

providers[UDEMY].enabled=true

providers[UDEMY].name=Udemy for Business

providers[UDEMY].label=label.u.UdemyForBusiness
providers[UDEMY].syncCourses=true

providers[UDEMY].baseLaunchUrl=https://<udemy portal>.udemy.com

providers[UDEMY].pricingModel=

defaultValues.markCompleteOnLaunch[UDEMY]=false


Note 1: The “providers[UDEMY].baseLaunchUrl=https://<udemy portal>.udemy.com” should be your organization’s specific Udemy (UFB) domain. 

Note 2: Setting providers[UDEMY].enabled=true enables the provider.

Note 3: If Udemy is your first OCN integration, you will need to configure three additional parameters. To find the possible values for these parameters, follow the paths below:

  • defaultValues.itemType[default]: References > Learning > Item Types > Do a blank search > choose the necessary item type and add it to the value parameter in the OCN property file.
  • defaultValues.itemCompletionStatus[default]: References > Learning > Item Completions > Do a blank search > choose the necessary item completion and add it to the value parameter in the OCN property file.
  • defaultValues.domainID[default]: System Admin > Security > Domains > Do a blank search > choose the default domain where the item would be created and add it to the parameter in the OCN property file.

These values vary per SuccessFactors deployment. Udemy can’t provide guidance regarding which values to use. If you have questions, direct them to SAP SuccessFactors support.

Provider Logo

A thumbnail image can be applied to each course as a watermark.  This can be configured in SuccessFactors via System Administration > Configuration > System Configuration > Open Content Network > Logos.

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OCN Admin Role

This step creates a role to allow OData API calls. It can be configured in System Administration > Security > Role Management.  The required permissions (or workflows in older versions) are:

  • Add History Record (or Add Learning Events in older version)
  • If the customer opts in for OData API synchronization instead of IdP custom attribute, Udemy needs the permission to query users via Search Successfactors OData API service.

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OCN Admin User

An Admin user is required in order to make API calls; the user must be associated with the OCN Admin Role previously  created.  The user can be created in System Configuration > Security > Administrators. 

OAuth Tokens

This step creates the SuccessFactors OAuth Client ID and Client Secret. It can be issued in SuccessFactors via System Configuration > Configuration > OAuth Token Server. Note that Issuing a new secret invalidates all previous ones. If existing OCN providers are enabled, you can use the same token or re-issue a new token to all providers.

Open Content Network Synchronization

There is an automatic process (System Administration > Automatic Processes > Open Content Network Content Synchronization) in SuccessFactors that can be configured to update the OCN content.  This will sync course metadata and cleanup inactive courses.  Inactive courses can still receive completion records, as long as they remain in the OCN with the Import Status: “Imported”.

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Importing Content > Open Content Network

If all is configured correctly, you can import Udemy content (transform into Learning Items) in SuccessFactors via Learning Administration > Content > Open Content Network section.

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Enable Udemy LMS/LXP Integration

This section outlines how to enable the Udemy for Business Integration with SuccessFactors. You will first need to enable the SuccessFactors OData APIs and obtain the base URL,  API Client ID and Client Secret for your SuccessFactors environment  (i.e., Stage, Pilot and/or Production). Then, proceed to configure your Udemy for Business environment for Catalog and User Process Synchronization as outlined below.

You will need the following OCN OAuth Credentials and OCN Admin User information:

1. Client ID

2. Client Secret

3. OAuth User ID: OCNAdmin

4. SuccessFactors Environment Base Endpoint URL 

Prerequisites:

1. Enable the OData APIs in your SuccessFactors environment following the instructions in the ‘OAuth Tokens” section of this documentation above.

2. Obtain the SuccessFactors environment API parameters: (a) base URL; (b) API Client ID; and (c) Client Secret.

Enabling catalog and user progress synchronization

1. Log in as an Admin to your Udemy for Business Web App.

2. Navigate to Manage | Settings (top right menu).

3. From the Left panel, select LMS/LXP Integrations.

4. From the Start set-up button, select SuccessFactors.

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5. Enter the Base URL Endpoint, Client ID and Client Secret you retrieved from SuccessFactors.

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6. For User ID, enter OCNAdmin

7. Click Save set-up. Udemy will display a confirmation if the SuccessFactors APIs were successfully enabled.  The SuccessFactors Integration status screen will then display. The User Progress Synchronization between Udemy and SuccessFactors is now enabled! 

8. Allow 24 hours for the Udemy for Business Course Catalog list to appear in your SuccessFactors environment. 

9. Once the Udemy for Business Catalog is listed in your SuccessFactors environment, you will need to import the courses into your SuccessFactors course catalog.

Once you import the courses, your SuccessFactors designated users can search, discover the Udemy for Business catalog and launch the course experience in your dedicated Udemy environment.

Managing SuccessFactors locales

In SuccessFactors LMS, course titles and descriptions only appear in the locale to which they are populated. If your Udemy subscription includes access to multiple languages and locales, you may notice some Udemy content appears in search results without a title and description. This means the locale you are searching in doesn’t match the locale of the Udemy content. The title and description are only returned for courses for the user's designated SuccessFactors locale.

So - far example, if your SuccessFactors locale is set for English, you will be able to see course titles and descriptions for all English courses.

sf_8.pngTo request title and description locale defaults, please submit a case for SuccessFactors support team.

You will need to enable the locales in SuccessFactors, if you want to see the title and descriptions for Udemy courses offered in those languages:

  • Spanish
  • French
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Japanese

Enable Udemy Single Sign-On

This section outlines how to enable Single Sign-On for your Udemy for Business environment (the Service Provider, or SP). Udemy supports SP-initiated SAML 2.0 via your corporate Identity Provider (IdP). 

Your IdP must be configured to send the SuccessFactors unique user identifier (also known as BizX UserID) to Udemy and SuccessFactors. If user IDs aren’t the same between the two systems, learner activity tracking will not work. If you are unsure how to identify your BizX UserID, please contact your dedicated SuccessFactors Technical Consultant.

Identifying your BizX UserID

If you opt to connect your organization’s identity management solution to Udemy, you must configure it to send the SuccessFactors unique user identifier (also known as BizX ID) to Udemy so Udemy can communicate course completions back to SuccessFactors. This section describes how to identify your BizX ID.

1. In the SuccessFactors navigation menu, select Admin Center.

2. Scroll down to the tools panel and type “Employee Export” and select the top result.

3. Select Export User File.

4. Open the CSV file.

5. The “USERID” value is the user’s BizX ID for SuccessFactors.  This value must be sent to Udemy from your Identity System via SAML 2.0 SSO (mapped to Udemy as lmsUserID in the claim attributes).   It is best to share examples of this “USERID” value with your SSO administrator to ensure the correct BizX ID (i.e., lmsUserID) values are available in Udemy in order to synchronize Udemy learning data with SuccessFactors.

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Enabling Single Sign-On for your Udemy Environment

To enable Udemy SSO with your Identity Provider System (e.g., Okta, Azure, AD FS, OneLogin) [Recommended], please visit the following Udemy for Business support article and follow the steps to set up SAML 2.0 SSO.  Your SSO admin will need the Udemy for Business SSO metadata file; you can download the Udemy For Business SSO metadata from the support articles above, or from this link.

In your Identity Provider System, you must add the BizX User ID as an additional claim attribute for the SAML assertion.  In the claim attribute mapping, the BizX user id must be mapped to lmsUserID.

If your organization does not have an Identity Provider system, you can use SAP SuccessFactors SSO as the IdP.  You should only pursue this option if you don’t have an IdP system, or if recommended by Udemy Solutions Engineer. If SuccessFactors is selected as your proxy IdP for Udemy, first configure SSO from your SuccessFactors  environment using the attached Udemy metadata:

What you need before configuring Udemy SSO:

  • The SuccessFactors environment metadata file. This file contains the SSO configuration settings for your SuccessFactors system; e.g., Entity ID, SSO Endpoint and Certificate. 
  • Administrator access to your Udemy for Business Web application. Only Administrators can configure SSO in Udemy.

The general procedure for configuring SSO with an LMS (i.e., custom) can be viewed here.

Test the Integration

Once you’ve configured your Udemy and SuccessFactors  APIs and SSO you will want to test the integration between Udemy for Business and the LMS. Steps on how to do this can be viewed here. 

Questions/Support

If you encounter any issues or need help with Udemy SSO or LMS/LXP Configuration, please contact our support team by clicking here. For SuccessFactors related issues, please contact the designed SuccessFactors support team.

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