OWIN integration

The Microsoft.AspNetCore.SystemWebAdapters.Owin library enables ASP.NET Core applications to use OWIN middleware during migration from ASP.NET Framework. This integration is valuable when migrating applications that rely on OWIN-based middleware, particularly for authentication, authorization, or custom pipeline components.

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  <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);NU1701</NoWarn>
</PropertyGroup>

Why use OWIN integration

OWIN integration provides several benefits during migration:

• Preserve existing middleware: Reuse OWIN middleware from your ASP.NET Framework application without immediate rewrites
• Gradual migration: Migrate middleware components incrementally while maintaining application functionality
• Authentication continuity: Maintain authentication state and share cookies between ASP.NET Framework and ASP.NET Core applications during migration
• Familiar patterns: Continue using OWIN APIs and patterns that your team already understands

Integration patterns

The library provides three distinct integration patterns, each suited for different migration scenarios:

1. OWIN pipeline as main pipeline middleware: Add OWIN middleware directly to the ASP.NET Core middleware pipeline
2. OWIN pipeline as authentication handler: Use OWIN middleware as an ASP.NET Core authentication handler
3. OWIN pipeline in emulated HttpApplication events: Run OWIN middleware within the emulated HttpApplication pipeline

OWIN pipeline as middleware

This pattern incorporates OWIN middleware into the ASP.NET Core middleware pipeline without using emulated HttpApplication events.

When to use this pattern

Use this approach when:

• You want standard middleware pipeline behavior
• Your application doesn't rely on HttpApplication events
• You're gradually migrating OWIN middleware to ASP.NET Core patterns

Setup

Add OWIN middleware to the main pipeline:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseOwin(owinApp =>
{
    owinApp.UseMyOwinMiddleware();
});

app.UseRouting();
app.MapControllers();

app.Run();

Access services

Access services when configuring OWIN middleware:

app.UseOwin((owinApp, services) =>
{
    var configuration = services.GetRequiredService<IConfiguration>();
    owinApp.UseMyOwinMiddleware(configuration);
});

OWIN authentication handler

This pattern uses OWIN middleware as an ASP.NET Core authentication handler, integrating with the AuthenticationBuilder API.

When to use this pattern

Use this approach when:

• Migrating authentication logic from ASP.NET Framework
• Sharing authentication cookies between ASP.NET Framework and ASP.NET Core applications
• Using OWIN authentication middleware such as cookie authentication or OAuth providers
• Working with ASP.NET Framework Identity

Setup

Register OWIN authentication as an ASP.NET Core authentication handler:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services.AddAuthentication()
    .AddOwinAuthentication((owinApp, services) =>
    {
        owinApp.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions
        {
            AuthenticationType = DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie,
            LoginPath = new PathString("/Account/Login")
        });
    });

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseAuthentication();
app.UseAuthorization();

// Additional middleware or endpoint mapping

app.Run();

Custom authentication scheme

Specify a custom authentication scheme name:

builder.Services
    .AddAuthentication()
    .AddOwinAuthentication("MyOwinScheme", (owinApp, services) =>
    {
        owinApp.UseMyOwinAuthenticationMiddleware();
    });

When no scheme name is provided, the authentication handler uses OwinAuthenticationDefaults.AuthenticationScheme as the default scheme. The authentication scheme name determines:

• Default authentication: If set as the default scheme, it automatically authenticates requests without requiring an [Authorize] attribute
• Challenge behavior: Controls which handler responds to authentication challenges (such as redirecting to a login page)
• Authentication selection: Allows you to explicitly authenticate against a specific scheme using HttpContext.AuthenticateAsync("scheme-name")

For applications with multiple authentication schemes, you can configure the default authentication and challenge schemes:

builder.Services
    .AddAuthentication(options =>
    {
        options.DefaultAuthenticateScheme = "MyOwinScheme";
        options.DefaultChallengeScheme = "MyOwinScheme";
    })
    .AddOwinAuthentication("MyOwinScheme", (owinApp, services) =>
    {
        owinApp.UseMyOwinAuthenticationMiddleware();
    });

For more information about authentication schemes and how they work in ASP.NET Core, see Overview of ASP.NET Core Authentication and Use cookie authentication without ASP.NET Core Identity.

Access OWIN authentication

Continue using the OWIN IAuthenticationManager interface:

var authManager = HttpContext.GetOwinContext().Authentication;

authManager.SignIn(identity);
authManager.SignOut();

ClaimsPrincipal.Current

If code is expecting to use ClaimsPrincipal.Current, then see Migrate from static ClaimsPrincipal access for options to enable setting that property.

Migrating ASP.NET Framework Identity

A common migration scenario involves ASP.NET Framework Identity with OWIN cookie authentication. This example shows how to maintain compatibility during migration.

Configure data protection

Configure data protection to match ASP.NET Framework settings for cookie sharing:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

var sharedApplicationName = "CommonMvcAppName";
builder.Services.AddDataProtection()
    .PersistKeysToFileSystem(new DirectoryInfo(Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "sharedkeys", sharedApplicationName)))
    .SetApplicationName(sharedApplicationName);

Configure OWIN authentication

Set up OWIN authentication with Identity services:

builder.Services
    .AddAuthentication()
    .AddOwinAuthentication("AppAuthenticationScheme", (app, services) =>
    {
        app.CreatePerOwinContext(ApplicationDbContext.Create);
        app.CreatePerOwinContext<ApplicationUserManager>(ApplicationUserManager.Create);
        app.CreatePerOwinContext<ApplicationSignInManager>(ApplicationSignInManager.Create);

        var dataProtector = services.GetDataProtector(
            "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.Cookies.CookieAuthenticationMiddleware",
            "AppAuthenticationScheme",
            "v2");

        app.UseCookieAuthentication(new CookieAuthenticationOptions
        {
            AuthenticationType = DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie,
            LoginPath = new PathString("/Account/Login"),
            Provider = new CookieAuthenticationProvider
            {
                OnValidateIdentity = SecurityStampValidator.OnValidateIdentity<ApplicationUserManager, ApplicationUser>(
                    validateInterval: TimeSpan.FromMinutes(30),
                    regenerateIdentity: (manager, user) => user.GenerateUserIdentityAsync(manager))
            },
            CookieName = ".AspNet.ApplicationCookie",
            TicketDataFormat = new AspNetTicketDataFormat(new DataProtectorShim(dataProtector))
        });
    });

Use in controllers

Access OWIN-registered services in controllers:

using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.Owin;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.SystemWebAdapters;
using Microsoft.Owin.Security;

[Authorize]
public class AccountController : Controller
{
    public ApplicationSignInManager SignInManager =>
        HttpContext.GetOwinContext().Get<ApplicationSignInManager>();

    public ApplicationUserManager UserManager =>
        HttpContext.GetOwinContext().GetUserManager<ApplicationUserManager>();

    private IAuthenticationManager AuthenticationManager =>
        HttpContext.GetOwinContext().Authentication;

    [HttpPost]
    [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
    public async Task<IActionResult> Login(LoginViewModel model)
    {
        var result = await SignInManager.PasswordSignInAsync(
            model.Email, 
            model.Password, 
            model.RememberMe, 
            shouldLockout: false);

        if (result == SignInStatus.Success)
        {
            return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
        }

        ModelState.AddModelError("", "Invalid login attempt.");
        return View(model);
    }

    [HttpPost]
    [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
    public IActionResult Logout()
    {
        AuthenticationManager.SignOut(DefaultAuthenticationTypes.ApplicationCookie);
        return RedirectToAction("Index", "Home");
    }
}

Key configuration points

When migrating ASP.NET Framework Identity:

• Data protection: Configure the same ApplicationName and key storage location in both ASP.NET Framework and ASP.NET Core
• Per-request services: Use app.CreatePerOwinContext<T>() to register services created once per request
• Data protection bridge: Use AspNetTicketDataFormat with DataProtectorShim to bridge ASP.NET Core's IDataProtector to OWIN
• Service access: Access OWIN-registered services through HttpContext.GetOwinContext()
• Cookie names: Ensure the CookieName matches between applications when sharing authentication state

OWIN pipeline in HttpApplication events

This pattern runs OWIN middleware within the emulated HttpApplication event pipeline, similar to how OWIN works in ASP.NET Framework's integrated pipeline mode.

When to use this pattern

Use this approach when:

• Your application relies on the ASP.NET Framework integrated pipeline
• OWIN middleware needs to execute at specific HttpApplication event stages
• You're migrating applications that use both HttpApplication events and OWIN together

Setup

Configure the OWIN pipeline to run within HttpApplication events:

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services
    .AddSystemWebAdapters()
    .AddOwinApp(app =>
    {
        app.UseMyOwinMiddleware();
        app.UseStageMarker(PipelineStage.Authenticate);
    });

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseSystemWebAdapters();
app.Run();

Access services

Access the IServiceProvider when configuring the OWIN pipeline:

builder.Services
    .AddSystemWebAdapters()
    .AddOwinApp((app, services) =>
    {
        var configuration = services.GetRequiredService<IConfiguration>();
        app.UseMyOwinMiddleware(configuration);
        app.UseStageMarker(PipelineStage.Authenticate);
    });

HttpApplication event mapping

The OWIN pipeline integrates with these HttpApplication events:

• AuthenticateRequest / PostAuthenticateRequest
• AuthorizeRequest / PostAuthorizeRequest
• ResolveRequestCache / PostResolveRequestCache
• MapRequestHandler / PostMapRequestHandler
• AcquireRequestState / PostAcquireRequestState
• PreRequestHandlerExecute

Use .UseStageMarker(PipelineStage) to control when OWIN middleware executes relative to these events.

Migration strategy

When incorporating OWIN middleware into your ASP.NET Core application:

1. Identify OWIN dependencies: Determine which OWIN middleware your application uses
2. Choose integration pattern: Select the appropriate pattern based on your application's needs
3. Configure data protection: Set up shared data protection for authentication cookie sharing
4. Test authentication flow: Verify authentication works correctly in the ASP.NET Core application
5. Gradual conversion: Plan to migrate OWIN middleware to native ASP.NET Core middleware over time
6. Monitor compatibility: Ensure OWIN middleware behavior matches expectations during migration

Additional resources

• ASP.NET Framework to Core Authentication Migration
• ASP.NET Core Middleware
• Overview of ASP.NET Core Authentication