Switch account
This topic explains the authentication mechanism when the Account is switched for a user.
If you belong to more than one Harness account, you may need to switch between accounts to manage resources or configure settings in a different account. Instead of signing out and back in, you can switch between accounts directly from the Harness UI. If the target account uses a different authentication method, Harness asks you to re-authenticate to keep access secure.
What you will learn in this topic
By the end of this topic, you will know how to:
View which Harness accounts you belong to.
Switch between accounts and set a default account.
Determine whether switching requires re-authentication based on the authentication settings of each account.
Before you begin
Before you switch accounts, ensure you have the following:
You belong to at least two Harness accounts. If you only have one account, the Switch Account option does not appear.
You know how each account is set up for authentication (for example, username and password, OAuth, SAML, or LDAP). The authentication method determines whether re-authentication is required when you switch accounts.
View and switch accounts
To view and switch between accounts:
Select your User Profile icon in the bottom-left corner of the Harness UI. The page with basic information appears.
You can also go to Account Settings -> Account Details to switch between accounts.
Select Switch Account. Harness displays all the accounts you are a member of.
Select the account you want to switch to. Click Switch.
To set a specific account as your default, select Set as Default next to the account name. Click Continue.
Re-authentication use cases
When you switch accounts, Harness checks the authentication method configured on the target account. If the target account uses a different authentication method or provider than your current account, Harness prompts you to re-authenticate.
The following table summarizes the behavior for each authentication method:
Username and Password
Any other method
Yes
Username and Password
Username and Password
Yes
Username and Password + OAuth
Any method
Yes
OAuth (specific providers)
Same OAuth provider set
No
OAuth (specific providers)
Different OAuth provider set
Yes
SAML (specific SSO config)
Same SAML SSO config
No
SAML (specific SSO config)
Different SAML SSO config
Yes
LDAP (specific config)
Same LDAP config
No
LDAP (specific config)
Different LDAP config
Yes
Whitelisted domains
Whitelisted domains
No
Whitelisted domains
Any other method
Yes
2FA at Account scope + OAuth
2FA at Account scope + OAuth
No
2FA at Account scope + OAuth
Any other method
Yes
Related articles
Two-factor authentication: Add an extra layer of security to your Harness login.
Manage public keys: Add and manage GPG and SSH public keys in your Harness profile to verify commit authenticity.
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