See below for a collection of topics providing technical information for InCommon participants.
Metadata
InCommon metadata is collected, vetted, and distributed to Federation participants on an ongoing basis. Once your software is configured to utilize InCommon metadata, consumption of updated metadata should become a regular, automated process.
Discovery Services
The InCommon Discovery Service is one of numerous discovery options available to Federation participants. Deployers are encouraged to browse our technical pages on discovery to better understand the various approaches to identity provider discovery.
In general, it is advisable that an SP implement its own discovery interface, so that discovery is more effectively integrated into the look and feel of the application. Groups of affiliated or associated SPs may also be able to share a single discovery service to optimize user experience.
Another approach that works for some applications that host "customized" versions of themselves tailored to particular contracting IdPs (often the case with third-party "software as a service" applications) is to tie each instance of an application to a specific IdP. This is easiest for users since it avoids the discovery problem altogether, but this approach does not allow for truly federated use of a single application by users from different organizations.
Position Papers
As the InCommon Technical Advisory Committee produces useful commentary and material on technical topics, we'll post them here.