We're happy to announce the release of version 24.1! This version contains improvements relating to login and authentication, including the addition of a new authentication mechanisms for users which was implemented following feedback from a customer which indicated that this would be a helpful addition. This new option increases the range of authentication mechanisms available for MindLink and gives more flexiblity for administrators when configuring the service. We have also refreshed the user interface with an updated colour scheme which is aligned with our company branding in both light and dark modes. To support users in efficiently finding relevant information in the groups they are joined to, we have made a number of improvements to the search tool that should result in more results being delivered faster, and allow users to page through results to find the data they need.
New Features in 24.1
Certificate Authentication (CBAC)
Broadening the range of authentication methods available for MindLink, we have now added certificate authentication to the options available for configuration. this offers greater flexibility in terms of deployment scenarios and an alternative to using password or Open ID methods. Our CBAC implementation uses the client certificate’s subject as the claim for validating against an Active Directory object (via LDAP).
More details, including configuration, can be found in the Certificate authentication documentation page.
Open ID Authentication - Configurable iFrame or popup identity selection
Following the addition of Open ID authentication in 23.7, we have now added in 24.1 the option for administrators to configure whether identity selection at login is done via a popup or a redirect as a preferred method, which recognises that many environments have popup blockers in place and may not be able to use this method.
If popup is selected in an environment where popups are blocked in the browser, the method will automatically fall back to redirect.
New MLA Colour Themes
In 24.1 we have refreshed the MindLink interface with an updated colour palette which is more aligned with our website branding. Dark and light themes are available and can be selected in the user settings menu accessed from the top right of the user interface. With these updated themes we have paid attention to accessibility guidelines, retaining contrast arrangements as they were applied in the previous colour themes.
Search All Joined Groups - Result Paging and Search Efficiency
We have spent some time investigating the performance of the search tool where you can opt to search the message history across all your joined groups (with the exception of encrypted groups). We had identified that performance was slow, and that particularly in deployments with a large number of busy groups the search experience could be frustating with a limit on the number of results returned with one search. We have made several improvements, including the ability to page through results where there are a large number of matching messages, allowing users to be able to access results beyond the initial set returned. This is accompanied by an improvement in the overall search mechanism to ensure that more results can be returned in a shorter time so that users can find what they need more quickly.
For the full release notes please see our documentation pages.