What are the components of SAML?
SAML is defined in terms of assertions, protocols, bindings, and profiles. An assertion is a package of information that supplies one or more statements made by a SAML authority. SAML defines three different kinds of assertion statement that can be created by a SAML authority: authentication, attribute, and authorization decision. SAML defines a number of request/response protocols that allow service providers to, for example, request or query for an assertion; ask for a subject to be authenticated, create and manage name identifier mappings (for federating identities through account linking); and request a near-simultaneous logout of a collection of related sessions (“single logout”). Mappings from SAML request-response message exchanges into standard messaging or communication protocols are called SAML protocol bindings. For instance, the SAML SOAP Binding defines how SAML protocol messages can be communicated within SOAP messages, whilst the HTTP Redirect binding defines how to pass
