Keycloak is an open-source identity and access management solution. It handles authentication, authorization, and user federation. You can run it on-premises or in the cloud, and it supports standards like OpenID Connect and SAML. For Small Language Models, tight control over API endpoints and user roles is essential. Language models process private data, and every token generated could be sensitive.
Integrating a Small Language Model with Keycloak starts with defining realms for separation of environments. Each realm hosts its own users, roles, and clients. Use clients to represent your model endpoints. Secure them with client credentials or JWT-based tokens. Map roles to access scopes that fit the model’s capabilities—read, write, fine-tune. This prevents accidental or malicious overreach.
Keycloak’s support for user federations lets you sync with external identity providers, like LDAP or Active Directory, to streamline access. For service-to-service authentication, enable direct token issuing without requiring interactive logins. This keeps automated requests fast while retaining full traceability.