Approving a session request
Depending on how the Security Policy Administrator configured the policy, a sessions request will either require approval by one or more Safeguard for Privileged Passwords users, or be auto-approved.
You can configure Safeguard for Privileged Passwords to notify you of an access request that requires your approval. For more information, see Configuring alerts.
(web client) To approve or deny a session request
Click 
Approvals on the left of the page to manage approvals. On the Approvals page, you can:
- View details by selecting a request then looking at the details display on the right of the page.
- Approve one or more request: Select the requests. Then, click
Approve all selected requests to approve all the requests you selected. Optionally, enter a comment.
- Deny one or more request: Select the requests. Then, click
Deny all selected requests to deny all the requests you selected. Optionally, enter a comment.
- Change the columns that display: Click
and select the columns you want to see. You can select columns including:
- Action: Displays Approve only this request and Deny only this request.
- Requester / Status: Displays the user name and the status of the approval (for example, Pending 1 approval).
- Asset / Access Type: Displays the name of the asset and the type of access (for example, Password, SSH Key, RDP, SSH, or Telnet).
- Account: Displays the managed account name.
- Ticket Number: Displays the ticket number, if required.
- Request For: Displays the date and time as well as the window of availability (for example, March 20, 2021 9:56 AM 2 hours).
- Search: For more information, see Search box.
(desktop client) To approve or deny a sessions request
- From your
Home page, the Approvals widget has these controls:
- Select
(expand down) to open the list of approvals.
- Select
Popout to float the Approvals pane.
You can then select and drag the pane to any location on the console and re-size the window.
- Open the list of approvals and select one of these view filters:
| All |
Requests in all states |
| Pending |
Requests that are waiting for approval |
| Approved |
Requests that have been approved, but not yet available to the requester |
Note: The number indicates how many requests are in that state.
- Once you open the list, select the requester's name to see the details of the sessions request.
-
Take the following actions on sessions requests:
| Pending |
Select  to Approve or Deny a sessions request.
Optionally, enter a comment of up to 255 characters. |
| Pending Additional Approvers |
Select to Deny a sessions request.
Optionally, enter a comment of up to 255 characters. |
| Approved |
Select to Deny or Revoke an approved request.
You can revoke a request between the time the requester views it and checks it in.
Any eligible approver can deny an access request after it has already been approved or auto-approved. Once disallowed, the requester will no longer be able to access the requested session, but they are given another opportunity to request that session again. The requester receives an email notifying them that the request was denied. For more information, see Configuring alerts. |
Launching the SSH client
Once an SSH session request becomes available, the requester can launch the SSH client to start the session. This is applicable for both the web client and desktop client user interfaces.
To launch the SSH client to begin your session then close your session
- If the User Supplied option is selected in the policy, you will be prompted to enter your user credentials. After entering the requested credentials, click Apply. This will retrieve the information (for example, Hostname Connection String) required to launch the SSH client.
- Click the
Launch button to the right of the asset name.
- In the web client, a session will launch if you have an application registered (ssh:// for SSH protocol).
- In the desktop client, clicking Launch displays the PuTTY Configuration dialog. The required information is populated, click Open to launch the SSH client. If the required information is not populated in the PuTTY Configuration dialog, use the following buttons to copy and paste the information into the dialog:
- Use the buttons to the right of the Hostname Connection String to perform the following tasks:
View: To view the hostname connection string
Copy: To copy the value to your copy buffer, which can then be pasted into the Hostname field of the PuTTY Configuration dialog
Help: To copy the value into the Hostname field of the PuTTY Configuration dialog
- Use the buttons to the right of the Password or SSH Key to perform the following tasks.
-
In the SSH client, run the commands or programs on the target host.
If there is no activity in an open session for about 10 minutes, the session will be terminated. However, as long as the request is in an Available state, you can launch the session again to resume your tasks.
-
Once you are completed, log out of the target host and select 
Check in to complete the session request process.
This makes the session request available to reviewers. If the Record Sessions option is enabled in the policy, the reviewer can play back the recording as part of the review process. In addition, if the Enable Command Detection option is selected in the policy, the reviewer can view a list of the commands and programs run during the session.
Launching an RDP session
Once an RDP session request becomes available, the requester can launch the remote desktop connection to start the session. This is applicable for both the web client and desktop client user interfaces.
To launch a remote desktop connection
- If the User Supplied option is selected in the policy, you will be prompted to enter your user credentials. After entering the requested credentials, click Apply. This will retrieve the information (for example, Username Connection String) required to launch the remote desktop session.
-
Depending on your interface:
- (desktop client) Click the Launch button to the right of the asset name. Clicking this button displays the Remote Desktop Connection dialog. Click Connect to launch the remote desktop session.
- (web client) In the web client:
- If you have an application registered (rdp:// for RDP sessions), you can click the Launch button to the right of the asset name then click Connect . See KB 313918 for details on application registration. A password must be entered and we recommend sg. A blank password will cause the session to fail.
- If you do not have an application registered, download the RDP launch file instead of using the Launch button. A password must be entered and we recommend sg. A blank password will cause the session to fail.
NOTE: If the required information is not populated in the Remote Desktop Connection dialog, use the following buttons to copy and paste the information into the dialog:
-
Use the buttons to the right of the Username Connection String to perform the following tasks:
- View: To view the username connection string.
- Copy: To copy the value to your copy buffer, which can then be pasted into the Username field of the Remote Desktop Connection dialog.
- Help: To copy the value into the Username field of the Remote Desktop Connection dialog.
-
Use the buttons to the right of the Password or SSH Key to perform the following tasks:
NOTE: The Password or SSH Key field only appears if the Include password or SSH key release with session requests option (Access Config tab) is selected in the entitlement's access request policy. For more information, see Access Config tab.
Begin your RDP session and close the session
-
In the remote desktop session, run the commands or programs on the target host.
If there is no activity in an open session for about 10 minutes, the session will be terminated. However, as long as the request is in an Available state, you can launch the session again to resume your tasks.
-
Once you are completed, log out of the target host and select Check in to complete the session request process.
This makes the session request available to reviewers. If the Record Sessions option is enabled in the policy, the reviewer can play back the recording as part of the review process. In addition, if the Enable Window Title Detection option is selected in the policy, the reviewer can view a list of the windows opened on the desktop during the session.
Reviewing a session request
The Security Policy Administrator can configure an access request policy to require a review of completed session requests for assets or accounts in the scope of the policy.
Desktop Player User Guide
To download the player user guide, go to One Identity Safeguard for Privileged Sessions - Technical Documentation. Scroll to User Guide and click One Identity Safeguard for Privileged Sessions [version] Safeguard Desktop Player User Guide.
(web client) To review a completed sessions request
Select 
Reviews on the left of the page to manage reviews. On the Reviews page, you can:
- View details by selecting a request then looking at the details display on the right of the page, including the workflow.
- Mark one or more request as reviewed: Select the requests. Do the following:
- If no comment is needed, click Mark all the selected requests as reviewed.
- If a comment is needed, this icon will display as One or more of the selected requests requires review comments. Add the comment. Then, click Mark as Reviewed.
- Change the columns that display: Click Select columns to display then select the columns you want to see.
- Action: Displays
This request requires review comments or Mark only this request as reviewed.
- Requester: Displays the user name of the requester.
- Access Type: Displays the type of access (for example, Password, SSH Key, RDP, SSH, or Telnet).
- Account: Displays the managed account name.
- Ticket Number: Displays the ticket number, if required.
- Request For/Duration: Displays the date and time as well as the window of availability (for example, March 20, 2021 9:56 AM 2 hours).
- Search: For more information, see Search box.
(desktop client) To review a completed sessions request
- From your Home page, the Reviews widget has these controls:
- Click (expand down) to open the list of pending reviews.
- Click Popout to float the Reviews pane.
You can then select and drag the pane to any location on the console and re-size the window.
- Open the list of pending reviews and select an account name to see the details of the sessions request.
-
Take the following action on sessions requests:
-
Select 
Workflow to review the transactions that took place in the selected request.
-
If Record Sessions is enabled in the policy, click Play on the Initialize Session event to play back the session.
A 
(green dot) indicates the session is live. A user with Security Policy Administrator permissions can click this icon to follow an active session.
If the session recording has been archived from the local Safeguard file system or was recorded prior to joining a Sessions Appliance, you will see a 
Download button instead of a Play button. Click Download to download the recording and then click Play.
|
|
CAUTION: If you receive a message like: No Desktop Player. The Safeguard Desktop Player is not installed. Would you like to install it now?, click Yes. See Installing the desktop client, Installing the Desktop Player, step 2. |
-
If Enable Command Detection is enabled in the policy, expand to show the details and click the events link on the Initialize Session event to view a list of the commands and programs run during the session.
For an RDP session, the setting is Enable Windows Title Detection. When enabled, you can view a list of windows that were opened during the privileged session.
- Select
Review to complete the review process.
Optionally, enter a comment of up to 255 characters.
Once the review is complete, it no longer appears on the Reviews pane.
Settings (desktop client) menu.