Change SSH Key settings
Safeguard for Privileged Passwords requests and rotates SSH keys based on the access request policy (SSH key or SSH session requests) as well as via A2A configurations set up to request and retrieve SSH keys. Rotation is profile-based. Each managed account can have a single managed SSH key.
SSH key change can be toggled on or off. For more information, see Global Services.
Navigate to Asset Management > Profiles > View SSH Key Profiles > Change SSH Key.
Table 169: Change SSH Key properties
|
Name |
The name of the SSH key |
|
Partition |
The partition where the SSH key is managed |
|
Description |
Information about the SSH key |
|
Schedule |
Designates when the SSH key is changed |
Use the following toolbar buttons to manage changing the SSH key.
Adding SSH key change settings
It is the responsibility of the Asset Administrator or the partition's delegated administrator to configure the rules Safeguard for Privileged Passwords uses to reset SSH key passphrases.
IMPORTANT: Passphrases for accounts associated with an SSH key sync group are managed based on the profile change schedule and processed via the SSH key sync group. If synchronization fails for an individual account in the sync group, the account is retried multiple times and, if failing after that, the sync task halts and is rescheduled. The administrator must correct the cause of the failure for the sync task to continue. For more information, see SSH Key Sync Groups settings..
To add an SSH key reset schedule
- Navigate to Asset Management > Profiles > View SSH Key Profile Components > Change SSH Key.
- Click
Add to open the Change SSH Key Settings dialog.
- Enter a Name of up to 50 characters for the rule.
- Enter a Description of up to 255 characters for the rule.
- Browse to select a partition.
- Enter a Comment.
- Select a Key Length such as 1024, 2048, 4096, or 8192 characters. Larger key sizes take longer to generate. In particular, a key size of 8192-bits may take several minutes.
-
(Optional) Select Change SSH Keys Manually.
For more information, see How do I manage accounts on unsupported platforms..
- (Optional) Suspend account when checked in: Select this option to automatically suspend managed accounts that are not in use. That is, the account on a managed asset is suspended until a request is made for it through Safeguard for Privileged Passwords, at which time Safeguard for Privileged Passwords restores the account. Once the request is checked in or closed, the account is again suspended.
- (Optional) Reschedule for unscheduled SSH key change: Select this option to reset the change SSH key schedule when it has been manually changed. For example: an SSH key change is scheduled to occur every 10 days, but on day 8 the SSH key is manually changed. Due to this manual reset, the schedule will restart so that the next SSH key change will occur in 10 days rather than keeping the original scheduled change (which would have been in 2 days).
- To change the Change SSH Key schedule, open Schedule tab. The default is Never.
-
(Only Linux, Unix, and Windows SSH platforms) (Optional) On the Dependent Systems tab, click 
Edit to configure a custom dependency that will run a command on the dependent asset before changing the SSH key. The following configuration options are available:
IMPORTANT: When configuring custom dependency commands, the following information should be kept in mind:
-
Any command on the asset that is accessible to the service account can be configured to run as a dependency. NO VALIDATION will be performed by Safeguard on the command.
-
Only applies to local accounts. SSH key changes are not available for AD accounts.
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Run custom command before SSH Key change: Select this option to configure a custom dependency that is run before an SSH key change occurs on a dependent account.
-
Command: This is the command that will be run. It is a free format string that should identify the fully qualified path of the command to be run. It can contain tokens that will be resolved using the account details when the operation runs.
You can use the 
Insert Command Token drop-down to add commands to the field. For example, selecting AssetName will add %{AssetName}% to the Command field.
-
Command Line Arguments: These are the arguments that will be passed on the command line. It can contain tokens that will be resolved using the account details when the operation runs. The command line arguments should be quoted appropriately (for example, an argument that contains a space must be quoted).
You can use the Insert Command Line Argument Token drop-down to add commands to the field. For example, selecting UserKey will add %{UserKey}% to the Command Line Arguments field.
-
Stdin Arguments: The is an ordered list of arguments that will be written to stdin when the command is run. Each string in the list will be written as a separate line and can contain tokens.
You can use the Insert Stdin Argument button to open a dialog that allows you to enter a string value. You can also use the Insert Stdin Argument Token drop-down to select from a list of tokens that be included. For example, selecting DelegationPassword will add %{DelegationPassword}% as a string in the Stdin Arguments section.
-
Stop On Fail: When selected, the SSH key change will not be run if the custom dependency command fails.
-
Log Command: When selected, the command to be run will be logged.
-
Log Command Arguments: When selected, the command line arguments will be logged.
-
Log Stdin Arguments: When selected, the arguments written to stdin will be logged.
-
Log Stdout: When selected, the output generated by the command will be logged.
-
Run custom command after successful SSH Key change: Select this option to configure a custom dependency that is run after a successful SSH key change on a dependent account.
-
Command: This is the command that will be run. It is a free format string that should identify the fully qualified path of the command to be run. It can contain tokens that will be resolved using the account details when the operation runs.
You can use the Insert Command Token drop-down to add commands to the field. For example, selecting AssetName will add %{AssetName}% to the Command field.
-
Command Line Arguments: These are the arguments that will be passed on the command line. It can contain tokens that will be resolved using the account details when the operation runs. The command line arguments should be quoted appropriately (for example, an argument that contains a space must be quoted).
You can use the Insert Command Line Argument Token drop-down to add commands to the field. For example, selecting UserKey will add %{UserKey}% to the Command Line Arguments field.
-
Stdin Arguments: The is an ordered list of arguments that will be written to stdin when the command is run. Each string in the list will be written as a separate line and can contain tokens.
You can use the Insert Stdin Argument button to open a dialog that allows you to enter a string value. You can also use the Insert Stdin Argument Token drop-down to select from a list of tokens that be included. For example, selecting DelegationPassword will add %{DelegationPassword}% as a string in the Stdin Arguments section.
-
Log Command: When selected, the command to be run will be logged.
-
Log Command Arguments: When selected, the command line arguments will be logged.
-
Log Stdin Arguments: When selected, the arguments written to stdin will be logged.
-
Log Stdout: When selected, the output generated by the command will be logged.
-
Run custom command after failed SSH Key change: Select this option to configure a custom dependency that is run after an SSH key change fails for a dependent account.
-
Command: This is the command that will be run. It is a free format string that should identify the fully qualified path of the command to be run. It can contain tokens that will be resolved using the account details when the operation runs.
You can use the Insert Command Token drop-down to add commands to the field. For example, selecting AssetName will add %{AssetName}% to the Command field.
-
Command Line Arguments: These are the arguments that will be passed on the command line. It can contain tokens that will be resolved using the account details when the operation runs. The command line arguments should be quoted appropriately (for example, an argument that contains a space must be quoted).
You can use the Insert Command Line Argument Token drop-down to add commands to the field. For example, selecting UserKey will add %{UserKey}% to the Command Line Arguments field.
-
Stdin Arguments: The is an ordered list of arguments that will be written to stdin when the command is run. Each string in the list will be written as a separate line and can contain tokens.
You can use the Insert Stdin Argument button to open a dialog that allows you to enter a string value. You can also use the Insert Stdin Argument Token drop-down to select from a list of tokens that be included. For example, selecting DelegationPassword will add %{DelegationPassword}% as a string in the Stdin Arguments section.
-
Report of Exit Status: When selected, the exit status will be reported to Safeguard for Privileged Passwords and the operation will be retried. When this option is not selected, Safeguard for Privileged Passwords will report success for the operation regardless of the result.
-
Log Command: When selected, the command to be run will be logged.
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Log Command Arguments: When selected, the command line arguments will be logged.
-
Log Stdin Arguments: When selected, the arguments written to stdin will be logged.
-
Log Stdout: When selected, the output generated by the command will be logged.
-
In the Schedule dialog, select Run Every to run the job along per the run details you enter. (If you deselect Run Every, the schedule details are lost.)
-
Configure the following.
To specify the frequency without start and end times, select from the following controls. If you want to specify start and end times, go to the Use Time Window selection in this section.
Enter a frequency for Run Every. Then, select a time frame:
- Minutes: The job runs per the frequency of minutes you specify. For example, Every 30 Minutes runs the job every half hour over a 24-hour period. It is recommended you do not use the frequency of minutes except in unusual situations, such as testing.
-
Hours: The job runs per the minute setting you specify. For example, if it is 9 a.m. and you want to run the job every two hours at 15 minutes past the hour starting at 9:15 a.m., select Runs Every 2 Hours @ 15 minutes after the hour.
-
Days: The job runs on the frequency of days and the time you enter.
For example, Every 2 Days Starting @ 11:59:00 PM runs the job every other evening just before midnight.
-
Weeks The job runs per the frequency of weeks at the time and on the days you specify.
For example, Every 2 Weeks Starting @ 5:00:00 AM and Repeat on these days with MON, WED, FRI selected runs the job every other week at 5 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
-
Months: The job runs on the frequency of months at the time and on the day you specify.
For example, If you select Every 2 Months Starting @ 1:00:00 AM along with First Saturday of the month, the job will run at 1 a.m. on the first Saturday of every other month.
-
Select Use Time Windows if you want to enter the Start and End time. You can click Add or 
Remove to control multiple time restrictions. Each time window must be at least one minute apart and not overlap.
For example, for a job to run every ten minutes every day from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., enter these values:
Enter Every 10 Minutes and Use Time Windows:
If you have selected Days, Weeks, or Months, you will be able to select the number of times for the job to Repeat in the time window you enter.
For a job to run two times every other day at 10:30 am between the hours of 4 a.m. and 8 p.m., enter these values:
For days, enter Every 2 Days and set the Use Time Windows as Start 4:00:00 AM and End 8:00:00 PM and Repeat 2.
- (UTC) Coordinated Universal Time is the default time zone. Select a new time zone, if desired.
If the scheduler is unable to complete a task within the scheduled interval, when it finishes execution of the task, it is rescheduled for the next immediate interval.
- Click OK.
Discover SSH Key settings
If an SSH key is discovered for an account on an asset, it is by definition an authorized key. An authorized key is a public SSH key that has been added to the relevant file in a user's home directory on an asset so the user can employ the corresponding private key to log in.
SSH Key Discovery jobs are run to discover and manage SSH keys. For more information, see SSH Key Discovery..
Navigate to Asset Management > Profiles > View SSH Key Profiles > Discover SSH Key.
Table 171: Discover SSH Key properties
|
Name |
The name of the SSH Key Discovery job |
|
Partition |
The partition in which to manage the discovered SSH key |
|
Description |
Information about the rule |
|
Schedule |
Designates when the SSH Key Discovery job runs |
Use the following toolbar buttons to manage the SSH Key Discovery job.
Adding SSH key discovery
It is the responsibility of the Asset Administrator or the partition's delegated administrator to configure the rules that govern how Safeguard for Privileged Passwords performs SSH key discovery. For more information, see Account Discovery job workflow..
To add an SSH Key Discovery job
- Navigate to Asset Management > Profiles > View SSH Key Profiles > Discover SSH Key.
- Click Add to open the Discover SSH Key Settings dialog.
- Provide the following:
-
Name: Enter a name for the SSH Key Discovery job. Limit: 50 characters.
-
Description: Enter descriptive text about the SSH Key Discovery job. Limit: 255 characters.
- Partition: Browse to select a partition.
- To change the Discover SSH Key schedule, open the Schedule tab. The default is Never.
-
On the Schedule tab, choose an interval for to run the SSH Key Discovery job.
Select Run Every to run the job along per the run details you enter. (If you deselect Run Every, the schedule details are lost.)
-
Configure the following.
To specify the frequency without start and end times, select from the following controls. If you want to specify start and end times, go to the Use Time Window selection in this section.
Enter a frequency for Run Every. Then, select a time frame:
- Minutes: The job runs per the frequency of minutes you specify. For example, Every 30 Minutes runs the job every half hour over a 24-hour period. It is recommended you do not use the frequency of minutes except in unusual situations, such as testing.
-
Hours: The job runs per the minute setting you specify. For example, if it is 9 a.m. and you want to run the job every two hours at 15 minutes past the hour starting at 9:15 a.m., select Runs Every 2 Hours @ 15 minutes after the hour.
-
Days: The job runs on the frequency of days and the time you enter.
For example, Every 2 Days Starting @ 11:59:00 PM runs the job every other evening just before midnight.
-
Weeks The job runs per the frequency of weeks at the time and on the days you specify.
For example, Every 2 Weeks Starting @ 5:00:00 AM and Repeat on these days with MON, WED, FRI selected runs the job every other week at 5 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
-
Months: The job runs on the frequency of months at the time and on the day you specify.
For example, If you select Every 2 Months Starting @ 1:00:00 AM along with First Saturday of the month, the job will run at 1 a.m. on the first Saturday of every other month.
-
Select Use Time Windows if you want to enter the Start and End time. You can click Add or Remove to control multiple time restrictions. Each time window must be at least one minute apart and not overlap.
For example, for a job to run every ten minutes every day from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., enter these values:
Enter Every 10 Minutes and Use Time Windows:
If you have selected Days, Weeks, or Months, you will be able to select the number of times for the job to Repeat in the time window you enter.
For a job to run two times every other day at 10:30 am between the hours of 4 a.m. and 8 p.m., enter these values:
For days, enter Every 2 Days and set the Use Time Windows as Start 4:00:00 AM and End 8:00:00 PM and Repeat 2.
- (UTC) Coordinated Universal Time is the default time zone. Select a new time zone, if desired.
If the scheduler is unable to complete a task within the scheduled interval, when it finishes execution of the task, it is rescheduled for the next immediate interval.
- Click OK.
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