About sessions and recordings
One Identity Safeguard for Privileged Passwords proxies all sessions to target resources. Users do not have direct access to resources, therefore, the enterprise is protected against viruses, malware or other dangerous items on the user's system. Safeguard can proxy and record Unix/Linux, Windows, network devices, firewalls, routers and more.
NOTE: PuTTY is used to launch the SSH client for SSH session requests and is included in the install. The desktop client looks for any user-installed PuTTY in the following locations:
- Any reference to putty in the PATH environment variable
- c:/Program Files/Putty
- c:/Program Files(x86)/Putty
- c:/Putty
If PuTTY is not found, the desktop client uses the version of PuTTY that it installed at:
<user-home-dir>/AppData/Local/Safeguard/putty.
If the user later installs PuTTY in any of the locations above, the desktop client uses that version which ensures the user has the latest version of PuTTY.
Important notes
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Sessions requests are enabled by default. However, if authorized users cannot request sessions, check the Session Requests Enabled setting in the desktop client (Administrative Tools | Settings | Access Request | Enable or Disable Services) or in the web client (Appliance Management | Enable or Disable Services).
NOTE: You must have Appliance Administrator permissions to manage the service settings.
- All session activity (every packet sent and action that takes place on the screen, including mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes) is recorded and available for play back.
- If Safeguard for Privileged Passwords detects no activity for 10 minutes during a privileged session, the session is closed.
Requesting session access
If you are designated as an authorized user of an entitlement, you can request access for a specific period (or session) to any account or asset in the scope of the entitlement's policies.
You can configure One Identity Safeguard for Privileged Passwords to notify you of pending access request workflow events, such as when a session request is pending, denied, or revoked, and so on. For more information, see Configuring alerts.
To request session access (
web client)
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Click 
Home then 
New Request or open My Requests then click 
New Request.
NOTE: You can also submit an access request from your Favorites pane, if you previously saved it as a favorite.
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On the New Access Request page, select the accounts to be included in the access request and the type of access being requested for each selected account. The accounts include linked accounts, if any. You can search for accounts based on asset information. The assets available for selection are based on the scope defined in the entitlement's access request policies.
If an SPS_Initiated connection policy is selected when creating an access request, the assets associated by that request will not display. The session-related access policy assigned to SPS_Initiated is filtered out. A connection policy other that SPS_Initiated must be selected to create an Access Request for the asset.
NOTE: Use the 
button to select the columns to display.
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Asset: The display name of the managed system.
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Account: The available account appears in the Account column. When an asset has multiple accounts available, either Select Account(s) or the account name appears as a hyperlink in the Account column. Click the hyperlink in the Account column to display a list of accounts available and select the accounts to be included in the access request.
If Show Account Availability is enabled you can identify if a privileged account is available or not. Accounts display a 
warning badge if in use by a request. An account's status is updated immediately after being changed in order to avoid overlapping account requests from multiple users. Hover over the badge to display <X> of <X> accounts in use. Showing account availability requires additional API queries that may impact performance. This toggle is set by the user not an administrator. There is no global toggle.
NOTE: When the policy governing the request has enabled Allow simultaneous access for multiple user access, the request may still be available even though Show Account Request Availability indicates it is in use.
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Access Type: The type of access request appears in the Access Type column. If the type is a drop-down, multiple access request types are available. Select the hyperlink and select the access type.
- Account Description: (When applicable) The description of the account.
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Asset Description: (When applicable) The description of the asset.
You can remove an asset or account from the list by clearing the check box associated with an entry in the grid.
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Click Next.
- On Request Details, configure the following settings, which will apply to all of the selected assets and accounts:
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Emergency Access: If the policy has emergency access enabled, select this option to gain immediate emergency access to this password. When you use Emergency Access, the request requires no approval.
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When:Select one of the following options:
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Now: If selected, the request is immediately created.
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Later: If selected, fields will appear allowing you to enter a specific date and time for the request in the user's local time.
- How Long: Based on the policy, do one of the following:
- View the Checkout Duration.
- If the Allow Requester to Change Duration option is enabled in the policy, you can set the days, hours, and minutes that you want to use the password. This overrides the Checkout Duration set in the access request policy.
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Ticket Number: If the policy requires a ticket number, enter a ticket number. If multiple accounts are in the request and one or more require a ticket number, the ticket number is applied to all of the requests associated with this access request. This feature is set up through the desktop client.
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Reason: If the policy requires a reason, enter a reason. If multiple accounts are in the request and one or more require a reason. The reason is applied to all of the requests associated with this access request.
Select the Description down arrow to view the description defined for the selected reason.
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Comment: If required, enter information about this request. When multiple accounts are specified in the request, if any of the selected accounts require a comment, you must enter a comment. The comment will be applied to all of the requests associated with this access request. The limit is 255 characters.
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To save the access request as a favorite, select the Save this request as a favorite check box and enter a name for the request.
This access request is then added to your Favorites. In the web client, favorites are displayed on the 
Home page and the My Requests page. For more information, see Favorites (web client).
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After entering the required information, click Submit Request.
Additional information displays if the access requests submitted were unsuccessful with information on how to address the issues. Once they have been addressed, you can resubmit the request.
When the request has been approved, you can use the password. For more information, see Taking action on a password release request.
To request session access (
desktop client)
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Go to the Home page, then click New Request.
NOTE: You can also submit an access request from your Favorites pane, if you previously saved it as a favorite.
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On Asset Selection, select the assets to be included in the access request. The assets available for selection are based on the scope defined in the entitlement's access request policies. The limit is 50 assets.
If an SPS_Initiated connection policy is selected when creating an access request, the assets associated by that request will not display. The session-related access policy assigned to SPS_Initiated is filtered out. A connection policy other that SPS_Initiated must be selected to create an Access Request for the asset.
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On Account & Access Type Selection, select the accounts to be included in the access request and the type of access being requested for each selected account. The accounts include linked accounts, if any.
- Asset: The display name of the managed system.
- Network Address: The network host name or IP address of the managed system.
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Account: The accounts available appear in the Account column. When an asset has multiple accounts available, either Select Account(s) or the account name appears as a hyperlink in the Account column. Click the hyperlink in the Account column to display a list of accounts available and select the accounts to be included in the access request.
The accounts available for selection are based on the Asset-Based Session Access setting. For more information, see Access Config tab in the Safeguard for Privileged Passwords Administration Guide. Or, the accounts available for selection may have been added in the Scope tab when editing the entitlement access policy. For more information, see Scope tab in the Safeguard for Privileged Passwords Administration Guide.
The settings are:
- If None is selected in the access request policy, the accounts Safeguard for Privileged Passwords retrieved from the vault will be available for selection. The selected account will then be used when the session is requested.
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If User Supplied is selected in the access request policy, you will be required to enter the user credentials as part of the request workflow, prior to launching the SSH, RDP, or telnet session.
- If Linked Account is selected in the access request policy, linked directory accounts will be available for selection. The selected account will then be used when the session is requested.
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If Directory Account is selected in the access request policy, only the specified directory accounts will be available for selection. The selected directory account will then be used when the session is requested.
- Domain: The name of the domain for the request.
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Access Type: The type of access request appears in the Access Type column. When multiple access request types are available, this value appears as a hyperlink, which when selected displays an additional dialog allowing you to select the access type. Select one of the following for a session request: RDP, SSH, or Telnet.
The access type options available depend on the type of asset selected on Asset Selection. For example, RDP is only available for Windows sessions.
You can remove an asset or account from the list, select the entry and click 
Delete.
- On the Request Details tab, configure the following settings, which will apply to all of the selected assets and accounts:
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Normal Access: If the policy has emergency access enabled, select this option to gain normal access to this password or SSH key. Normal access ensures the access request goes through the entire end-to-end access release process from request to approval to review as defined in the policy by the Security Policy Administrator.
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Emergency Access: If the policy has emergency access enabled, select this option to gain immediate emergency access to this password or SSH session. When you use Emergency Access, the request requires no approval.
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Request Immediately: Clear this option to enter a specific date and time for the request. Enter the time in the user’s local time.
- Checkout Duration: This either displays the duration of the check out; or, if the Allow Requester to Change Duration option is enabled in the policy, it allows you to set the days, hours, and minutes that you want the password or SSH session and overrides the Checkout Duration set in the access request policy.
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Ticket Number: If the policy requires a ticket number, enter a valid ticket number for this request. When multiple accounts are specified in the request, if any of the selected accounts require a ticket number, you must specify a valid ticket number. The specified ticket number will be applied to all of the requests associated with this access request. This feature is set up through the desktop client.
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Reason: If the policy requires reason, select an access request reason code for this request. Select the Description down arrow to view the description defined for the selected reason. When multiple accounts are specified in the request, if any of the selected accounts require a reason, you must specify a reason. The specified reason will be applied to all of the requests associated with this access request.
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Comment: Enter information about this request. When multiple accounts are specified in the request, if any of the selected accounts require a comment, you must enter a comment. The comment will be applied to all of the requests associated with this access request. The limit is 255 characters.
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To save the access request as a favorite, click the Add to Favorites button.
Add to Favorites displays, allowing you to specify a name and description for the access request. It also allows you to assign a color to the request's icon.
This access request is then added to your Favorites. In the desktop client, select the favorite request from the Favorites pane. In the New Access Request dialog, you can edit the request details or enter a required reason or comment before submitting the request. For more information, see Desktop client favorite request.
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After entering the required information, click Submit Request. Access Request Result displays showing you the access requests submitted and whether a request was successful.
If the session does not launch
In a rare event that the access request does not result in a launchable session request, the following notifications display:
- Please try again. The linked sessions module state is currently down or may be in a locked state. This message may mean one of the following:
- Missing the session connection policy. or
The selected Access Request Policy cannot be used to initiate a session from SPP. The highest priority policy must be associated with a valid SPS connection policy.
Check the connection policy configuration. In the web client, go to Security Policy Management | Entitlements | (edit) | Access Request Policies to add a valid connection policy; or in the desktop client, go to Entitlements | Access Request Policy | Sessions Settings to add a valid connection policy. Save the policy and recreate the access request. For more information, see Session Settings tab in the Safeguard for Privileged Passwords Administration Guide.
Taking action on a session request
The actions a user authorized to request access to a privileged session can take depends on the state of the request and the client interface you are using.
To take action on a session request ( web client)
- From the web client, click My Requests.
- Search to find what you need. For more information, see Search box.
- Click
Filters to filter by the status.
- All: Requests in all states.
- Available: Approved requests that are ready (that is, a session that can be launched).
- Pending Approval: Requests that are waiting for approval.
- Approved: Requests that have been approved, but the check out time has not arrived.
- Revoked: Approved requests retracted by the approver.
- The approver can revoke a request after it is available.
- When a user with Security Policy Administrator permissions revokes a live session, the active session is closed.
- Expired: Requests for which the Checkout Duration has elapsed.
- Denied: Requests denied by the approver.
- Depending on the type of request, additional information may be available by clicking the tile.
- You can take the following actions on session requests, depending on the state.
- Available request: If the password or SSH key changes while you have it checked out, and your current request is still valid, select either
Copy or 
Show again to obtain the new password or SSH key, if enabled by your Administrator.
- For SSH and RDP accounts:
- The
Start RDP Session/Start SSH Session options are available only if enabled by user preferences. Click to launch the SSH client or RDP connection. For more information, see Launching the SSH client or Launching an RDP session.
- Click
Check-In to complete the check out process once you have ended your session.
- In addition, you can use the following buttons to view or copy information into the dialog that contains the credentials needed to launch the session.
- Click Copy to check out and copy the credential.
- Click Show to check out the credential and view the credential.
- For telnet or TN3270/TN5250 over telnet accounts, the fields needed are based on the terminal service application in use:
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- For a terminal service application that uses an inband connection string (like telnet), click Copy to copy the Hostname Connection String and check out the password or SSH key. Then, paste the information in the log in screen.
- If the terminal service application requires more information for log in (for example, TN3270/TN5250 over telnet):
- Click Show to display values that may include Vault Address (the SPP address), a one-time Token, Username, Asset, and Sessions Module (the SPS address).
- Click Copy by any of the values to copy a single value. Or, you can click Copy at the right of all values to copy the entire the connection string, if that is required by your terminal service application.
- Paste the necessary information into your terminal service application.
- Click
Check-In Request to complete the password or SSH key check out process. This makes the session request available to reviewers.
- Click
Hide to conceal the information from view.
- Approved: Select
Cancel Request to remove the request. A session request changes from Approved to Available when the requested time is reached. It stays available until you either cancel the request or it reaches the end of the duration period.
- Pending: Click Cancel Request to remove the request.
- Revoked:
- Click Resubmit to request the password or SSH key again.
- Click Remove Request to delete the request from the list.
- Expired: Click Remove Request to delete the request from the list.
- Denied:
- Click Resubmit to request the password or SSH key again.
- Click Remove Request to delete the request from the list.
To take action on a session request ( desktop client)
- From your Home page, use any of these controls on the Requests widget, as needed. You can enable or disable the Home page widgets in the
Settings (desktop client) menu.
- Select
(expand down) to open the list of active requests.
- Select
Popout. You can then select and drag the pane to any location on the console and resize the window to float the Requests pane.
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Open the list of requests and select one of these view filters. The number indicates how many requests are in that state.
- All: Requests in all states
- Available: Approved requests that are ready (that is, a session that can be launched)
- Approved: Requests that have been approved, but the check out time has not arrived
- Pending Approval: Requests that are waiting for approval
- Revoked: Approved requests retracted by the approver
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The approver can revoke a request between the time the requester launches the session and checks it back in.
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When a user with Security Policy Administrator permissions revokes a live session, the active session is closed.
- Expired: Requests for which the check out duration has elapsed.
- Denied: Requests denied by the approver.
- Select an account to see the details of the session request.
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You can take the following actions on session requests, depending on the state.
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.
- Requested 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 resize 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.
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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. |
Help to copy the value into the appropriate field of the configuration dialog.
Cancel to remove the request. A session request changes from Approved to Available when the requested time is reached. It stays available until you either cancel the request or it reaches the end of the duration period.
Resubmit Request to request the password or SSH key again.