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One Identity Safeguard for Privileged Passwords 7.4.1 - User Guide

Session request workflow

Authorized users can authorize connections, view active connections, limit access to specific resources, be alerted if connections exceed pre-set time limits, and even close connections.

Typically a session request follows the workflow below:

  1. Request: Users that are designated as an authorized user of an entitlement can request a session for any asset in the scope of that entitlement's policies.
  2. Approve: Depending on how the Security Policy Administrator configured the policy, a session request will either require approval by one or more SPP users, or be auto-approved.
  3. Review: The Security Policy Administrator can optionally configure an access request policy to require a review of completed requests for assets in the scope of the policy. In addition, if session recording is enabled in the policy, reviewers can audit the workflow transactions and launch the Desktop Player to replay the session as part of the review process.

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 MSTSC is used for RDP session requests. For information on how to setup using PuTTY or MSTSC, see SCALUS.

Important notes

  • Sessions requests are enabled by default. However, if authorized users cannot request sessions, check the Session Requests setting in the web client.

    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 SPP 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

  1. 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.

  1. 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. 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.

    • Asset: The display name of the managed system.

    • 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 that is 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

  2. Click Next.

  3. On Request Details, configure the following settings, which will apply to all of the selected assets and accounts:

    1. 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. For more information, see Creating an access request policy.

    2. When: Select one of the following options:

      1. Now: If selected, the request is immediately created.

      2. Later: If selected, fields will appear allowing you to enter a specific date and time for the request in the user's local time.

    3. 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. For more information, see Creating an access request policy.

    4. 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. For more information, see Ticket systems..

    5. 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. For more information, see Reasons..

      Select the Description down arrow to view the description defined for the selected reason.

    6. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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..

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:
    • SPP could not contact Safeguard for Privileged Sessions. Try again so the request can be redirected to another managed host in the Safeguard for Privileged Sessions cluster.

    • The Safeguard for Privileged Sessions configuration is locked. Try again because this condition is typically because the Safeguard for Privileged Sessions administrator is making configuration changes to the Safeguard for Privileged Sessions appliance at the same time that a new access request is being created or a session is being launched.

  • 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. Save the policy and recreate the access request.

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.

To take action on a session request

  1. From the web client, click My Requests.
  2. Search to find what you need. For more information, see Search box..
  3. 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.
  4. Depending on the type of request, additional information may be available by clicking the tile.
  5. 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:
        • 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 Safeguard for Privileged Sessions 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.
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