Users Guide

Storage Management User, Power User, Administrator, Elevated
Administrator
Administrator, Elevated Administrator
Authentication
The Server Administrator authentication scheme ensures that the correct access types are assigned to the correct user privileges.
Additionally, when the command line interface (CLI) is invoked, the Server Administrator authentication scheme validates the context
within which the current process is running. This authentication scheme ensures that all Server Administrator functions, whether
accessed through the Server Administrator home page or CLI, are properly authenticated.
Microsoft Windows Authentication
On supported Microsoft Windows operating systems, Server Administrator uses Integrated Windows Authentication (formerly called
NTLM) to authenticate. This authentication system allows Server Administrator security to be incorporated in an overall security
scheme for your network.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux And SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Authentication
On supported Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating systems, Server Administrator uses various
authentication methods based on the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) library. Users can log in to Server Administrator
either locally or remotely using dierent account management protocols, such as LDAP, NIS, Kerberos, and Winbind.
VMware ESXi Server Authentication
ESXi Server authenticates users accessing ESXi hosts using the vSphere/VI Client or Software Development Kit (SDK). The default
installation of ESXi uses a local password database for authentication. ESXi authentication transactions with Server Administrator are
also direct interactions with the vmware-hostd process. To make sure that authentication works eciently for your site, perform
basic tasks such as setting up users, groups, permissions, and roles, conguring user attributes, adding your own certicates, and
determining whether you want to use SSL.
NOTE: On systems running VMware ESXi Server operating system, to login to Server Administrator, all users require
Administrator privileges. For information on assigning roles, see the VMware documentation.
Encryption
Server Administrator is accessed over a secure HTTPS connection using secure socket layer (SSL) technology to ensure and protect
the identity of the system being managed. Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) is used by supported Microsoft Windows, Red Hat
Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating systems to protect the user credentials and other sensitive data that is
transmitted over the socket connection when a user accesses the Server Administrator home page.
Assigning User Privileges
To ensure critical system component security, before installation of the OpenManage Softwares assign user privileges to all the
users. New users can log in to OpenManage software using their operating system user privileges.
CAUTION: To protect access to your critical system components, assign a password to every user account that can
access the OpenManage software.
CAUTION: Disable guest accounts for supported Windows operating systems to protect access to your critical system
components. Consider renaming the guest accounts so that remote scripts cannot enable the accounts using the default
guest account names.
NOTE: For instructions on assigning user privileges for each supported operating system, see your operating system
documentation.
NOTE: To add users to OpenManage software, add new users to the operating system. You do not have to create new
users from within the OpenManage software.
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