Software Distributor Administration Guide (March 2009)

For example, if the controller is running on alma.fc.hp.com and makes a request of
an agent running on lehi.fc.hp.com, each of the two processes will look up the
secret associated with alma.fc.hp.com (the controller’s host) from their respective
secrets file.
Here is an example of the format of the shared secrets file:
default quicksilver
lehi.fc.hp.com s28ckjd9
alma.fc.hp.com 32hwt
newdist.fc.hp.com zztop
noway.fc.hp.com daisey
The first column represents the controller’s host name and the second column represents
the controller’s secret.
There is also a provision for a default secret (quicksilver in the example above), to
be used when no system name match is found in the secrets file. The entry is identified
with the default pseudo-host name. This entry allows open SD-UX interconnect between
hosts sharing the same default entry. SD-UX is shipped with the secret -sdu- that
should be changed for your site.
When you change a host’s secret, make sure you change it in the secrets files of all hosts
with which you work. The secrets file may be produced in a single site, then copies
distributed to all participating hosts.
NOTE: The secrets discussed here does not grant any access to SD-UX objects, but
do allow a host to participate in SD-UX operations.
9.8 RPC Authorization
This section discusses how agents handle controller requests, local superuser
authorization, depot registration, and daemon/agent security
In SD-UX, objects are protected by ACLs. An ACL is a structure, attached to an object,
that defines access permissions for multiple users and groups. It extends the concepts
defined by the HP-UX file system mode bits in two ways: by allowing specification of
the access rights of many individuals and groups instead of just one of each; and by
protecting entire SD-UX objects, rather than individual files.
Generally, a controller requests an agent to perform some operation on a object. SD-UX
protects each host, depot, depot-product, and installation object (root) with an ACL.
After a call is authenticated, the ACL manager is consulted for a caller’s access
permissions to a protected object before allowing the action.
SD-UX authorization uses ACLs to determine the RPC caller’s rights to access a
particular SD-UX object in a particular way (i.e., read, write). An object’s ACL is searched
for an entry that matches the caller. Once a matching entry is found, the permissions
granted in that entry are compared to those required for the operation. If permissions
208 SD-UX Security