Password Management Architecture
Password Manager is designed for:
- Security:
Password Manager is installed on hardened servers. All sensitive data is encrypted in storage and transit. Strong authentication and access controls protect business processes.
- Scalability:
Multiple Password Manager servers can be installed, using a built-in data replication facility. Workload can be distributed using any load-balancing technology (IP, DNS, etc.).
- Openness:
Open standards are used for inbound integration (SOAP) and outbound communications (SOAP, SMTP, HTTP, etc.).
- Flexibility:
Both the Password Manager user interface and all functionality can be customized to meet enterprise requirements.
- Low TCO:
Password Manager is easy to set up and requires minimal ongoing administration.
Figure [link] illustrates the Password Manager network architecture:
Network architecture diagram (1)
- Users normally access Password Manager using HTTPS from a web browser.
- Multiple Password Manager servers may be load balanced using either
an IP-level device (e.g., Cisco Local Director, F5 Big/IP) or
simply using DNS round-robin distribution.
- Native password changes on some systems may trigger transparent
password synchronization. A password change interceptor DLL,
library or exit may capture such changes and initiate transparent
password synchronization.
- Users may call an
IVR (interactive voice response) system with a telephone and be authenticated
either using touch-tone input of personal information or using a
voice print. Authenticated users may initiate a password reset.
- Password Manager
connects to most target systems using their native
APIs (application programming interfaces)
and protocols and thus requires no software to be installed locally on
those systems.
- Local agents are provided and recommended for Unix servers and z/OS
mainframes. Use of these agents improves transaction security,
speed and concurrency.
- A local agent is mandatory on RSA SecurID servers.
- Where target systems are remote and communication with them is
slow, insecure or both, a Password Manager proxy server may be co-located
with the target system in the remote location. In this case, servers
in the main Password Manager server cluster initiate fast, secure
connections to the remote proxies, which decode these
transactions and forward them to target systems locally, using
native, slow and/or insecure protocols.
- Password Manager can look up and update user profile data in an existing
system, including HR databases (ODBC), directories (LDAP) and
meta-directories (e.g., WMI to Microsoft ILM).
- Password Manager can send e-mails to users asking them to register or to
notify them of events impacting their profiles. Over
163
events can trigger e-mail notification.
- Password Manager can create tickets on most common incident management systems,
either recording completed activity or requesting assistance
(security events, user service follow-up, etc.). Over
163 events can trigger ticket generation. Binary integrations
are available for 16 help desk applications
and open integration is
possible using mail, ODBC, SQL and web services.