Security considerations for tools

If a tool invokes an VMware Smart Assurance utility, such as dmctl, or otherwise initiates a connection to the Global Manager, you must configure security to enable that connection. An essential piece of information is knowing the username under which the tool is invoked, for example:

• Client tools are invoked under the username of the operator who started the Global Console.

• Server tools are invoked under the username that the Global Manager is running under. Remember, server tools are invoked on the same host as the Global Manager.

• Automated tools are invoked under the username that started the sm_adapter command or by the name of the Global Manager.

  If a client tool needs to connect to the Global Manager and perform an action that requires administrative privileges, you have two choices:

• Provide the operator with administrative privileges.

• Create a server tool that performs the action.

  As the server tools run under the username that invoked the Global Manager process, this user must have an authentication record in the clientConnect.conf and serverConnect.conf files on the host where the tool is to be executed. You must configure the authentication records for this account so that prompting is not required. Prompting should not be used for automated tools.