Configuring Credentials for Starting and Stopping Enterprise Servers

When you start or stop an enterprise server from MF Directory Server, you are given the option of supplying two sets of credentials. The first is the operating system credentials under which the processes are to run (this is labelled Start/Stop processes as). The second, labelled Use Enterprise Server credentials of: is checked by the security features of MF Directory Server and Enterprise Server. The requirements of this second set of credentials are described below.

When an enterprise server starts, it connects to MF Directory Server to obtain its configuration details and to update its status information. To do this, it requires suitable Directory Server user credentials (that is, credentials that Directory Server will verify and authorize through the External Security Facility). You can specify that it should connect using a built-in default user or using the credentials with which you are currently logged on to Enterprise Server Administration. Alternatively, you can specify a different Directory Server username and password.

If you choose to use the built-in default user, the process is as follows:

1. The enterprise server is started by the casstart command.
2. It connects to MF Directory Server to obtain its configuration settings via the default user, mf_mdsa.
3. The enterprise server subsequently spawns its communications server(s), referred to as MFCS.
4. MFCS connects to MF Directory Server using the default user, mf_cs. This user requires permissions to do things like reading and writing data to the MF Directory Server repository. For example, it can read what configuration the server has, and write changes to the status field.
5. The enterprise server will then use another default user, mfuser, as the identity for operations.

• mf_cs and mf_mdsa must exist in the security context of MF Directory Server. That is, depending on the security configuration, they must exist in one of the security repositories used by MF Directory Server. The users must also have suitable permissions. At this point in time, the users must be members of a group called "#System" and this group must have modify permission on the resource entity in the Servers class that corresponds to the enterprise server. For more on the resource classes and entities controlling access to MF Directory Server resources, see Resource Classes for MF Directory Server.
• mfuser must exist within the security context of the enterprise server and must have appropriate permissions on the casstart entity in the OPERCMDS class. For more about OPERCMDS, see Resource Classes for ESMAC and Operator Command Security.

If you choose to use the credentials with which you are currently logged on to Enterprise Server Administration, or if you specify alternative credentials, the enterprise server and MFCS will use those credentials when connecting to MF Directory Server. The enterprise server will also use the credentials internally.

Therefore, the user that you specify must exist within the security domain of both the MF Directory Server and the enterprise server. In addition:

• To read and update information in MF Directory Server

  In the MF Directory Server domain, it must be a member of the #System group, and this group must have modify permission on the resource entity in the Servers class that corresponds to the enterprise server

• To run the start command in Enterprise Server

  In the context of the enterprise server, it must have alter permission on the casstart entity within the OPERCMDS resource class

To stop an enterprise server, the requirements are the same, except that the user requires alter permission on the casstop entity with the OPERCMDS resource class.