Accessing the console

This topic provides an overview of the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console and describes how to access the console on Windows and UNIX. 

Overview of the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console

After the product installation is complete, you must configure the following databases, repositories, and the email server by using the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console:

• Reports data warehouse
• ETL master repository
• ETL work repository
• BMC Server Automation database
• Cognos content store (Portal database)

After you configure the product once, you can modify all the preceding entities by using the console. In addition, the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console enables you to perform the following tasks:

• Add and modify BMC Server Automation sites
• View the ETL run status and scenarios
• Archive and restore the reports data warehouse data

You can launch the console immediately after completion of the installation process by clicking the URL that is provided in the installation wizard, and then you can start configuring the product. Alternatively, you can launch the console later to configure the product. 

Before you access the console

Before you access the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console, ensure that you meet the web browser requirements. 

To access the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console

1. Ensure that the BMC Server Automation Authentication Server to which the console connects is running. 
   The BMC Server Automation Authentication Server authenticates you when you log on to console. For more information about the BMC Server Automation authentication mechanisms, see Authentication in the BMC Server Automation documentation.

2. To view the home page for the console on Microsoft Windows or UNIX systems, click Start > Programs > BMC Decision Support for Server Automation > Console.
   Alternatively, you can enter the following address into a web browser: 
   https://reportsServer:portNumber/bds
   • reportsServer is the server that hosts BMC Decision Support for Server Automation. 
   • portNumber is the Tomcat web server secure port that you specified during installation. 
     For a list of supported browsers, see Web browser requirements.

3. In User Name, enter BDSAdmin.

   Note

   After you configure the product successfully and run extract, transform, and load (ETL) once, you can use other user credentials to access the console.

4. In Password, enter the password for the BDSAdmin user ID that you created during installation.

   Note

   You can change the password for the BDSAdmin user ID later.

5. From Site, select the BMC Server Automation site.

   Note

   The Site field appears only after you configure the product once.

6. From Authentication Type, select the authentication mechanism. 

   Notes

   The Authentication Type field appears only after you configure the product once. 

   Some authentication types require additional information, as follows:

   • LDAP users logging on for the first time must enter a distinguished name template: Select the authentication type and click OK. A new logon dialog box opens, in which you must provide your user name and password, site name, authentication type, and the distinguished name template. After you enter a distinguished name template, that information remains associated with your user name. You do not have to enter a distinguished name template during future logon attempts. For more information about distinguished name templates, see LDAP authentication.
   • AD/Kerberos users must provide a domain name: Select the authentication type and click OK. A new logon dialog box opens, in which you must provide your user name and password, site name, authentication type, and the domain name. 
7. Click Log In.

Authentication methods to access the console

When accessing the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation Console, you can use one of the following authentication methods:

• SRP authentication and encryption based on the Transport Layer Security (TLS) and self-signed or Certificate Authority (CA)-issued certificates
• Domain authentication, for which users authenticate against Microsoft Active Directory/Kerberos-based authentication services
• LDAP authentication
• SecurID (RSA) authentication, a two-factor authentication mechanism requiring PIN numbers and SecurID tokens of users

Domain authentication users must provide a fully qualified user name, such as sally@SUB1.QA.COMPANY.COM, unless a user is defined as a member of the default realm. For example, if SUB1.QA.COMPANY.COM is the default realm, the user sally can simply enter a user name of sally. For information about how to set up the default realm for domain authentication, see Domain authentication. When you enter a fully-qualified user name, the domain name must always be capitalized. Also, ensure that the role that you plan to use for logging on to the console was transferred to the reports data warehouse using ETL (see RBAC data updates). 

Related topic

Configuring the product by using the console