Accessing the portal

This topic describes authentication methods and how to access the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation portal.  

When accessing the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation portal, 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 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. Note that 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 BMC Decision Support for Server Automation was transferred to the reports data warehouse using extract, transform, load (ETL). See RBAC data updates.

Users with roles that include any of the report-related authorizations can log on to BMC Decision Support for Server Automation. For more information about report-related authorizations, see Roles and access to functions and features.

Before you access the portal

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

To access the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation portal

1. Ensure that the BMC Server Automation Authentication Server to which BMC Decision Support for Server Automation connects is running. 

   The BMC Server Automation Authentication Server authenticates you when you log on to BMC Decision Support for Server Automation. 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 BMC Decision Support for Server Automation on Microsoft Windows or UNIX systems, enter the following address into a web browser: 
   https://reportsServer:portNumber/BMCSAReports

   • reportsServer is the server that hosts BMC Decision Support for Server Automation.
     

   • portNumber is the HTTPS or HTTP port specified during installation. 
     
     BMC Decision Support for Server Automation opens in a browser window and displays a logon dialog box.
     

     Note

     For a list of web browsers, see Web browser requirements.

      

3. Enter your user name and password, and then select the site name and authentication type. 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.

4. Click OK. If your user name is associated with multiple roles, BMC Decision Support for Server Automation displays the Select Role window. If you are not associated with multiple roles, the default tab is displayed.
   

   Note

   A user name can be associated with 297 roles. If you exceed this limit, an error occurs during logon. Reducing the number of user name and role associations resolves the issue.

    

5. If the Select Role window appears, select the role you want to use and click OK. The default tab on the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation main window opens.
   

   Note

   By default, the reports server running BMC Decision Support for Server Automation logs users off after four hours of inactivity.

    

To change the default timeout period for the BMC Decision Support for Automation portal

1. On the reports server, navigate to the following directory: REPORTS_HOME/portal/configuration.
2. Open the cogstartup.xml file in a text editor.
3. Search for the inactivityTimeout parameter and change its value according to your requirements.