Configuring credentials

To discover data in your IT environment, BMC Discovery requires access to host systems and other network and management devices. BMC Discovery appliances store credentials and other login details, including IDs and passwords, and credential-like entities (data sources, Windows proxies and SNMP credentials) in secure credential vaults.

The appliance vault is protected by a 512-bit passphrase. You can configure an appropriate passphrase for the appliance vault instead of using the default. However, we strongly recommend that you use the default to avoid any access issues due to an incorrect passphrase. Once configured, the passphrase is required every time the discovery process is run.
 
If you use a BMC Discovery Outpost The vault containing the credentials is encrypted with a generated passphrase when the Outpost registers with the BMC Discovery appliance. The passphrase is unique to each BMC Discovery appliance/Outpost pair. Where an Outpost is registered with more than one BMC Discovery appliance, a unique passphrase is stored for each appliance. When you unregister an Outpost, the passphrase is deleted.
 
Connected BMC Discovery Outposts are shown in the Manage > Outposts & Proxies page. If an Outpost is disabled, any credentials held by that Outpost are not available, and its entry is dimmed.

BMC Discovery is a Linux-based appliance. In previous releases, the methods that are used to access Microsoft Windows hosts were available only from Windows systems, consequently Windows discovery required a Windows proxy host. The appliance now uses PowerShell as means to directly discover Windows hosts without the requirement for a proxy. For more information see Discovering-Windows-hosts-by-using-PowerShell.

Managing credentials using the REST API

You can use the REST API listing to determine the credential categories for your credentials: