User Authentication Settings

Authentication Options

Authentication options are configured on the Authentication Administration page (Administration >> Users >> Authentication Settings).

BMC Helix Network Management offers several options for managing user login authentication.

BMC Helix Network Management Local
Active Directory (LDAP)
SAML (2.0)

These authentication modes cannot be mixed. You may select only one mode to manage all BMC Helix Network Management users.

Switching to an authentication option other than BMC Helix Network Management Local requires that user accounts and passwords be administrated externally. Special local accounts called "shadow accounts" are still created within BMC Helix Network Management automatically. These accounts are associated with the relevant external accounts and allow you to administrate BMC Helix Network Management-specific user account options, such as user partitions, user dashboards, favorites, etc.

Password Management

If an authentication mode other than BMC Helix Network Management Local is used, BMC Helix Network Management administrators will no longer be able to set or change passwords of local users from within BMC Helix Network Management. The is one exception to this rule: A BMC Helix Network Management SuperAdmin may change their own local password with Active Directory (LDAP) authentication enabled.

BMC Helix Network Management Local

This is the default user authentication mode for BMC Helix Network Management.

Local authentication allows you to manage user accounts and passwords from within BMC Helix Network Management on the Users Administration page (Administration >> Users >> Edit/Add Web Users from the main menu).

Active Directory (LDAP)

(On-premises deployments only. Not available in SaaS.)

BMC Helix Network Management can integrate with Active Directory using LDAP to manage user accounts and passwords. Multiple Active Directory servers are supported.

See How to Configure BMC Helix Network Management to Use Active Directory for User Management

SAML (2.0)

BMC Helix Network Management can integrate with the identity provider of your choice using SAML 2.0 to manage user accounts and passwords.

See How to Configure BMC Helix Network Management to Use SAML 2.0 for User Management