Re: What questions should one ask about PowerBroker & PowerPassword??

From: Michael Vilain (vilain_at_spamcop.net)
Date: 05/23/03 

Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 19:22:39 -0700

In article <2913480.1053644237@dbforums.com>,
 agm3 <member30108@dbforums.com> wrote:

> I am hoping I can get some REAL help. I am VERY new to working in a
> UNIX environment - learning a lot from our Senior Admin, but I need
> help. We have been approached by Symark Software about integrating
> their PowerPassword & PowerBroker products into our server systems. My
> boss has put me in charge of finding out more about their products and I
> would like to know what kind of questions I should ask them (Symark)
> when they call back to discuss. ANY help would be greatly appreciated.

Boy, those Symark sales people really are out there earning their
saleries. This topic comes up every now and again. Google for past
discussions (which I would have done first). If you have little or no
UNIX admin experience, I question your PHB's judgement in giving you
this task.

Powerbroker allows centralized, _auditted_ access to root on systems.
Powerbroker allows you to setup specific profiles of tasks to be
accomplished that would require root or an application access (e.g.
oracle). This way you don't have to keep a list of root passwords on
all your servers. The downside is that _someone_ still has to have root
on all the systems. If the network is down or a system is in
single-user mode, Powerbroker won't work and you still need root on the
console.

Unless you have an extended group of people who have root access on your
systems, restricting access to the console, physically restricting
access to the systems and the consoles (e.g. card-key access to the
computer room), you'll probably get more use out of the sudo utility.
It does what most of Powerbroker does without spending $$$$$.

Did your PHB give you any product evaluation requirements? "Find out
more about their products" is typical non-technical PHB vagueness. 

-- 
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