SAP GRC 12.0 – Emergency Access Management (EAM) for HANA Target Systems (using Web IDE)

Purpose of the Document

It’s HANA everywhere 🙂

In the latest version of GRC which is 12.0,  SAP has extended the emergency access management (EAM) functionality to HANA target systems via Web IDE.

This blog is to provide the details on how this new functionality can be configured and utilized to manage the firefighting access to HANA target systems.

Let’s see how you can setup this functionality and can test in GRC 12.0 system (End to End).

Required Configuration to enable EAM for HANA DB

HANA Connection Configuration

Create HANA database connection in GRC system using transaction code DBCO (Database Connection Maintenance)

DB Connection: Fill in the DB Connection name. This name will be used in the connector setup so name it accordingly.
DBMS: Select the type of Database Management System as “HDB” (HANA Database)
User Name and Password: Valid user authentication details to connect to HANA DB
Connection Info: HANA database system details (Hostname details along with Port Number)

Save the database connection after entering all required details as mentioned above.

Testing HANA DB Connection created in GRC

HANA database connection can be tested using ABAP report “ADBC_TEST_CONNECTION”

Execute transaction SE38 and run report “ADBC_TEST_CONNECTION”

HANA DB connection can also be verified using the transaction “DBACOCKPIT” .

HANA Database Connector in SM59

Create a connector in SM59 with connection type as “L” (Logical Destination) and connector name same as the connection created in DBCO.

Audit Policy Configuration in HANA DB

Activities on SAP HANA database (User Changes, Role Changes, Creation or deletion of database objects, Changes to system configuration, Access to or changing of sensitive information) can be track and recorded via in-built Audit configuration feature.

SAP HANA database auditing feature allows monitoring of the activities performed in HANA DB.To make use of this feature, SAP HANA audit policy must be activated on HANA DB.

SAP recommendation is to create separate audit policies for following activities performed in HANA DB separately:

• Granting and Revoking of Authorization
• Session Management and System Configuration
• Structured Privilege Management
• User and Role Management

HANA Connector Config Setup in GRC

Define connectors in the following IMG path

SPRO -> IMG -> GRC -> Common Component Settings -> Integration Framework -> Maintain Connectors and Connection Types -> Define Connectors

Define connector groups in the following IMG path and assign HANA DB connectors to this connector group

SPRO -> IMG -> GRC -> Common Component Settings -> Integration Framework -> Maintain Connectors and Connection Types ->Define Connector Groups

Maintain Connection Settings

Connectors must be assigned to the all integration scenarios (AM, ROLMG, SUPMG, AUTH, PROV) available as it is a good practice.

SPRO -> IMG -> GRC -> Common Component Settings -> Integration Framework -> Maintain Connection Settings

Maintain Connector Settings

Maintain connector settings in the following path and assign HANA Audit Policy and HANA IDE URL to the HANA DB connectors as shown in the following screenshots.

SPRO -> IMG -> GRC -> Access Control -> Maintain Connector Settings

HANA WEB IDE URL

Web IDE for SAP HANA is a browser-based IDE for the development of SAP HANA-based applications.

This web-based IDE is called SAP HANA Web-based Development Workbench, which contains four modules.

Editor：Manage HANA repository artifacts
Catalog：Manage HANA DB SQL catalog artifacts
Security：User and Role Management
Trace：Set or download trace files for HANA applications

EAM firefighting for HANA target systems is supported only through HANA Web IDE and this is the main reason for including the IDE URL as one of the attributes in the connector settings as firefighting session will launch HANA IDE URL using which the firefighting actvities will be performed.

Delivery Unit deployment in HANA DB

Delivery Unit deployment into HANA DB and activating the SQL procedures under AC folder in HANA DB is a prerequisite and must be followed according to the steps mentioned in following SAP Note:

https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/1869912

GRC Procedures Activation

For details on how the corresponding SQL procedures under ARA and ARQ folders are required to be activated are available in SAP Note 1869912.

SQL Procedures under ARA folder – Just execute in any sequence

SQL Procedures under ARQ folder – Execute procedures starting with ‘IS’ or ‘INS’ first followed by procedures starting with GRANT and REVOKE and finally remaining procedures.

“GET_USERS_SYNC” procedure has an updated version released through the following SAP Note. Hence, download this from the note and activate it as it is not updated in the latest version by default.

2451688 – Repository sync job not syncing back user validity dates from HANA

However, there are few errors which you will come across during SQL procedures activation like mentioned below but still you can proceed with your next steps.

Firefighter ID Setup in HANA DB

Step 1: I have created a role in HANA DB with the same name as the one used in config parameter 4010 (Firefighter ID role name).

Step 2: Created a User ID in HANA DB and assigned the role created in previous step to the User ID and to make GRC system recognize the newly created User ID as Firefighter ID.

GRC Repository Object Sync

Execute “Repository Object Sync” program once all the above configuration is completed which should successfully sync the USERS and ROLES from HANA DB to GRC system

Assignment of FF ID Owner and Controller to HANA Firefighter ID

Another improvement in GRC 12.0 is simplified Firefighter Owner/Controller maintenance:

– In 10.1 User ID must be first defined as FF ID Owner or Controller before assigning to a Firefighter ID.

– In GRC 12.0 Owners and Controllers can be assigned to Firefighter ID even when the User ID is not maintained in Access Control Owners. This is applicable for “Mass Maintenance” feature as well.

EAM Centralized Vs. Decentralized Firefighting for HANA DB