To configure a platform to work with load-balanced Privileged Session Managers (PSMs), you should:

• Create a new PSM definition that targets the load balancer IP address and assign it to the platform (Option B). This approach involves configuring the platform settings to direct session traffic through a load balancer that distributes the load across multiple PSM servers. This is effective in environments where high availability and fault tolerance are priorities.

The correct description of the authentication differences between CyberArk Privilege Cloud and CyberArk PAM Self-Hosted is that CyberArk Privilege Cloud uses cloud-based methods, integrating with CyberArk Identity for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and supports SAML and OIDC, while CyberArk PAM Self-Hosted relies on on-premises methods such as RADIUS and LDAP, but can adopt SAML or OIDC with additional setups. CyberArk Privilege Cloud is designed to leverage modern cloud-based authentication protocols to enhance security and ease of use, particularly in distributed and diverse IT environments. In contrast, CyberArk PAM Self-Hosted offers flexibility to use traditional on-premises authentication methods but also supports modern protocols if configured to do so.

From the error message provided, two likely scenarios could represent valid misconfigurations:

• TCP Port 636 could be blocked by a network firewall, preventing communication between the CyberArk Identity Connector and the LDAP Server (A). This is a common issue where firewall settings prevent the secure communication port (typically 636 for LDAPS) from transmitting data between the server and the connector, thus blocking the connection attempt.
• 'Verify Server Certificate' is activated but the provided hostname is not listed as a Subject Alternative Name (SAN) in the LDAP server's certificate (C). This scenario occurs when SSL/TLS security measures are stringent, requiring that the hostname used to connect to the LDAP server must match one listed in the server's SSL certificate. If the hostname does not match, the connection will fail due to SSL certificate validation errors.

To correctly arrange the steps for installing a passive CPM using Connector Management, you should follow this order:

• Run the Connector Management Connector installer.Begin the installation process by running the installer for the Connector Management Connector. This is the initial step where you set up the basic environment and prerequisites needed for the CPM installation.
• When prompted to select the components to install, select CPM.During the installation process, you'll be asked to choose which components to install. Here, you should select the CPM (Central Policy Manager) to proceed with setting it up specifically for your needs.
• When prompted to select the CPM mode, select Passive.After selecting the CPM component, the installer will ask for the mode in which the CPM should operate. Choose 'Passive' to configure the CPM in a passive mode, which is typically used for failover or load balancing purposes.
• Install the CPM and optionally PSM, if required.Complete the installation of the CPM and, if necessary, the Privileged Session Manager (PSM). This step finalizes the installation process, setting up the CPM to function in the specified passive mode and integrating PSM if it's part of your deployment plan.

These steps ensure that the CPM is installed correctly in the passive mode, providing a robust setup for high availability or disaster recovery configurations.

When installing the Privileged Session Manager (PSM) on multiple servers, it is required that each PSM installation has the same path to the same recordings directory. This is necessary to ensure that session recordings are stored consistently across different PSM instances, which is important for high availability and load balancing implementations, as well as for maintaining a unified audit trail.

References:

• CyberArk documentation on installing multiple PSM servers

The tool used to configure the user object for the installation of the PSM for SSH component is CreateCredFile. This tool is responsible for creating a credentials file that stores the necessary user details required during the installation process, ensuring secure and correct authentication.

References:

• CyberArk Privilege Cloud Introduction

Before configuring directory mappings in the CyberArk Privilege Cloud Standard Portal for LDAP integration, it is crucial to make sure HTTPS (443/tcp) is reachable over the Secure Tunnel. This setup ensures that the secure communication channel between the CyberArk Privilege Cloud and the LDAP server is operational. Secure Tunnel facilitates the encrypted and safe transmission of data, including LDAP queries and responses, essential for successful integration and ongoing operations.

In the directory lookup order for the CyberArk Privilege Cloud solution, the "CyberArk Cloud Directory" is always looked up first. This directory service is a part of the CyberArk Privilege Cloud infrastructure and is specifically designed to handle identity and access management within the cloud environment efficiently. It prioritizes the CyberArk Cloud Directory for authentication and identity resolution before consulting any external directory services.

To properly arrange the steps for failing over to a passive Central Policy Manager (CPM) in CyberArk, the sequence should be as follows:

• Validate that the active CPM's services are stopped and set to manual.Before enabling the passive CPM, ensure that the services on the active CPM are stopped. This prevents any conflicts or data corruption by making sure that only one CPM is active at a time. Setting the services to manual ensures they do not restart automatically, which is crucial during a failover scenario.
• On the passive CPM, confirm details in the Vault.ini configuration file, reset the password to the CPM user, and recreate the credential file.This step involves making sure the passive CPM has the correct configuration to seamlessly take over operations. Adjustments in the Vault.ini file may be necessary to ensure it is pointing to the correct Vault and network settings. Resetting the password and recreating the credential file are critical to secure the login and authentication process for the newly active CPM.
• Enable the CPM services on the passive CPM.Once the passive CPM is correctly configured and ready, enable its services to begin handling the tasks and responsibilities of the primary CPM. This action effectively switches the role from passive to active, enabling the passive CPM to function as the new operational manager.
• Review logs to confirm the passive CPM services are running as expected.Finally, review the system and application logs to confirm that the now-active CPM is operating correctly and that all services have started without errors. This step is vital for verifying that the failover process was successful and that the system is stable.

Following this ordered sequence ensures a smooth transition of roles from the active CPM to the passive CPM, minimizing downtime and potential disruptions in the privileged access management operations.

The default authentication profile to access CyberArk Identity is typically the Default New Device Login Profile. This profile is used to manage the authentication settings and security measures for devices accessing CyberArk services for the first time. It includes configurations such as authentication methods, security checks, and compliance requirements, ensuring that new devices meet the organization’s security standards before gaining access.

In large-scale environments, to enable the Central Policy Manager (CPM) to focus its search operations on specific Safes instead of scanning all Safes it sees in the Vault, the AllowedSafes parameter on each platform policy is used. This parameter can be configured within the platform settings in the CyberArk administration interface. By specifying safes in the AllowedSafes parameter, the CPM will only manage credentials within those designated safes, thereby optimizing performance and managing resources more efficiently by not scanning unnecessary safes. This setting is crucial for large environments where the CPM needs to be as efficient as possible due to the volume of managed accounts.

The recommended method to enable load balancing and failover of the CyberArk Identity Connector is to set up a network load balancer between two or more CyberArk Identity Connector servers. This setup allows for the distribution of requests across multiple servers, enhancing the availability and reliability of the service. Network load balancers efficiently manage traffic to ensure that no single connector server becomes a bottleneck, thereby improving overall performance and fault tolerance.