SAP BASIS and Security Authorization

SAP BASIS and Security Authorization

SAP Plant Maintenance

Security Components

IDES – the “International Demonstration and Education System” in the R/3 System, represents a model company. It consists of an international group with subsidiaries in several countries. IDES contains application data that can be used to portray numerous business scenarios in the R/3 System. The business processes in the IDES system are designed to reflect real-life business requirements, and have access to many realistic characteristics. IDES uses easy-to-follow business scenarios to show you the comprehensive functions of the R/3 System. The focal point of IDES, however, is not the functionality itself, but the business processes and their integration.

These IDES business processes are described in detail within this online documentation. The individual demos provide you with an overview of the sample data, and contain step-by-step instructions of how to execute the individual processes.

IDES not only covers the Logistics area, but also Financials, and Human Resources. It demonstrates how the R/3 System is able to support practically all types of industries, from discrete production through to process industries, from engineering-to-order to repetitive manufacturing. However, IDES is not a sector-oriented model company. The individual processes are based on practice-oriented data for sectors such as Retailing or Aerospace and Defense. The IDES group manufactures products as diverse as elevators, motorcycles, and paints.

IDES is managed by SAP just as any regular business enterprise. SAP regularly updates the IDES data (master data, transaction data, and customizing). We also carry out period-end closing and plan with different time-horizons. Transaction data are generated to ensure that the information systems in all areas have access to realistic evaluation data. We are constantly implementing new, interesting business scenarios to highlight the very latest functions available in the R/3 System. New functions, such as internet technology, are represented and documented by IDES scenarios.

Above all, IDES demonstrates the incredible potential of the integrated applications within the R/3 System. We cover all aspects of a business enterprise, including human resources, financial accounting, product cost planning, overhead management, profitability analysis, planning, sales and distribution, materials management, production, and much, much more. We have also integrated document administration and third-party CAD systems within the IDES system. This means that you can call up and display external documents, or access CAD drawings.

IDES shows you how the R/3 System supports production processes, the supply chain, and the efficient usage of global resources. Or perhaps you would like to increase your understanding of just-in-time-production or the integration of the electronic KANBAN system in an MRP II environment? IDES provides the ideal way to learn about areas such as Product Cost Controlling, Activity-Based Costing, or integrated Service Management and Plant Maintenance. How to manage high inflation is just one of the ever-growing number of IDES business scenarios that you can choose from.

SAP Authorization Concept

The SAP authorization concept is based upon the logical relationship between a user ID and the range of system authorizations with which it can be associated. The architecture of the authorization system is based upon the utilization of several individuals but related logical components: Profiles, Objects, Fields, and Authorizations. The user ID refers exclusively to profiles. Each profile grants a set of specific system access authorizations to user. Figure 2 illustrates the hierarchical authorization concept in SAP.

Figure 2

Composite Profiles

Composite profiles refer to the various employee roles available in the corporation (for instance: Purchasing / Receiving Clerk or Accounts Agent). As the name suggests, composite profiles may contain multiple user IDs necessary to perform all the business operations associated with a particular role. A composite profile may encapsulate another composite profile(s). In practice, a model composite profile should be recognized for each possible role in the organization, which may be used to produce hybrid composite profiles. The over-existence of the hybrids can defy the very purpose of composite profiles and they should be created only when specific needs arise.

User Ids

User ids allow access to SAP applications. Each user must have a corresponding profile specifically assigned. In many situations, multiple composite profiles can be assigned to a user ID, depending on the role(s) an individual user is responsible for, in the business processes.

Authorizations

Authorizations are the key building blocks of SAP security. Authorization is the process of assigning values to fields present in authorization objects. In SAP, access to all system functionality is achieved through a complex array of authorizations. Sometimes users find that they lack the necessary authorizations to perform a certain function in the system, in which case the message: “You are not authorized…” is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

An authorization process may ask for second associated authorization process which in turn asks for third and so on. For example, the task of paying a vendor invoice may require 10 different authorizations.

Security Configuration in SAP

Security configuration and administration in SAP is a multi-phase process. Four key security components are required to ensure the adequate security, privacy, and integrity of information. The phases are as follows:

1. User Authentication

The first phase comprises confirmation of user identity and results in authentication of user. Unauthorized access to SAP system is prevented through this initial check. This ensures system integrity by regulating secure access through genuine user authentication.

2 Creating and Assigning Authorization Profiles

A Profile Generator (PG) is used to automatically generate and assign authorization profiles. This tool was released with SAP version 3.1g and above. The administrator can also create authorization profiles manually.

Note: Profile Generator can be retroactively installed in SAP versions 3.0f and above.

The authorization objects can be selected using the SAP Profile Generator. Administrators can automatically generate authorization profiles for function-specific access to SAP users after configuring initial settings.

The entire authorization functionality of SAP signifies a new approach to authorization. The administrator can define user authorization based on SAP functions. Based on the selected function, the PG groups objects in administrator-created authorization profiles.

Authorization profiles created by a Profile Generator are based on the given authorizations. It also speeds up the process and simplifies administrator/user communication facilitating both the administrator and users to use the same SAP function terminology. To auto-generate an Authorization profile, an Activity Group needs to be created.

Activity Groups contain simple profiles and usually represent employee or job roles. They are user-defined and allow administrator to organize and maintain system activities. Activity group when used as an information database reduces data entry time. Administrators can define activity groups in two steps:

1. Selecting the criteria, such as access controls.
2. Dividing the activities into appropriate groups.

For example, activities can be organized by functions, such as human resources, payroll, or administration or by job classes, such as computer programming activities, or accounting activities. A combination of function-specific activity and job-specific activity can also be implemented.

Security implementation with the new Profile Generator is based on the creation of activity groups or a collection of linked or associated activities, such as tasks, reports, and transactions.

Consider a business situation involving a company, ABC Inc. faced with transaction security hiccups in business dealings with its dealers. To address this problem, the company can create authorization profiles for its dealers using the profile generator features. This can be done by implementing the following instruction set:

• Instruction 1: A dealer activity group should be created. Name this activity group as Dealer.

• Instruction 2: All dealer-specific business transactions should be included in the activity group.

• Instruction 3: Generate an authorization profile for Dealers.

• Instruction 4: Assign Dealer to a “new user” or in your system and update master records.

Following this procedure will ensure complete functional access to the new user using the system as Dealer.

Auditing and Monitoring

In this subsequent phase, a track of the authorizations created (previous phase) is kept. Detailed accounts of system events are used to record the actions of a user corresponding to that unique user account identifier. Auditing/Monitoring activities should be in compliance with enterprise’s overall IT strategy and should be performed on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis.

Figure 3

There are some key tasks that should be included in a monitoring plan. The following reviews should be a part of an ideal monitoring plans.

Using System Logs and Security Audit Logs

The system log records critical information important events. Each individual application server maintains local log files to which the information is written periodically. The security audit log records areas such as successful and unsuccessful dialog log-on attempts, RFC log-on attempts, changes to user master records, and transaction starts.

Reviewing User Activity
All SAP system users must be continuously monitored so that their problems can be rectified as soon as they occur. The timely attention to user problems can reduce administration overheads.

For example, if a SAP administrator wants to check for unrecognizable user Ids or the users trying to use non-permitted transactions, administrator can execute transaction AL08 and review user activity.

Monitoring User access in BASIS User Group

The BASIS users in a SAP system have access to sensitive areas of an organization. Therefore it is vital to monitor their access. Following instructions can be performed to check the access of BASIS User group.

Instruction Set

• Enter transaction SUIM to view Repository Information of the system.
• Follow the Menu Path:
  • User > Lists of users (according to selection criteria) > user IDS (Double Click).

   

Monitoring Change Requests

All change requests need to be properly reviewed and controlled prior to being applied. This formal process needs to be detailed enough to ensure that separation of duties and other control features are not breached. Strong integration knowledge of the SAP system is required for this review. Critical profiles, authorizations, and transactions need to be identified and treated even more carefully.

Checking Important Default SAP Profiles

Administrators must check that default profiles act a template for user defined profiles and are not directly used in production. Default profiles contain values, which apply to all application servers. These include: SAP_ALL, SAP_NEW, S_A.ADMIN, S_A.CUSTOMIZ, S_A.DEVELOP, S_A.DOKU, S_A.SYSTEM, S_A.USER, S_ENT_IMG_GE, S_WF_ALL, and P_ALL.

Changing Default SAP User ID’s

SAP comes with some pre-configure clients (independent business units). They are client 000, 001 and 066 in the non-IDES system. In the IDES system, client 800 is the default client. SAP installation process automatically creates default user Ids and their corresponding passwords. SAP administrators must ensure that they are not used to access the system. The following table explains default user Ids in various SAP clients.

Instruction Set

• Change all default passwords and verifying the password change by logging into various client areas.
• Assign SAP* to the Super user group.
  • Enter transaction SE16.
  • Enter SAP* into the field called BNAME.
  • Click “Execute” and verify.
• As a final step, check that the secret super user has been created (with a different user ID and password). All of the authorizations assigned to SAP* should then be removed (an empty profile list followed by a password change.