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SiteMinder Administrative User Interfaces

Beginning with SiteMinder r12 SP1, there are two graphical user interfaces (UIs) that configure SiteMinder policy objects, as follows:

Administrative UI

The Administrative UI is a web-based administration console that is installed independent of the Policy Server. Use the Administrative UI to view, modify, and delete all Policy Server objects except those related to Federation Security Services. All federation-related configuration tasks should be handled using the FSS Administrative UI.

Federation Security Services Administrative UI (FSS Administrative UI)

The FSS Administrative UI is an applet-based application that is installed with the Policy Server. The federation-specific UI objects consist of affiliates (consumers, service providers, resource partners) and SAML authentication schemes that you configure to support federated communication between two partners.

The intent of the FSS Administrative UI is to let you manage SiteMinder Federation Security Services. If you are familiar with previous versions of the SiteMinder Policy Server User Interface, you will notice that all SiteMinder objects appear in the FSS Administrative UI. The only objects that do not appear are objects related to Enterprise Policy Management (EPM) and reports. You can use the FSS Administrative UI to manage the SiteMinder objects. If you need information while using the FSS Administrative UI, consult the FSS Administrative UI online help system.

Important! You must register each UI with the Policy Server. Registering the FSS Administrative UI with the Policy Server ensures that the communication between both components is FIPS-encrypted (AES encryption). For more information about registering a UI, see the Policy Server Installation Guide.

Administrative UI Overview

The Policy Server is managed through a graphical user interface. The interface is generated dynamically based on the administrative privileges of the user. This chapter discusses how to log in to the Administrative UI and the common procedures that you use while configuring and managing Policy Server objects.

The Administrative UI contains two panes:

The menu of tasks on the left can be open or closed. If the menu is closed, you can open it by clicking the right-facing arrow. Likewise, if the menu is open, you can close it by clicking the left-facing arrow.

Important! When working on the task pane on the right, always save your changes before opening or closing the menu pane on the left or navigating to another task.

Do not use the Refresh or Back buttons of the browser while using the Administrative UI. Using these buttons resubmits the form, repeats the action that was initiated by clicking a button in the form, and creates an invalid state.