How to add administrator credentials to the default credential ring in Patch Manager - Video

11/20/2018 4:19 PM

8/14/2025 3:54 PM

This video (2:50) shows you how to use the centralized credential ring to map end user credentials to managed resources.

 

This video is available in the following languages:  English

Patch Manager

Related Resources 

• Credential rings  
• Add new credentials to a credential ring 

Video Transcription 

SolarWinds Patch Manager uses a default credential ring to map user credentials to managed resources. This enables the application to know which credentials to use to perform a specific task on a managed system.

If SolarWinds Patch Manager does not have the proper credentials to log in to the managed systems, the application generates Access Denied errors during a software update.

When you configure the Patch Manager Server for the first time, the configuration wizard creates a default credential ring for you. This video helps you either change those original credentials or add other credentials to your managed resources.

To populate new credentials for your managed resources, log in to the Patch Manager server as an administrator and open the application.

Expand the ‘Patch Manager System Configuration’ at the bottom of the menu and select the option ‘Security and User Management.’

The first tab you see is the ‘Credentials’ tab. Right-click in the credentials window and select 'add credential.'

To populate the username, enter the fully-qualified domain name (or FQDN) of an administrator account.

SolarWinds recommends entering the username in the DOMAIN\username format.

You can use .\username for adding credentials for Workgroup machines.

Enter and confirm a password, and click 'Save.'

Repeat this process to add more administrator credentials if needed.

Next, go to the ‘Credential Rings’ tab. Right-click on the default ring option to access the ‘Credential Ring Wizard.’

Click the User Name drop-down menu, select the credentials that you just added, and click 'Add.'

Select as many credentials as you want from the list. Click 'Next.'

On the rules page, you can assign resources (anything from an entire WSUS server to a single machine) to a specific credential.

Now, you need to map the credentials to the targeted resource.

Click 'Add Rule' and select the type of rule that you want to add.

In this example, we are selecting the Computer rule.

Please note that unless you explicitly assign a credential, the <default> credentials for 'unmatched resources' will be used.

In the selection window, choose the resources you want to include in the credential rule, and then click 'Add selected.'

Repeat this step for each resource you want to add.

When you are done, click 'OK.'

On the 'Select User for Credential Rule' window, choose the credential you want to map to the resources, and then click 'OK.'

  

Click 'Finish.'

Now the credentials are assigned to the targeted resource. When Patch Manager connects to this resource to perform a task, it will use the credentials you have assigned.