Raise the bastion forest functional level to use Active Directory PAM features

Article
09/14/2023

Microsoft Identity Manager privileged access management (PAM) in Identity Manager 2016 was originally designed to operate with either the Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2016 Active Directory functional level of the bastion forest.

For Identity Manager to use Windows Server 2012 R2, it contained a "just in time" evaluation engine in the Identity Manager PAM component service that could remove members from groups. With Windows Server 2016, PAM features of time-limited group memberships and shadow principal groups are built into Windows Server Active Directory. For more information, see What's new in Active Directory Domain Services for Windows Server 2016.

Windows Server 2016 and later versions offer these features and more security benefits. If you have an existing deployment of Identity Manager PAM at the 2012 functional level, plan to update Identity Manager and Windows Server so that you can raise the functional level. The use of Identity Manager with Windows Server 2012 R2 as the PRIV forest functional level is now deprecated. We recommend that you set the CORP forests at the Windows Server 2016 functional level for the PAM scenario for any newly created or non-low RID groups. This step isn't required.

For an existing deployment, raising the functional level of the bastion forest requires more configuration steps, both in Active Directory and Identity Manager. The following steps ensure that time-limited memberships are enabled and Identity Manager recognizes the new features of that functional level.

Upgrade Windows Server and Identity Manager software

Before you raise the functional level, ensure that the domain controllers, member servers, and Identity Manager meet the minimum version requirements:

All domain controllers in the bastion environment for the PRIV forest must be Windows Server 2016 or later.
All member servers hosting Identity Manager for PAM must be Windows Server 2016 or later, as needed for the Remote Server Administration Tools.
The Identity Manager software must be Identity Manager 2016 version 4.6.607.0 from February 2022 or a later hotfix. For more information on the latest hotfixes, see Microsoft Identity Manager version history.

Check if you need to raise the functional level

Make sure you're signed in to the server that hosts Identity Manager as an Identity Manager administrator.
Start PowerShell.
Enter the following command.
```
(Get-PAMConfiguration).ForestFunctionality
```
If the output is DS_BEHAVIOR_WIN2012R2, you might need to raise the functional level and complete the Identity Manager and PAM configuration. You'll follow the steps in the rest of this article. If the output is DS_BEHAVIOR_WIN2015, you don't need to raise the functional level.

Raise the PRIV forest functional level

To perform this step, you must be a member of the Enterprise Admins group in the PRIV forest.
Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts.
In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts. Then select Raise Forest Functional Level.
If the current functional level shown is Windows Server 2016 or a later functional level, you don't need to raise the functional level of the forest. But you might need to make more Active Directory or Identity Manager changes.
If the functional level is earlier than Windows Server 2016, in Select an available forest functional level, select the value Windows Server 2016. Then select Raise.

For more information on how to raise the functional level, or if an error occurs, see Raise Active Directory domain and forest functional levels.
In the console tree, select the domain. Then select Raise Domain Functional Level.
If the current functional level shown is earlier than Windows Server 2016, in Select an available forest functional level, select the value Windows Server 2016. Then select Raise.
Close Active Directory Domains and Trusts.

Update the PRIV domain configuration

Next, authorize the Identity Manager administrators and Identity Manager accounts to create and update shadow principals.

Ensure the PAM features in Windows Server 2016 Active Directory are present and enabled in the PRIV forest. Open a PowerShell window as an administrator, and enter the following commands:
```
$of = get-ADOptionalFeature -filter "name -eq 'privileged access management feature'"
Enable-ADOptionalFeature $of -scope ForestOrConfigurationSet -target "priv.contoso.local"
```
Acknowledge the change.
Enter ADSIEdit.
Open the Actions menu and select Connect To. On the Connection point setting, change the naming context from Default naming context to Configuration. Select OK.
On the left side of the window under ADSI Edit, select the Configuration node to see CN=Configuration,DC=priv,..... Select CN=Configuration, and then select CN=Services.
Right-click CN=Shadow Principal Configuration and select Properties. When the properties dialog appears, select the Security tab.
Select Add. Specify the accounts MIMService, MIMMonitor, MIMComponent, and any other Identity Manager administrators who will later be performing New-PAMGroup to create more PAM groups. For each user, in the allowed permissions list, add Write, Create all child objects, and Delete all child objects. Add the permissions.
Select Advanced to change to the Advanced Security settings. Select the line that allows MIMService access, and select Edit. Change the Applies to setting to to this object and all descendant objects. Update this permission setting and close the Security dialog. Repeat these steps for the other accounts.
Close ADSI Edit.

Next, authorize the Identity Manager administrators to create and update authentication policy. Open an elevated command prompt and enter the following commands. Substitute the name of your Identity Manager administrator account for mimadmin in each of the four lines:

dsacls "CN=AuthN Policies,CN=AuthN Policy Configuration,CN=Services,CN=configuration,DC=priv,DC=contoso,DC=local" /g mimadmin:RPWPRCWD;;msDS-AuthNPolicy /i:s

dsacls "CN=AuthN Policies,CN=AuthN Policy Configuration,CN=Services,CN=configuration,DC=priv,DC=contoso,DC=local" /g mimadmin:CCDC;msDS-AuthNPolicy

dsacls "CN=AuthN Silos,CN=AuthN Policy Configuration,CN=Services,CN=configuration,DC=priv,DC=contoso,DC=local" /g mimadmin:RPWPRCWD;;msDS-AuthNPolicySilo /i:s

dsacls "CN=AuthN Silos,CN=AuthN Policy Configuration,CN=Services,CN=configuration,DC=priv,DC=contoso,DC=local" /g mimadmin:CCDC;msDS-AuthNPolicySilo

Restart the PRIVDC server and other domain controllers so that the changes take effect.

Update the Identity Manager PAM configuration

Stop accepting new PAM requests, and wait for existing PAM requests to finish.
Make sure you're signed in to the server that hosts Identity Manager as an Identity Manager administrator.
Start PowerShell.

Enter the following command:

Set-PAMConfiguration -ForestFunctionality DS_BEHAVIOR_2015

Restart the server where Identity Manager is hosted.

Validate that Active Directory shadow principals are being created

After the functional levels are raised, the PAM feature is enabled in Active Directory and the Identity Manager configuration changes. Identity Manager continues to use the existing PRIV forest groups that were created by using SID history, or that are Priv-only groups. In those groups, Identity Manager uses the Active Directory TTL membership feature to time-limit the membership. For any new groups, the New-PAMGroup cmdlet creates new shadow security principal groups rather than using SID history.

Create a new security group in a CORP forest domain. For example, the group could be named G2.
Make sure you're signed in to the server that hosts Identity Manager as an Identity Manager administrator.
Start PowerShell.
Enter the following command, referring to the group that was created:
```
New-PAMGroup -SourceDomain "CORP" -SourceGroupName "G2"
```
After the command finishes, check that in the output object the Source Account SID and Priv Account SID match. The resulting shadow principal object will have been created in the PRIV domain under CN=Shadow Principal Configuration,CN=Services,CN=Configuration.

Next steps

Elevate a user's access

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