[SunHELP] Root Password management - How do you do it?

[Andrew Vendryes]

Hello,

I have a question for those of you who manage from ten to fifty Solaris boxen.

What procedures/systems do you use for managing the root passwords?

I have searched SANS <http://www.sans.org> and CERT <http://www.cert.org/> but
they are offering the usual stuff on how to select a password and not much in
the way I want.

I am hoping that some of you can point me to a source for generally accepted
practises or, what you would like to do, or what you do yourself :

"One person has password for foo, and it is written down, sealed in an envelope
and locked in the safe for which only the Manager has the combination"

I am also interested in hearing about drawbacks such as:

"The BOFH went on vacation at the same time as PHB. 

The PFY encountered a situation where he needed the root password for foo.
Nothing was done because neither the BOFH nor the PHB had left instructions with
the PFY on how to be reached. 

The PHB returned before the BOFH but could not remember the combination for the
safe and so ... "

Of course some of you may pefer to respond outside the list on this one :)

Regards,

-- 
Andrew Vendryes -- sunh at vendryes.com