Build automations that work seamlessly in a secure environment by combining Pega Robotic Automation 19.1 with your external credential provider.

Credentials are needed to authenticate with Robot Manager, Microsoft Windows, and applications throughout the Pega Robotic Automation process. When running an attended automation, a user is present and can provide these credentials. When running an unattended automation, there is no user present, and a credential provider is required.

You can integrate an external credential provider with the Pega RPA Service and Pega Robot Runtime, using the Pega Robot API. The integration is provided through a DLL you write using a C# template that Pega provides. The template provides a framework for handling a request--you supply the additional logic to securely retrieve the credentials from your credential provider. This DLL plugs into Pega RPA Service and Robot Runtime and is configured locally. When credential retrieval is triggered by Pega RPA Service and Robot Runtime, the following actions occur:

1. A credential request is forwarded to the Credential Service inside of Pega RPA Service or Robot Runtime.
2. The Credential Service processes the request. All replaceable parameter entries in the CredentialManagerConfig.xml are replaced with the current value of the parameter. For example: {MachineName} is replaced with the computer name.
3. Entries in the CredentialManagerConfig.xml are evaluated and the first Credential element matching the request is returned to the Credential Service.
4. The Credential Service formats a request for the Client Credential Provider (your DLL) using the information returned from the CredentialManagerConfig.xml file and makes a request to the Client Credential Provider.
5. The Client Credential Provider fulfills the credential request by retrieving credentials from the external credential provider and returns the result to the Credential Service.
6. The Credential Service returns the credentials to the requestor.

For more information, see Integrating a client credential provider.