The purpose of the HeadStartInterval setting in a platform is to instruct the CPM to initiate the password change process X number of days before expiration. This setting is used when the platform has the One Time Password feature enabled, which means that the passwords are changed every time they are retrieved by a user. The HeadStartInterval setting defines the number of days before the password expires (according to the ExpirationPeriod parameter) that the CPM will start the password change process. This gives the CPM enough time to change the password before it becomes invalid, and ensures that the user will always receive a valid password when they request it1. The HeadStartInterval setting can be configured in the Platform Management settings for each platform that supports One Time Passwords. The default value is 0, which means that the CPM will start the password change process on the same day as the password expiration date1.

The other options are not the purpose of the HeadStartInterval setting in a platform:

A. It determines how far in advance audit data is collected for reports. This option is not related to the HeadStartInterval setting, which does not affect the audit data collection or reporting. The audit data is collected by the Vault server and stored in the Audit database, and the reports are generated by the PVWA or the PrivateArk Client based on the audit data2.

C. It instructs the AIM Provider to ‘skip the cache’ during the defined time period. This option is not related to the HeadStartInterval setting, which does not affect the AIM Provider or the cache mechanism. The AIM Provider is a component that enables applications to securely retrieve credentials from the Vault without requiring human intervention. The cache mechanism is a feature that allows the AIM Provider to store credentials locally for a limited time, in case of a temporary network failure or Vault unavailability3.

D. It alerts users of upcoming password changes x number of days before expiration. This option is not related to the HeadStartInterval setting, which does not alert users of anything. The HeadStartInterval setting only instructs the CPM to initiate the password change process, not to notify the users. The users do not need to be aware of the password changes, as they are performed automatically by the CPM and do not affect the user experience1. References:

1: Privileged Account Management, Min Validity Period subsection

2: Reports and Audits

3: Application Identity Manager