Turning Roadblocks Into Breakthroughs: A Custom Oracle-PAM Integration Story

A Custom Oracle - PAM Integration Story

With a ton of privileged access management (PAM) solutions available in the market offering different features and benefits, implementing them in the real world is a task. At times, there are complexities and challenges that PAM solutions are unable to overcome. 

Today, I am talking about a perfect case study where a big challenge was addressed and converted into an opportunity. The story starts with the rejection of the plugin because of its limitations, and later, developing a custom solution inspired by that, leading to commercial success.

The Original OOB Plug-in Limitation in the PAM Solution

Most of the PAM solutions come with the in-built out-of-the-box (OOB) plugins that have the capability of handling tasks to manage Oracle databases, like managing passwords and other sensitive data. This plugin works smoothly when the Oracle setup is a standard one. 

However, once I was supporting a client who threw the biggest challenge ever witnessed. They had an Oracle system setup with their custom need, which was quite unusual for the default plugin to handle. The specification of the setup was that it was a primary-secondary replication setup. 

Here’s the twist:

• Password changes should occur only on the primary database

• Any updates made to the primary database are instantly reflected in the secondary database without manual intervention.

• The logic must be smart enough to determine whether the instance is primary or secondary before taking action

  
  

Unfortunately, the OOB plugin provided by the PAM tool couldn’t handle this level of customization. Despite multiple discussions, it became clear that the vendor wasn’t in a position to support a customized plugin for what was needed.

The Custom Requirement

• Query the Oracle DB to identify if the current node is primary or secondary

• If primary, change the password and replicate it to the secondary

• If secondary, accept the password pushed from the primary without initiating a change

• Seamless support for ~1800 Oracle accounts without disruption

  
  

The Approach: Building the Solution from Scratch

Despite the initial roadblock, I decided to take on the challenge and develop the plugin independently. Here’s how I approached it:

1. Requirement Analysis:

• Studied the Oracle architecture and how roles (primary/secondary) can be identified using SQL queries (SELECT database_role FROM v$database;)

• Assessed how plugins interact with the PAM solution’s Central Policy Manager (CPM) or equivalent module

  
  

2. Custom Plugin Logic:

• Modified the standard plugin framework to include:

  
  

  • Pre-check: run SQL query to determine DB role

  • Conditional logic: change password only if database_role = 'PRIMARY'

  • Post-update action: replicate password to secondary using remote DB connection

    
    

3. Testing & Deployment:

• Created a controlled lab environment simulating the client’s Oracle replication

• Rigorously tested failure scenarios, rollback cases, and password sync validation

• Successfully rolled out to production, covering 1800+ Oracle database accounts

  
  

The Breakthrough: Turning Innovation into Product

The once-rejected custom plugin, in around 45 days, was up and running smoothly. It was successfully deployed and was operating reliably.

Guess What!?

The vendor who once left came back. They were so impressed by the overall features and functionality that after a single demonstration, they signed a contract to acquire it. This case study is an epic case of how persistence and innovation can turn the tables. 

Key Takeaways

• A customized solution is always an option available when regular solutions fail to fulfill the requirements. This reflects that Out-of-the-box does not mean we are out of options. 

• A deep understanding of both the PAM solution and Oracle internals was essential for designing a robust solution

• Persistence matters: Where vendors stop, innovation can begin

• A working solution can turn into a product, even if it starts as a workaround

  
  

Closing Thoughts

This journey wasn’t just about fixing a plugin — it was about pushing boundaries, solving a unique problem at scale, and delivering value where others gave up.

If you’re facing limitations with PAM tools in your environment, don’t settle. There’s always a way forward — and sometimes, it may just lead to your next breakthrough. If your organization is looking for custom PAM solutions, then IDMEXPRESS is just a click away.

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