Set up a Freshdesk connector

C1 provides identity governance and just-in-time provisioning for Freshdesk. Integrate your Freshdesk instance with C1 to run user access reviews (UARs) and enable just-in-time access requests.

Capabilities

Resource	Sync	Provision
Accounts
Groups
Roles

The Freshdesk connector supports automatic account provisioning and deprovisioning.

Gather Freshdesk credentials

Generate a Freshdesk API key

Freshdesk API keys inherit the permissions of the user who creates them. Make sure that the user or service account used to make the API key for the connector has the appropriate permissions:

• To sync data (read): View permissions for Users (Agents), Groups, and Roles.

• To sync data and provision access (read-write): View and manage permissions for Users (Agents), Groups, and Roles.

To create a new API key:

1. Log into your account in the Freshdesk Support Portal.

2. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen and select Profile settings.

3. Click View API key and complete the verification.

4. Carefully copy and save the API key.

Look up your Freshdesk domain

You’ll also need to provide your Freshdesk domain when setting up the connector. The domain is found in the URL of your Freshdesk implementation.

In the sample URL https://example.freshdesk.com, the domain is example.

Done. Next, move on to the connector configuration instructions.

Configure the Freshdesk connector

To complete this task, you’ll need:

• The Connector Administrator or Super Administrator role in C1
• Access to the set of Freshdesk credentials generated by following the instructions above

Cloud-hosted

Follow these instructions to use a built-in, no-code connector hosted by C1.

1. In C1, navigate to Integrations > Connectors and click Add connector.

2. Search for Freshdesk and click Add.

3. Choose how to set up the new Freshdesk connector:

   • Add the connector to a currently unmanaged app (select from the list of apps that were discovered in your identity, SSO, or federation provider that aren’t yet managed with C1)

   • Add the connector to a managed app (select from the list of existing managed apps)

   • Create a new managed app

4. Set the owner for this connector. You can manage the connector yourself, or choose someone else from the list of C1 users. Setting multiple owners is allowed.

   If you choose someone else, C1 will notify the new connector owner by email that their help is needed to complete the setup process.

5. Click Next.

6. Find the Settings area of the page and click Edit.

7. Paste your Freshdesk domain into the Domain field.

   The domain is example in the Freshdesk instance address https://example.freshdesk.com.

8. Paste the API key into the API key field.

9. Click Save.

10. The connector’s label changes to Syncing, followed by Connected. You can view the logs to ensure that information is syncing.

Done. Your Freshdesk connector is now pulling access data into C1.

Self-hosted

Follow these instructions to use the Freshdesk connector, hosted and run in your own environment.

When running in service mode on Kubernetes, a self-hosted connector maintains an ongoing connection with C1, automatically syncing and uploading data at regular intervals. This data is immediately available in the C1 UI for access reviews and access requests.

Resources

• GitHub repository: Access the source code, report issues, or contribute to the project.

Step 1: Set up a new Freshdesk connector

1. In C1, navigate to Integrations > Connectors > Add connector.

2. Search for Baton and click Add.

3. Choose how to set up the new Freshdesk connector:

   • Add the connector to a currently unmanaged app (select from the list of apps that were discovered in your identity, SSO, or federation provider that aren’t yet managed with C1)

   • Add the connector to a managed app (select from the list of existing managed apps)

   • Create a new managed app

4. Set the owner for this connector. You can manage the connector yourself, or choose someone else from the list of C1 users. Setting multiple owners is allowed.

   If you choose someone else, C1 will notify the new connector owner by email that their help is needed to complete the setup process.

5. Click Next.

6. In the Settings area of the page, click Edit.

7. Click Rotate to generate a new Client ID and Secret.

   Carefully copy and save these credentials. We’ll use them in Step 2.

Step 2: Create Kubernetes configuration files

Create two Kubernetes manifest files for your Freshdesk connector deployment:

Secrets configuration

# baton-freshdesk-secrets.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: baton-freshdesk-secrets
type: Opaque
stringData:
  # C1 credentials
  BATON_CLIENT_ID: <C1 client ID>
  BATON_CLIENT_SECRET: <C1 client secret>
  
  # Freshdesk credentials
  BATON_API_KEY: <Freshdesk API key>
  BATON_DOMAIN: <Freshdesk account domain>

  # Optional: include if you want C1 to provision access using this connector
  BATON_PROVISIONING: true

See the connector’s README or run --help to see all available configuration flags and environment variables.

Deployment configuration

# baton-freshdesk.yaml
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: baton-freshdesk
  labels:
    app: baton-freshdesk
spec:
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: baton-freshdesk
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: baton-freshdesk
        baton: true
        baton-app: freshdesk
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: baton-freshdesk
        image: ghcr.io/conductorone/baton-freshdesk:latest
        imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
        env:
        - name: BATON_HOST_ID
          value: baton-freshdesk
        envFrom:
        - secretRef:
            name: baton-freshdesk-secrets

Step 3: Deploy the connector

1. Create a namespace in which to run C1 connectors (if desired), then apply the secret config and deployment config files.

2. Check that the connector data uploaded correctly. In C1, click Apps. On the Managed apps tab, locate and click the name of the application you added the Freshdesk connector to. Freshdesk data should be found on the Entitlements and Accounts tabs.

Done. Your Freshdesk connector is now pulling access data into C1.