West Utilities: Service Account Password Rotation

How to confirm ownership of a service account and coordinate a password rotation with a West Utilities client. Intended for Tier 1 support agents handling West Utilities tickets.

Overview

Convey supports several products, and each may have its own account setup and process. This article covers the West Utilities product line specifically. Clients on West Utilities sometimes need to rotate the password of a service account we manage on their behalf, usually as part of their own compliance process, such as SOX. This is not tied to any one West Utilities client. Before we can help with any rotation, we need to confirm the account actually belongs to our team, then coordinate the change with the client in a controlled way. This article walks through that full process, from checking ownership to closing the ticket, and applies across West Utilities clients regardless of which one is asking.

Important Note

Never accept a new password sent in plain text over email. The client should provide it through a secure attachment or share it live during the scheduled call.

Key Terms & Who to Contact

A few terms used in this article, and where to go if you get stuck:

• Service account: a login used by a system to talk to another system, not a login used by a real person. Examples in this article are fmwhvcauser and sa-mosaicx.
• SOX compliance: a financial regulation some clients must follow. One common requirement is rotating passwords on important accounts on a regular basis, which is why clients reach out to us for this.
• Ownership: whether an account is actually something our team manages. Just because a client mentions an account name does not mean it is ours. This always needs to be checked first.

Who to Contact

If you are unsure whether an account belongs to our team, or unsure how to check, reach out to one of the following:

• Hardee Yu, [e-mail]
• Michael Orellana, [e-mail]
• ReynaJean Alejo, [e-mail]

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps when a client asks for a password rotation on any service account we manage:

1. Confirm ownership. Reach out to Hardee Yu, Michael Orellana, or ReynaJean Alejo (emails above) to confirm whether the account belongs to our team.
2. Rule out other business units. An account not found under our team may still belong to another business unit, such as EONS, using a similar name. Confirm the client relationship before ruling the account out completely.
3. Confirm the environment. Confirm with the client whether the rotation is for production, a lower environment, or both, before scheduling.
4. Get the client's schedule. Ask the client for their preferred date and time, along with the names and emails of anyone who needs to be on the call.
5. Collect the new password. Have the client send the new password through a secure attachment, never plain text in an email.
6. Schedule the session. Send a meeting invite to everyone involved, internal and client side.
7. Perform the rotation live. Make the password change during the scheduled call so the client can confirm it right away.
8. Verify and close. Ask the client to test and confirm the account is working. Once confirmed, close the ticket. If production still needs to be done separately, ask the client to open a new ticket for that.

Troubleshooting & Common Issues

A few things that have come up during past password rotations:

Symptom / Situation	Root Cause	How to Fix It
Account ownership is unclear	The account may belong to a different business unit, or it simply is not one of ours.	Confirm the client relationship (which business unit they belong to) and check with Hardee Yu, Michael Orellana, or ReynaJean Alejo before responding to the client.
Client is unclear on production vs. lower environment	The client request did not specify which environment the change applies to.	Ask the client to confirm directly in writing before scheduling anything.
Client delays sending the new password	The client got pulled into other work and the request slipped their mind.	Send a friendly reminder ahead of the scheduled session. The password can also be shared securely during the call itself if needed.

Guidelines & Best Practices

Keep these points in mind whenever you handle a password rotation request:

What to Avoid

• xDo not confirm account ownership from memory or guesswork. Always check with Hardee Yu, Michael Orellana, or ReynaJean Alejo.
• xDo not accept a new password sent in plain text over email.
• xDo not schedule the change without first confirming production versus lower environment.

Best Practices

• ✓Always confirm ownership before promising a client we can make the change.
• ✓Get the environment (production or lower) confirmed in writing before scheduling.
• ✓Perform the rotation live on a call so the client can confirm it works right away.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Does this process apply to other Convey products, not just West Utilities?

A: This article covers West Utilities specifically. Other Convey products may have different account setups or contacts, so check with your team lead before applying these steps outside West Utilities.

Q: How do I know if an account is not ours? Does it mean it is definitely not ours?

A: Not always. Check whether the client belongs to another business unit, such as EONS, that could be using a similarly named account. If you are still unsure, check with Hardee Yu, Michael Orellana, or ReynaJean Alejo.

Q: Can we schedule the password rotation before knowing whether it is for production or a lower environment?

A: No. Always get the environment confirmed by the client first, since production and non-production changes should be handled as separate sessions or tickets.

Q: Who do I contact if I'm not sure how to check ownership of an account?

A: Reach out to Hardee Yu ([e-mail]), Michael Orellana ([e-mail]), or ReynaJean Alejo ([e-mail]).

References & Related Tickets

For internal team use: past tickets related to this article.

• ZD-162477 Nova Scotia Power (client 1) SOX compliance request for two middleware accounts. Confirmed fmwhvcauser was ours, fmwjmeteruser was not.
• ZD-162958 Greenville Utilities Commission (client 2), a different client entirely, production rotation for the sa-mosaicx account, completed and verified during a live call.