Troubleshooting the “User Cannot Be Assigned As Firefighter” Error in SAP GRC.

SAP GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) is a powerful suite for managing access risks within your SAP landscape. One of its critical components is the Emergency Access Management (EAM) or “Firefighter” feature. This feature lets you assign temporary, privileged access to users for troubleshooting or emergencies, always under auditable control.

However, sometimes you may encounter the error “User Cannot Be Assigned As Firefighter” when setting up a Firefighter user and ID. This error can be frustrating as it blocks you from providing vital emergency access, so let’s break down the possible causes and solutions.

Common Causes and Solutions

1. Missing Roles and Authorizations
   • Ensure the user you want to assign as a Firefighter has the fundamental SAP GRC Firefighter roles, such as:
     • /GRCPI/GRAC_USER
     • /GRCPI/GRAC_FF_ID_OWNER (If you wish them to be an owner)
     • /GRCPI/GRAC_FF_ID_CONTROLLER (If you wish them to be a controller)
   • Check if the relevant connectors for the target systems are installed and configured in your SAP GRC system. The user should have appropriate access maintained in the target system(s) related to the Firefighter ID.
2. User Validity Issues
   • Verify that the user’s account is active and not locked in SAP GRC and the connected target systems.
   • Ensure that there are no date validity restrictions to preventprevent the user from being assigned as a firefighterfirefighter.
3. Conflicting Assignments: Owner vs. Firefighter
   • SAP GRC typically prevents a user from being the Firefighter and the owner/controller of the same Firefighter ID. Review existing assignments for conflicts and modify them if necessary.
4. System Synchronization Problems
   • Run the SAP GRC Repository Object Synchronization jobs to ensure all configuration and user data are aligned across GRC and connected systems.
   • Check for any errors in the synchronization logs that may pinpoint the problem.
5. SAP Notes
   • Search the SAP Support Portal for relevant SAP Notes to address this issue. Notes often contain patches or workarounds for known problems. Here are a couple of relevant ones:
     • SAP Note 2624669 – Error ‘User cannot be assigned as firefighter’ on FFID assignment screen
     • SAP Note 2321933 – Firefighter user and controller/owner cannot be the same person in GRC Access Control

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Gather Information: Collect the username, Firefighter ID, relevant roles, and any error messages you encounter.
2. Check Authorizations: Thoroughly examine the user’s assigned roles in SAP GRC and necessary roles within the connected target systems.
3. Verify User Status: Ensure the user account is active and has proper validity dates.
4. Review for Conflicts: Check for ownership/controller assignments that might conflict with assigning the user as a Firefighter.
5. Run Synchronization: Execute the Repository Object Synchronization jobs.
6. Investigate SAP Notes: Search for relevant SAP Notes and apply solutions as needed.

Additional Tips

• Consult SAP GRC documentation and online community forums for further guidance.
• If you cannot resolve the issue, consider opening a support ticket with SAP.