> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ntop.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to setup nTop Automate with MDO Platforms

## **Question**

How can I set up nTop Automate for a multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) platform without hardcoding my password?

Using my credentials directly in the MDO project files is a security risk, is not scalable if my password changes, and fails on machines where my credentials aren't cached. I'm looking for a secure and robust way to manage authentication for automated workflows across multiple users and machines.

## **Applies to**

* nTop Automate
* MDO Platforms (e.g., HEEDS, Isight, ModeFrontier)

## **Answer**

The recommended best practice is to use a dedicated, non-personal **service account** for nTop and store its password securely in a **system environment variable**. This method separates the secret (password) from the configuration (your MDO project).

### **Step 1: Create a Dedicated nTop Service Account**

Create a single nTop user account for running automated jobs (e.g., [ntop-automation@your-org.com](mailto:ntop-automation@your-org.com)). You can add a new user using the Org Admin Dashboard ([https://app.ntop.com/org/users](https://app.ntop.com/org/users)).

* **Floating Licenses:** The service account can check out a license from your organization's or team's license pool.
* **Named-User Licenses:** You must assign a specific nTop Automate license to this service account.

If you have any questions, refer to the [nTop Org. Admin Guide](/help-articles/access-and-installation/accounts-and-licensing/ntop-org-admin-guide) and email [support@ntop.com](mailto:support@ntop.com) for further assistance!

### **Step 2: Configure the Execution Machine(s)**

This setup must be performed on every computer running the nTop Automate jobs.

**A. Set the Environment Variable (One-time setup per machine)**

This command creates a secure, system-wide variable to store the password.

1. Open **Command Prompt** as an **Administrator**.
2. Run the following command, replacing the placeholder with your service account's actual password:

```
setx NTOP_PASSWORD "YourServiceAccountPassword" /M
```

3. Restart your Command Prompt session or log out/in for the change to take effect.

![](https://files.learn.ntop.com/help-articles/ntop-automate/50598759144467.png)**B. Create a Wrapper Script**

This batch script (.bat) acts as a bridge, calling nTop Automate using the securely stored password.

1. Create a new text file and save it as run\_ntop\_secure.bat in a shared location.
2. Copy the following code into the file, updating the path to **ntopcl.exe** and the service account email as needed. You can also create the user email as an environment variable.

```
@echo off
rem This script runs nTop Automate using a dedicated service account
rem and a password stored securely in an environment variable.

"C:\Program Files\nTopology\nTop\ntopcl.exe" -u "ntop-automation@your-org.com" -w %NTOP_PASSWORD% -i %1 -o %2
```

The %1 and %2 Your MDO tool will use placeholders to pass in the input and output file paths. These are optional, and you can set these up based on your requirements.

**C. Configure Your MDO Tool**

In your MDO analysis process, configure the execution command to call the run\_ntop\_secure.bat wrapper script instead of ntopcl.exe directly.

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