zpa-application_segment-onboard

What this skill does

# ZPA: Onboard Application

## Keywords

onboard application, new application, add application, zpa application, publish application, application segment, private access, zpa setup, application access, zero trust application

## Overview

Onboard a new application in Zscaler Private Access by walking through the full resource dependency chain. This skill creates all required ZPA constructs -- from connector groups to access policies -- ensuring the application is reachable and properly secured.

**Use this skill when:** An administrator wants to make a new internal application accessible through ZPA, or needs a guided walkthrough of the full ZPA application onboarding process.

---

## Workflow

Follow this 8-step process for complete application onboarding. Step 0 is new — it picks the segmentation pattern, which then drives the right defaults in every later step.

### Step 0: Classify the Application (baseline alignment)

Before creating anything, ask the administrator one question: **what kind of application is this?** The answer drives the defaults for AC group, server group, segment group, and `health_reporting` mode. Reference: ZPA Baseline Recommendations v1.0 §App Segmentation Recommendations.

| Class | Examples | App Connector Group | Server Group | Health Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Standard** (general business app) | Wiki, ticketing, internal SaaS | Communal, per location | Communal per location, `dynamic_discovery=True` | `ON_ACCESS` |
| **Sensitive / regulated** (Finance, HR, Legal, PCI) | Workday, SAP HCM, financial systems | **Dedicated isolated** secure-enclave AC group | **Dedicated** SG bound to enclave AC group only | `ON_ACCESS` (use `CONTINUOUS` only for multi-DC critical) |
| **Global** (one app, accessed from everywhere) | AD DCs, NTP, internally LB'd web | All location AC groups | **Global SG** spanning all AC groups | `ON_ACCESS` |
| **Discovery** (wildcard for unknown apps) | `*.corp.example.com` | All communal AC groups | **Global Discovery SG** | **`NONE`** (high volume; per doc page 23) |
| **SIPA** (third-party IP allow-listed) | Vendor portals requiring fixed source IP | **Dedicated SIPA AC group** (separate egress IPs) | **SIPA SG** bound to SIPA AC group only | `ON_ACCESS` |

**Why this matters:** the defaults in this skill historically used `health_reporting="ON_ACCESS"` for everything. That is wrong for Discovery (should be `NONE` to avoid probe storms across all communal AC groups) and may be wrong for critical multi-DC apps (where `CONTINUOUS` lets ZPA route users to the closest *healthy* server). Pick the class first, then the rest of the workflow uses the right defaults.

If the administrator is unsure, default to **Standard** and tell them they can re-classify later by updating the segment.

---

### Step 1: Gather Application Details

Collect the following from the administrator:

**Required:**

- Application name
- Domain name(s) or IP address(es) the application runs on
- TCP and/or UDP port(s) (e.g., 443, 80, 8080, 3389)
- Who should have access (users, groups, or departments)

**Optional:**

- Description and purpose of the application
- Geographic location of the application servers
- Whether to reuse existing ZPA resources (connector groups, server groups, segment groups)
- Health check requirements
- Whether CNAME resolution is needed

---

### Step 2: Set Up App Connector Group

Check for existing connector groups or create a new one.

**List existing:**

```text
zpa_list_app_connector_groups()
```text

**Create if needed:**

```text
zpa_create_app_connector_group(
  name="<location>-Connectors",
  description="Connectors serving <application_name>",
  enabled=True,
  latitude="<lat>",
  longitude="<lon>",
  location="<datacenter_or_office>",
  country_code="<country>"
)
```text

Save the connector group `id` for the next step.

---

### Step 3: Set Up Server Group

Check for existing server groups or create a new one.

**List existing:**

```text
zpa_list_server_groups()
```text

**Create if needed:**

```text
zpa_create_server_group(
  name="<application_name>-Servers",
  description="Server group for <application_name>",
  app_connector_group_ids=["<connector_group_id>"],
  enabled=True,
  dynamic_discovery=True
)
```text

Save the server group `id` for Step 5.

---

### Step 4: Set Up Segment Group

Segment groups logically organize application segments. Check for an existing one or create a new one.

**List existing:**

```text
zpa_list_segment_groups()
```text

**Create if needed:**

```text
zpa_create_segment_group(
  name="<application_name>-Segment-Group",
  description="Segment group for <application_name>",
  enabled=True
)
```text

Save the segment group `id` for the next step.

---

### Step 5: Create Application Segment

This is the core resource that defines the application's reachability.

```text
zpa_create_application_segment(
  name="<application_name>",
  description="<description>",
  segment_group_id="<segment_group_id>",
  domain_names=["app.internal.example.com"],
  tcp_port_range=[{"from": "443", "to": "443"}, {"from": "80", "to": "80"}],
  server_group_ids=["<server_group_id>"],
  enabled=True,
  health_reporting="<from_step_0>",
  is_cname_enabled=True
)
```text

**Set `health_reporting` from the Step 0 classification:**

| Class | `health_reporting` value |
|---|---|
| Standard | `"ON_ACCESS"` |
| Sensitive (single-DC) | `"ON_ACCESS"` |
| Sensitive (multi-DC critical) | `"CONTINUOUS"` |
| Global | `"ON_ACCESS"` |
| **Discovery** | **`"NONE"`** |
| SIPA | `"ON_ACCESS"` |

`CONTINUOUS` generates one probe per connector in every bound AC group every interval — avoid it on segments bound to large AC groups.

**Port configuration options:**

For single ports:

```text
tcp_port_range=[{"from": "443", "to": "443"}]
```text

For port ranges:

```text
tcp_port_range=[{"from": "8000", "to": "8999"}]
```text

For UDP (e.g., DNS):

```text
udp_port_range=[{"from": "53", "to": "53"}]
```text

For mixed TCP+UDP:

```text
tcp_port_range=[{"from": "443", "to": "443"}],
udp_port_range=[{"from": "53", "to": "53"}]
```text

Save the application segment `id` for the access policy.

---

### Step 6: Create Access Policy Rule

Grant access to the application for specific users or groups.

First, look up the identity entities to reference in the policy:

```text
get_zpa_scim_group(search="<group_name>")
get_zpa_saml_attribute(search="<attribute_name>")
```text

Then create the access policy rule:

```text
zpa_create_access_policy_rule(
  name="Allow <group> to <application_name>",
  description="Grants <group> access to <application_name>",
  action_type="ALLOW",
  conditions={
    "operands": [
      {
        "objectType": "APP",
        "values": ["<application_segment_id>"]
      },
      {
        "objectType": "SCIM_GROUP",
        "values": ["<scim_group_id>"]
      }
    ]
  }
)
```text

**Common action types:**

- `ALLOW` -- permit access
- `DENY` -- block access
- `REQUIRE_APPROVAL` -- require explicit approval before access

---

### Step 7: Verify and Summarize

Verify each resource was created correctly:

```text
zpa_get_app_connector_group(group_id="<id>")
zpa_get_server_group(group_id="<id>")
zpa_get_segment_group(group_id="<id>")
zpa_get_application_segment(segment_id="<id>")
zpa_get_access_policy_rule(rule_id="<id>")
```text

#### Present Summary

```text
Application onboarding complete.

**Application:** <name>
- Domains: app.internal.example.com
- Ports: TCP 443, TCP 80
- Health Reporting: ON_ACCESS

**Infrastructure:**
- App Connector Group: <name> (ID: <id>)
- Server Group: <name> (ID: <id>)
- Segment Group: <name> (ID: <id>)

**Access Policy:**
- Rule: Allow <group> to <name>
- Action: ALLOW
- Granted To: <group_name>

**Resource Dependency Map:**
  App Connector Group ─► Server Group ─► Application Segment ◄─ Segment Group
                                                  │
                                                  ▼