# System Center authentication

> To create a connection, you need the following credentials:

## Prerequisites

To create a connection, you need the following credentials:

* Password – The password of the user account used to perform the System Center operations.
* Username – The username of the user account used to perform the System Center operations.
* Orchestrator – The path to the Orchestrator web service.

:::note
The Username must be provided in the format `FQDN\user` or `user@FQDN`. Examples: `devs.local\john.smith`, `john.smith@devs.local`.
:::

## Add the System Center connection

1. Select Orchestrator from the product launcher.
2. Select a folder, and then navigate to the **Connections** tab.
3. Select **Add connection**.
4. To open the connection creation page, select the connector from the list. You can use the search bar to find the connector.
5. Enter the required credentials and select **Connect**.

   For any secret-type field, you can select the menu next to the field and choose **Use credential asset** to reference an Orchestrator credential asset linked to an external vault instead of entering the value directly. For more information, see [Use credential assets for connections](credential-store-connections.md).