ACA Interface

The Access Control Assistant (ACA) interface is split into a top and bottom panel and all data is clearly arranged under four distinct tabs inside each panel. For more on working with panels, please refer to Copy, Move and Assign Elements.

To work on data inside the top or bottom panel, click anywhere inside the panel. Click on any one of the four tabs to make your selection:

• Users - shows Users along with Access Control Rights (ACRs) and ACR groups, and Teams together with Users grouped under these Teams,

• ACRs - shows all ACRs defined in the database along with assigned Scopes and Roles, and ACR Groups,

• Scopes - shows all defined Scopes,

• Roles - shows all defined Roles with Permissible Operations (Perops) belonging to those Roles.

For more information on the above terminology, please refer to Data Access Control (DAC).

The tabs are particularly beneficial as database information can be extensive and viewing everything inside a single window can be unwieldy. With the help of tabs, it is possible to view elements of one particular ACR or Scope inside its own dedicated tab; it is also convenient when making assignments between each element.

Each tab contains a tree structure consisting of nodes, where each node represents a database element. Each node in turn displays children representing elements related to their parent.

The following types of database nodes found in the ACA:

• User - contains children of type ACR or ACR Group representing ACR elements assigned to the User,

• Team - contains children of type User representing Users involved in the Team,

• ACR - contains children of types Scope and Role representing assigned access control right elements,

• ACR Group - contains ACR nodes representing ACRs involved in the group,

• Scope - nodes of this type do not have any child nodes,

• Role - contains Perop nodes that the Role consists of,

• Perop - nodes of this type do not have any child nodes.

The above relationships between nodes are recursive. This means that when a Team node contains User nodes, those nodes in turn, have will have ACR nodes, which again contain Scopes and Roles etc.

The advantage of this approach is that the user can see all access control elements connected with a specific database element in one single view.

For example, it is possible to view complete information about access rights for a single User including all assigned ACRs and ACR Groups with Scope and Role information along with Perop definitions, all in one place.

Moreover, it is possible to edit this information, singly or collectively.