Adding Users & Roles
Parent page: Configuration
User Management for the Enterprise Server Workspace is performed by an Administrator through the Admin area of the Workspace's browser interface, accessed from an external browser. This provides the interface to the Identity Service (IDS), with which to define Workspace (and other service) access, through specification of Users and Roles.
User management is performed by an Administrator through the Admin area of the Workspace's browser interface.
Controls are spread over the following sub-pages:
- Users - use this page to create and manage a list of users; people who are to have access to the Workspace and/or the associated technologies installed with it.
- Roles - use this page to create and manage a list of roles; roles allow you to further organize your users according to, for example, the particular section of the organization in which they are involved, or the design team they are in. Roles also make the sharing of Workspace content, and the configuration of other served technologies, more streamlined.
- Sessions - use this page to quickly assess which of your users are currently connected to the Workspace. Provision is made for an administrator to terminate a users' access to the Workspace by effectively 'killing' their active session, thereby freeing connections to the Workspace for use by others.
- LDAP Sync - use this page to configure and run an LDAP Sync task. This allows an administrator of your Workspace to leverage the network domain’s existing username and password credentials, so that user credentials do not have to be created manually one at a time on the Users page. When setup correctly the Users page will automatically populate with user credentials, enabling any user listed to connect to the Workspace using their regular corporate network username and password.
Users
Management of users for access to the Workspace and related services is performed from the Users page (Admin - Users), by an administrator of that Workspace. A user is simply a person who it is intended will need access to the Workspace.
Create a 'database' of people who are to have access to the Workspace, from the Users page of the browser interface.
All defined users are presented in a flat listing.
Within the main listing, each user is displayed in terms of the following information:
- User - the name of the user (<First Name> <Last Name>).
- Email - the user's email address.
- Role - the role(s) of which the user is currently a member.
A user that is currently accessing the Workspace is distinguished by a green dot (e.g. An active session can be 'dropped' if needed (without removing the user from the Workspace). This is performed from the Sessions page.
Click the
button and choose to Sort by Name (by first name) or Sort by Email. In addition, you can search for a user by their name (User field) using the dedicated Search field at the top-left.
The Edit and Remove buttons at the top-right of the listing (and also available from the menu associated to the
control for a user) enable you to edit the details for that user, or to remove them (preventing access to the Workspace) respectively.
Adding a New User
To add a new user for Workspace access, click on the
button, located at the top-left of the page. The Create User window will appear with which to specify the contact details, login credentials, and additional role membership for that user.
When you click to add a new user you will be presented with a window in which to specify that user and their role membership.
Specify details for the user. The following are required fields:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Username
- Password
The Username and Password become that user's login credentials for access to the Workspace.
Authentication
The Enterprise Server Workspace supports two modes of user authentication when accessing the Workspace:
- Build In - this is provided courtesy of the Workspace's own Identity Service (IDS). The user accesses the Workspace by entering the credentials initially supplied to them by an administrator for the Workspace.
- Windows - using Windows Domain Authentication. The user accesses the Workspace by entering their Windows login credentials. Windows authentication is only available for an Enterprise Server installed on a PC that is part of a domain.
Setting the required mode of authentication is performed when initially adding a user to the Workspace, but can be switched at any stage thereafter.
Mode is specified using the Authentication field. By default, Build In mode is used. To use Windows Domain Authentication, click on this field and choose Windows from the drop-down. The sub-fields change from Username and Password, to Username and Domain respectively. The Domain field is pre-filled with the name of the domain of which the PC is currently part. Enter the Username to be exactly the same as the Username for that user's Windows login.
Role Assignment
You can also specify which of the existing roles (if defined) the user is to be made a member of, if required. Clicking within the Add Roles field will pop-up a list of all currently defined roles for the Workspace. As you type within the field, the list will reduce to present matching roles accordingly. Select the required role from the list. If the user is required to have administrative powers, select the Administrators role. Multiple roles can be chosen for assignment. Assigned roles will appear in an Existing Roles region, once the user has been created. To remove a role prior to final assignment click the delete cross, to the far right of its name.
Once all details are filled out and specified as required, click the
button - the new user will be created and added to the list of users with access to the Workspace.
An example new user added to the list of users who can access the Workspace.
Password
When using Build In authentication, the access credentials for a new user need to be defined initially by an administrative user, since a non-administrative user cannot add new users (and therefore themselves). However once added, a non-administrative user can access and change their own details - including Username and Password - at any stage. This allows non-admins to securely register their own access credentials without sharing their password with anyone else, including an administrative user.
Of course, if a non-administrative user forgets their password, they will not be able to sign in through the browser interface to access and change it! In this case, they will need to notify an Admin to effectively 'reset' their password for them. This simply involves the administrator:
- Accessing the details for the user and entering a new password in the Password field.
-
Clicking
to effect the change.
- Communicating the new password back to that user.
The non-administrative user can then access their user and switch out this new, temporary password, with another one of their own creation.
Editing an Existing User
You can edit an existing user by:
- Selecting that user and clicking the Edit button at the top-right of the listing.
-
Selecting that user, clicking the
control to the far right, then choosing the Edit command from the associated menu.
The Edit User window will appear, from where you can make changes to the contact details for that user, their login credentials, and role assignment as required. You can also upload a photo for the user, which will replace the default icon (click the
control). If a photo already exists, click on it to modify.
Access and make changes to a user as required.
When all modifications have been made as required, click the
button to effect those changes.
Removing a User
You can remove an existing user from the Workspace by:
- Selecting that user and clicking the Remove button at the top-right of the listing.
-
Selecting that user, clicking the
control to the far right, then choosing the Remove command from the associated menu.
A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion. Click
to proceed, after which the user will be removed from the Workspace's user database. They will no longer have access to the Workspace.
Roles
Management of roles for the Workspace is performed from the Roles page (Admin - Roles), by an administrator of that Workspace. Roles allow you to further organize your users according to, for example, the particular section of the organization in which they are involved, or the design team they are in. Roles also make the sharing of Workspace content and the configuration of other served technologies, more streamlined.
Create specific roles (or 'memberships') of users from the Roles page of the browser interface.
All defined roles are presented in a flat listing.
Within the main listing, each role is displayed in terms of the following information:
- Roles - the name of the role.
- Members - how many defined users are part of this role.
The Edit and Remove buttons at the top-right of the listing (and also available from the menu associated to the
control for a role) enable you to edit the selected role, or to remove it, respectively. The Administrators role cannot be removed.
Adding a New Role
To add a new role, click on the
button, located at the top-left of the page. The Create Role window will appear with which to define the role, in terms of its name and members.
When you click to add a new role, you will be presented with a window in which to specify that role and its members.
Use the Role Name field to enter a meaningful name for the new role. For example, this may be a name that is reflective of the task performed by its members. This is a required field.
You can also specify constituent users for the role (its members). Start typing the full name, username, or email address of a user in the Add Members field, to pop-up a list of matching users. Select the required user from this list. Multiple users can be chosen as members of the role. Assigned users will appear in an Existing Members region, once the role has been created. To remove a user prior to final membership click the delete cross, to the far right of their name.
With name and members defined as required, click
to effect creation of the role. The role will now be available in the list of roles for use in applicable areas elsewhere in the Workspace's browser interface. For example when adding/editing a user, or sharing permissions for access to shareable data within the Workspace.
An example new role added to the list of roles available for the Workspace.
Editing an Existing Role
You can edit an existing role by:
- Selecting that role and clicking the Edit button at the top-right of the listing.
-
Selecting that role, clicking the
control to the far right, then choosing the Edit command from the associated menu.
The Edit Role window will appear, from where you can make any changes to the role's name and/or user membership as required.
Access and make changes to a role as required.
When all modifications have been made as required, click the
button to effect those changes.
Removing a Role
You can remove an existing role from the Workspace by:
- Selecting that role and clicking the Remove button at the top-right of the listing.
-
Selecting that role, clicking the
control to the far right, then choosing the Remove command from the associated menu.
A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion. Click
to proceed, after which the role will be removed from the Workspace.
Sessions
The Enterprise Server Workspace supports users signing into it using the same credentials, but from different computers. If you have an abundance of connector licenses (CAL) remaining this will not be a problem. But if you have a limited number of connections you can't afford to have them 'in use' if they are not, in reality, being used. Similarly, if you have more users requiring access to the Workspace than there are connector licenses. An administrator for the Workspace has the power to logout any user that is currently signed into the Workspace. This enables licensed connections to be 'freed up' as it were, for assignment to other users, should the route of purchasing additional licensed connections not be viable. This is performed from the Sessions page (Admin - Sessions) of the browser interface.
As an Administrator for your Workspace you have the ability to not only view active connections, but also to terminate a session for any user currently signed into that Workspace.
All users that are currently signed into the Workspace - either through an instance of Altium Designer, or through the Workspace's browser interface - are listed, in terms of their name (<First Name> <Last Name>) and Identity Address (reflecting the IP address of the computer from which a connection to the Workspace is being made).
The act of being signed into the Workspace creates an 'active session'. You can terminate a user's session - logging them out of the Workspace - by:
-
Selecting that user and clicking the
button at the top-right of the listing.
-
Selecting that user, then clicking the
control to the far right.
A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to drop the session. Click
to proceed, after which the user will be logged out from the Workspace on all devices and browsers.
LDAP Sync
Related page: Configuring LDAP Sync
This page (Admin - LDAP Sync) allows you to configure and run one or more LDAP Sync tasks. An LDAP Sync task allows an administrator of the Workspace to leverage the network domain’s existing username and password credentials, so that user credentials do not have to be created manually one at a time on the Users page of the interface. When setup correctly, the Users page will automatically populate with user credentials, enabling any user listed to access the Workspace using their regular corporate network username and password.
To add a new sync task click on the
button, located at the top-left of the page. The LDAP Sync Creation window will appear with which to define the sync task.
Adding an LDAP Sync task through the Workspace's browser interface.
Fill in the information, based on the domain structure in effect within your company.
When you have completed entering all settings, click
. This will initiate the Sync process, which may take a minute or two, as it processes the information you have entered. Once complete, access the Users page. This will be populated with all users as defined by the OU=<GroupName> setting in the sync task. Authentication for each user will be Windows Domain Authentication, so all of those users can access the Workspace using their regular Windows login.
Example population of users for the Workspace through use of an LDAP Sync task.
Working with LDAP Sync tasks:
- You can define any number of sync tasks.
-
If you have multiple sync tasks defined, these can be run by clicking the
button.
-
Edit a sync task by selecting that task and either clicking the Edit button at the top-right of the listing or by clicking the
control to the far right, then choosing the Edit command from the associated menu. The LDAP Sync Editing window will open, in which to make any changes. With any changes made, click the
button to save those changes and run the task.
-
Remove a sync task by selecting that task and either clicking the Remove button at the top-right of the listing or by clicking the
control to the far right, then choosing the Remove command from the associated menu. A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion. Click
to proceed, after which the sync task will be removed from the Workspace.