Overview of User Profiles

A user profile is a schema that determines the data you collect and store about a user. Similarly, a group profile is a schema that determines the data you collect and store about a specific group of users. Each piece of data in a user profile is called a user property. A user profile is the entire collection of user property values for a user from all available user property sets.

For more information about user management, see the User Management Guide on BEA's edocs page.

User profiles are key components for the following portal features:

• Interaction Management: When users log in to a portal, the portal uses their user and/or group profile to target them with personalized content, e-mails, and discounts based on the personalization rules you set up.
• Entitlements: Use visitor entitlements to limit user access to portal resources (desktops, books, pages, portlets, and other resources). You can base visitor entitlements on user profiles.
• Delegated Administration: User profiles also play a role in setting up delegated administration. You can create Delegated Administration roles using, among other things, user properties.

Related Help Topics:

• Security Overview
• Edit User and Group Profile Values
• Overview of Interaction Management