N1 Service Provisioning System 4.1 User's Guide

Managing User Accounts and User Groups

The N1 Service Provisioning System software allows you to create user accounts and to define user groups. Because an individual user's permissions are determined by the permissions granted to his or her group some though must go into how accounts and groups are set up.

When setting up these accounts and groups you must decide if groups of users will share a specific account based on the permissions required or if everyone should have their own account to facilitate better audit trails.

User Groups

A user group is a user definable object that is used to categorize users and define permissions. By carefully planning out the names for user groups and which permissions to grant to each group, you can easily manage individual user permissions by making them part of one or more groups. User groups can include one or more individual users. User groups can also include one or more user groups. This a user group can be a super set of all the user groups included in its member list.

The User Group object has the following attributes.

User Group: A user definable text string that names the user group object.
Description: An optional user defined text string that describes the user group object. This attribute is not used by the provisioning software but can provide meaningful information to the user.
Member of Group. . .: Allows the user to add users and/or user groups to the currently selected user group. This section of the user group page has two pull down menus that all the user to select and which user(s) or which user group(s) to add this the currently selected user group.
Current Member Users: Lists the users that are a member of the currently selected user group.
Permissions of Member Users: Lists the permission granted to the members that are part of the currently selected user group.

User Accounts

The N1 Service Provisioning System software restricts access and provides audit trails through the use of user accounts. All users are required to log in to use the application. The Master Server includes a single default account –admin. All other accounts are user definable

The admin User Account

This default account provides initial access to the provisioning software and is intended for system administrators. The user name for this account is admin and the password is admin.

Once you have logged in as admin, you can change the account password and set up user accounts and user groups.

Note –

Be sure to change the default password for this admin account, in order to keep unauthorized users from accessing it.

Other User Accounts

When setting up user accounts you must decide if everyone is to have their own account or if groups of people will share a specific account. In some organizations it may be simpler to create user accounts based on function and give people log in based on the function they perform. For example, everyone who performs administrative tasks may share the admin account. Providing every user with a unique account will allow for better audit tracking because the provisioning software maintains a history of what is done and by whom.

The User Group object has the following attributes.

User: A user definable text string that names the user account.
Password section: This section shows wether a password is set or not and allows a password to be set or changed.
Member of User Groups: Allows the user to add or remove the currently selected user account to or from one or more user groups.
Net Permissions for User: Displays the permissions granted to the currently selected user account. These permissions are granted by virtue of which user group or groups to which the user is a member.
Other: Allows the user to deactivate and hide a user account. Because it is not possible to remove user accounts, the provisioning software makes it possible to deactivate and hide obsolete accounts.

How To View User Groups

Steps

In the left-hand navigation menu, click user setup.

HTML user interface displays the User Setup page, which provides a link to the User Group page.

In the information area of the page, click user groups. This displays the User Groups page, which lists the user groups already defined. The two arrows in the header of the user group column allow you to revers the order of how the user groups names are sorted. The white arrow indicates the order of the sort.

Note –
To view a list of users within a group, find the row listing the group you are interested in, and click details.

How To Create User Groups

Steps

In the left-hand navigation menu, click user setup.

The HTML user interface displays the User Setup page, which provides a link to the User Group page.

In the information area of the page, click user groups. This displays the User Groups page, which lists the user groups already defined.

In the top row of the table listing user groups, enter a name and a description for the new user group, and click create.

The HTML user interface displays a User Groups Details page in which you can configure the new user group.

Use the fields on this page to configure the new user group. When you first define a user group, it includes no members.
- Add an individual user to the group. In the members of group area of the page, use the pull-down menu in the user row to select the name of an individual user that you want to add to this group. When the menu is displaying the name you want, click add. The HTML user interface updates the User Group Details page, and adds the name of the user to the list of users in the current group members field.
- Add another user group to this group. In the members of group area of the page, use the pull-down menu in the user group row to select the name of an existing user group that you want to add to this group. When the menu is displaying the name you want, click add. The HTML user interface updates the User Group Details page, and adds the names of all the users in the group you selected to the list of users in the current group members field.
  
  Note –
  The current group members field will only list a user once, even if that user belongs to two or more groups that you have added to this group.
- Set permissions for the new user group. In the permissions of group users area of the page, use the check boxes to define the permissions you want to assign this group. Assigning write permission for an object allows users in this group to enter those objects into the repository. For example, a user with write permission for plans can check plans into the repository. A user with write permission for admin users and groups can create user accounts and define user groups, as you're doing now. You can use the check boxes and menus in the run on host set column to limit the host sets on which the users in this group can run plans and preflights and (independently) the host sets on which they can run comparisons.

When you have finished configuring the group, click save.

The HTML user interface saves the configuration you defined and displays the User Groups page, which will now list the new user group.

How To Edit User Groups

Steps

In the left-hand navigation menu, click user setup.

The HTML user interface displays the User Setup page, which provides a link to the User Group page.

In the information area of the page, click user groups. This displays the User Groups page, which lists the user groups already defined.

In the table listing user groups, find the row describing the group you want to modify, and click details.

The HTML user interface displays a User Groups Details Edit page for the group.

Use the controls on this page to:
- Add users or user groups to this user group. In the members of group area of the page, use the pull-down menus and the add links to add users or user groups to this group.
- Delete users or user groups from this user group. Click remove beside the name of any user or user group you want to remove from the group.
- Change the permissions of the user group. In the permissions of group users area of the page, use the check boxes to define the permissions you want to assign this group.

When you have made all your modifications, click the save button to save your changes and apply them to the user group.

How To View User Accounts

Steps

In the left-hand navigation menu, click user setup.

HTML user interface displays the User Setup page, which provides a link to the Users and Users Group page.

In the information area of the page, click users. This displays the Users page, which lists the users already defined.

How To Create User Accounts

Steps

In the left-hand navigation menu, click user setup.

The HTML user interface displays the User Setup page, which provides a link to the Users and Users Group page.

In the information area of the page, click users. This displays the Users page, which lists the users already defined.

In the top row of the table listing user accounts, enter a name for the new user account, and click create.

The HTML user interface displays a Users Details page for the new account.

Enter a password for the user account in the new password field, and then enter it exactly the same way in the confirm new password field.

Use the controls in the member of user groups area to add this user account to one or more user groups.

Note –
In the N1 Service Provisioning System software , permissions are based on user groups, rather than on individual user accounts. By adding this user account to a group, you determine the privileges it will be assigned.

If you want to hide this user account, click the checkbox labeled hidden.

Click save.

How To Edit User Accounts

Steps

In the left-hand navigation menu, click user setup.

The HTML user interface displays the User Setup page, which provides a link to the User Group page.

In the information area of the page, click users. This displays the Users page, which lists the users already defined.

In the table listing user users, find the row describing the user you want to modify, and click details.

The HTML user interface displays a Users Details page for the selected user.

To change the password, enter a new password for the user account in the new password field, and then enter it exactly the same way in the confirm new password field.

To change membership in any group, use the controls in the member of user groups area to add or remove this user account to one or more user groups.

To either hide and/or deactivate this user account click the checkbox labeled hidden and/or deactivate.

Click save.