Understanding Access Profiles

Every user profile must be assigned to an access profile, by way of a Symbolic ID. The Access ID consists of a relational database management system (RDBMS) ID and a password. Access profiles provide the necessary IDs and passwords for the database logon operations that occur in the background. Access IDs are used:

• When an application server initializes and connects to a PeopleSoft database.

• When a developer or power user signs in to the PeopleSoft database directly (two-tier).

• When batch programs connect to the database.

Users signing in to the system through PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture take advantage of the Access ID that the application server used for connecting to the database.

Access profiles enable you to minimize the number of users who need to know system administrator passwords. In fact, only one person needs to know these passwords. That person can create the required access profiles—by providing the necessary passwords when prompted—and all other security administrators can assign users to the predefined access profiles. The Access ID and password are encrypted in the database in the PSACCESSPROFILE table.

Before you begin creating your user profiles, roles, and permission lists, you need to set up your access profiles in the database. Ultimately, the access profile is the profile that your users use to connect to your PeopleSoft database. Without being associated with an access profile, users cannot sign in, even with a test ID. This association is by way of the symbolic ID, which is a proxy ID for the Access ID and Access password.

The ID that you use must be defined at the RDBMS level as a valid RDBMS ID. You do not use PeopleSoft or PeopleTools software to create an RDBMS ID; create it using the utilities and procedures defined by your RDBMS platform. After you create the RDBMS ID, use the PeopleTools access profiles utility to link your RDBMS ID to the access profile. This profile is created when you first install your database.