User Groups (USRG)

The UserGroups page of the Administration Perspective lists all user groups of a client and allows you to group users in as many groups as desired to assign them identical authorizations and privileges, thus, helping to simplify administrative tasks. Right-clicking a user group opens a context-menu which provides all functions available such as adding, deleting, renaming user groups, etc.

Object Definition

Object class: System object

Object type/Short name: USRG

For privacy reasons, we have blurred some of the texts on this screenshot. It shows both default columns, but if the list has been modified, some columns might be hidden or the order of the columns might be different. See Working with Tables.

This topic provides information on the following:

• Overview
• Defining User Group Objects

• Working with User Groups

  • Open/Open in a New Window

    Opens the UserGroup object for editing. You can select just one or multiple user groups. In the latter case, a tab per selected user group opens, where you can edit the object settings.

  • Show in Folder

    It shows the location of the user group in the Process Assembly Explorer.

  • Search for Use

    Opens the list of objects in which the selected user group is being used.

  • Searching for User Groups

  • Refreshing the list

    This function allows you to refresh the current view. To use it click on the top right-hand corner of your environment.

  • Exporting the contents of the list

    This function allows you to export the currently visible data into a .csv file. To use it click at the top right-hand corner of your environment.

    Depending on the browser you are using, you will either be prompt to define the location of the file or you will find it at the bottom of your browser.

  • Duplicating a User Group
  • Renaming a User Group
  • Moving a User Group
  • Transporting a User Group
  • Deleting a User Group

Overview

You can add as many user groups as desired. Assigning users to one or several user groups simplifies administrative work. You can define user assignments, folder assignments, access rights, authorizations and privileges with the user group object.

User group names are limited to a maximum of 200 characters.

Defining User Group Objects

1. Specify the settings on the General page:

   1. The only settings you can change in the Object Info section are:

      • Title: this is optional. We recommend to enter a short descriptive title that helps you recognize the object at a glance; it will be displayed in other areas of the system.
      • Active: this checkbox is available for executable objects only. Select it if you want this object to be processed, otherwise its status is ENDED_INACTIVE_OBJECT (return code: 1925).

   2. The History section is not editable either. It provides audit information on the object, such as the user/department who created and modified it and the number of modifications.

      In the case of executable objects, it also indicates when the object was last executed (Last used by) and the number of executions.

      More detailed information on the object revisions are available in the Version Management Page.

   3. Some fields in the Metadata section might not be available, depending on the type of object you are defining.

      Field	Description
      Archive Key 1/2	Archive keys are freely definable keywords you assign to the object. Later on you can perform searches or you can filter objects using them. They are displayed in separate columns in the Explorer (Process Assembly perspective), in the Tasks (Process Monitoring perspective) and in the Executions lists. You can type them here, in which case they will be available for this object only, or you can use variables you have previously defined for this purpose. Click the icon at the right corner of the Archive Key1/Archive Key2 fields to open the Insert Variable dialog. Open the list at the top of the dialog to select the type of variable you want to insert here. The options are System Properties, Object Properties, Automation Variables or Variable Objects. Alternatively you can type the name of the variable in the search field. Select the required variable from the hit list and click Select. Alternatively, archive keys can be set or read with the following script elements: PUT_ATT and GET_ATT. For example: :PUT_ATT ARCHIVE_KEY1 = "MM" :SET &second_archive_key# = GET_ATT(ARCHIVE_KEY2)
      Internal Account	Available for executable objects only. It is a free text, an internal value specific to your company, for example cost center, department identifier, etc.
      Custom Attributes	Freely definable attributes available for executable objects only. In the Process Monitoring perspective you can then restrict the list of objects displayed in the Tasks pane by selecting one of these criteria from the Group by list. Select a criterion from the first drop-down list. Define the value you want to assign to the criterion in the second drop-down list. You can either type a new value or select an existing one from the list. The available values originate from a VARA reference object. In case of dynamic VARA objects, opening the drop-down list may take a while. Click Add to add the grouping criterion to the object. You must have selected values in both fields. Click x if you want to remove it. Within the frame of the SLM functionality, they depict the beneficiaries of a Service Level Agreement. They are used to assign the service to dedicated organizational units. See Service Level Objective - Service Selection.

   4. The Automation Engine has a comprehensive auditing functionality that includes the possibility to produce extended reports for executable objects in addition to the standard ones. When configuring your system, the administrator can write specifications in the UC_CLIENT_SETTINGS variable that determine whether or not they should be created. If so, this variable also determines which reports should be created. This applies client-wide.

      In the Extended Reports section you decide whether these settings should be applied to this object or if you want to overrule them:

      Field	Description
      As defined in UC_CLIENT_SETTINGS	The extended reports are created as defined in this variable.
      All extended reports	This option overrules the client-wide definition. For this object, all extended reports are generated, no matter what has been specified in the UC_CLIENT_SETTINGS variable.
      No extended reports	This option overrules the client-wide definition. For this object, no extended reports are generated, no matter what has been specified in the UC_CLIENT_SETTINGS variable.

2. Open the Users sub page: here you assign Users to this User Group. This way, you grant them authorizations to objects and privileges in addition to those you give them via the Automation Engine sub pages. See Assigning the User to User Groups.
3. User Groups are also objects, therefore on the Object Authorizations sub page you can limit their access rights at object level and complements the company policy defined in the Authorization system.
4. Expand the Automation Engine group and open the Authorizations page. Here you grant or deny rights to access and/or work with Automation Engine objects, files, execution data, reports, etc. See Granting Users/User Groups Authorizations to Folders/Objects.
5. Switch to the Privileges pages, where you grant rights to functions. See Granting Users/User Groups Privileges to Functions.
6. Save your changes.

Working with User Groups

Once you have defined a User Group object, it is available on the User Groups list. The following functions are available when you select and right-click it and via the toolbar buttons:

Searching for User Groups

The Search UserGroup box is an additional search field that is displayed only in the UserGroups page and allows you to search for a specific UserGroup. To do so, type the text or part of the text you are looking for and all the users that meet your search criteria will be displayed in the UserGroups list.

Please note that you can search on both, the UserGroups Name and the Title columns.

Duplicating a User Group

This function allows you to duplicate an existing user group which is particularly useful when creating groups with the same authorizations and privileges.

To Duplicate a User Group

1. Select a user group and do the following:

   • Right-click and select Duplicate or
   • Click on the toolbar.

2. On the Duplicate UserGroup dialog, define a new Name:

   

   User group names are limited to a maximum of 200 characters.

3. Click OK.

   The new user group is now available on the UserGroups list and has the same setup and rights assigned to the original group.

Renaming a User Group

This function allows you to edit the name of an existing user group.

To Rename a User Group

1. Select a user group and do the following:

   • Right-click and select Rename or
   • Click on the toolbar.

2. On the Rename UserGroup dialog, define a new Name:

   

   User group names are limited to a maximum of 200 characters.

   Optionally, enter a Title for the user group.

3. Click Rename.

   The renamed user group is now available on the UserGroups list.

Moving a User Group

This function allows you to move user groups from one folder of the Process Assembly to another.

To Move a User Group

1. Select one or more user groups to right-click and select Move.

2. The Move dialog is displayed:

   

   If you have selected more than one user group, this is indicated in the Name field.

3. In Folder click the arrow to open the folder tree structure in your client and select the destination.
4. Click Move.

Transporting a User Group

This function allows you to send user groups to the Transport Case of the Process Assembly.

To Transport a User Group

1. Select and right-click one or more user groups.

2. Select Transport. You will receive a notification at the top of the page.

   For example:

   

   The user group(s) moved are now listed on the transport case of the Process Assembly and is/are ready to be exchanged among Automation Engine systems or individual clients within the same Automation Engine system.

Deleting a User Group

This function allows you to delete user groups.

To Delete User Groups

1. Select one or more user groups and do one of the following:
   • Right-click and select Delete or
   • Click on the toolbar.
2. Before actually deleting the object you must confirm your action.
   • If you have selected more than one user group, the dialog indicates the number of groups you are about to delete.
   • if you have selected only one, the dialog displays the name of the user group you are about to delete.

   For example:

   

3. Click Delete.

See also:

• Users (USER)
• Granting Users/User Groups Authorizations to Folders/Objects
• Granting Users/User Groups Privileges to Functions
• Creating a Basic Client/User Landscape