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Commit 320992a0 by Tom Laudeman
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Clarify roles, make prose more consistent

parent 3872124b
Showing with 43 additions and 39 deletions
Requirements/DBUser API.md
......@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ roles. Requirements here will cover implementation of authorization, and of mana
Each user has account info:
- id (not editable, database assigned record id)
- active (boolean)
- first name
- last name
- full name
......@@ -37,10 +38,8 @@ Each user has account info:
- avatar large
- password, stored encrypted
Each user has one or more roles, as many as necessary.
When logged in, a user as a "session", and the session has some associated data. We anticipate that there
could be multiple simultaneous sessions per user, and each session needs its own unique data.
When logged in, a user has at least one "session", and the session has some associated data. We anticipate
that there could be multiple simultaneous sessions per user, and each session needs its own unique data.
Current session data includes:
......@@ -50,18 +49,31 @@ Current session data includes:
The REST API requires the same session data. REST API users will have the same Au/Az constraints
The system has roles conceptually, extensively integrated throughout. Each user is granted one or more roles.
Each user has one or more roles, as many as necessary.
### Roles
The SNAC permission system is based entirely on roles (groups). SNAC is authorizing uses to run various
functions. Ownership is a non-concept, but essentially the system (sort of "root") owns all functions. When
there is only one owner, it has no use designing authorization partitions. That leaves SNAC with a
role-only system.
functions. Ownership is a non-concept, but essentially the system ("root") owns all functions. In a situation
like SNAC where there is a single owner, the concept of "owner" has no use in authorization. That leaves SNAC
with a role-only system.
(Optional paragraph) Not having "files", there is no concept of "file has no privileges" for user, group, or
other. An example of what SNAC does not have is the shared web server situation where user grants privileges
and group removes privileges. In a shared web server, users are all assigned to a group "users". Web
accessible directories have no group permissions and are owned by group user. Lacking permissions for group
user, no one in group user has any access. Actual access then is granted only to the owner who has
read-write-execute (rwx) for that directory. Apache runs as suexec for each user, and thus each user's CGI
scripts gain access to only that user's directory via the user privs.
SNAC lacks this "subtractive" permission, and instead has only additive permissions.
In a global sense, the cumulative users and roles is complex. On a per-user or per-role basis, things are very
manageable. When managing the system, imagine asking these fairly constrained (manageable) questions:
In a global sense, the cumulative collection of users and roles is complicated. However, that complexity is
essential (not accidental) and on a per-user or per-role basis, things are very manageable. When managing the
system, imagine asking these typical, and manageable questions:
- List all users affiliated with CDL.
- List all users affiliated with California Digital Library (CDL).
- List all user affiliated with UC Irvine.
......@@ -72,17 +84,18 @@ manageable. When managing the system, imagine asking these fairly constrained (m
- List all users who may run reports for their own affiliation.
Below is an example. Anyone who can log in can get a dashboard, so there are no specific dashboard permissions
(yet). The user id public and the role "researcher" may not any sense. Everyone has it, so there's no reason to
mention/restrict/authorize it. This table initially had a user id "public" with role "Public HRT", and every
user also had the role "Public HRT", but that is simply redundant. When it comes to implementation, the
authorization system will actually use some convention for testing role. The feature "Public HRT" can call a
role test that always returns true.
(yet). The user id "public" and the role "researcher" may not make any sense. Everyone has role "Public HRT",
so there's no reason to restrict or authorize it. This table initially had a user id "public" with role
"Public HRT", and every user also had the role "Public HRT", but that is simply redundant. When it comes to
implementation, the authorization system will use some convention for testing role. The feature "Public HRT"
can call a role test that always returns true.
The roles below are real, but do not imply any actual policy or any relation to persons living or dead.
Pulling some random details, and wording them in English, the table below says that Casey at CDL can approve
NACO submissions (NACO approve). Jessie at NYPL is limited to assigning roles only for NYPL (affiliation-nypl
and role-assign-own).
Pulling a couple of random details from the table below, and wording them in English:
- Casey at CDL can approve NACO submissions (NACO approve)
- Jessie at NYPL is limited to assigning roles only for NYPL (affiliation-nypl and role-assign-own)
| user | description | roles |
......@@ -94,38 +107,29 @@ and role-assign-own).
| Avery Valenzuela | super admin | enroll-any, reporter-any, role-assign-any |
Not having "files", there is no concept of "file has no privs" for user, group, or other. An example of what
SNAC does not have is the shared web server situation. In a shared web server, users are all assigned to a
group "users". Web accessible directories have no group permissions and are owned by group user. Lacking
permissions for group user, no one in group user has any access. Actual access then is granted only to the
owner who has rwx for that directory. Apache runs as suexec for each user, and thus each users CGI scripts
gain access to only that user's directory via the user privs.
SNAC lacks this "subtractive" permission, and instead has only additive permissions.
Roles have a number of traits:
- Created and maintained by admins with role-granting privileges
- Created by developers, and maintained by admins with role-granting privileges
- There is (ideally) a single privilege per role
- Roles and privileges must be coordinated with work flows and application features
- At least one role exists per institutional affiliation
- One role exists per institutional affiliation
- Every user has the implied role Public HRT
- Potentially we can have roles for ad hoc groups (sub-institution, department, professional orgs, etc.)
- Roles can be deprecated, but it re-purposing roles is inadvisable from a security standpoint
- Potentially, we can have roles for ad hoc groups (sub-institution, department, professional orgs, etc.)
- Roles can be deprecated, but re-purposing roles is inadvisable from a security standpoint
- Need explicit, on-going policy guidance
Every account will have the "Researcher" role which has the same privileges as the general public, but with a
Every account will have the "Public HRT" role which has the same privileges as the general public, but with a
TBD set of basic privileges including: search history, certain researcher reports. An account is not necessary
to use SNAC. Members of the public are mostly identical to Researchers. The primary feature gained by having
an account is a persistent dashboard.
| Role | Role Description |
|-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Public HRT | No account, but may use HRT public interfaces to SNAC |
| Researcher | May use the discovery interface and history dashboard, has an account |
| Researcher | (Same as Public HRT?) Use discovery interface and dashboard, has an account |
| Contribute | Create and edit constellations but cannot publish (contributor) |
| Publish | Approve constellation publication (editor) |
| Change status any | Change status, removing locks, and so on, any affiliation |
......@@ -146,10 +150,10 @@ an account is a persistent dashboard.
| Web administrator | (duplicate? historical?) May perform admin tasks via the web interface |
| Database administrator | Create and maintain the SQL database |
| Block upload | Do bulk uploads of EAC-CPF, finding aids, etc. |
| Institutional reporter | Run own-institutional reports |
| Super reporter | Run any report |
| Institutional affiliation X | Affiliated with institution X. |
| Institutional affiliation super | Affiliated with all institution, a super role (discuss?) |
| Reporter own | Run own-institutional reports |
| Reporter any | Run any report, super reporter |
| Affiliation X | Affiliated with institution X. |
| Affiliation any | Affiliated with all institutions, a super role (discuss?) |
More example user types, with their role(s) and description.
......
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