Account propagation over multiple files

[KnoxIan]

Forgive me if this is a FAQ. I've found some discussion on this topic, but if there's a solution, it eluded my searching.

We've got a FM7 Server solution set up with 65 separate files. When we add a new user, I've got to manually add this user to all of them.

Isn't there an account manager function for FM7 Server somewhere? This seems like such a simple thing to me: A screen where you can add a user & password, then add files to that user's account, then add privilege sets to each of those files within the account.

I can't believe there's no way to handle access control over a range of files without doing it manually for each file or resorting to complicated scripting. Admittedly, I'm a FM novice, and maybe I'm being naive about the whole thing, but this is frustrating. It seems like such an obvious and easily-solvable problem.

[Ender]

Sorry Knoxlan,

There is no such interface for managing accounts across multiple files. It is possible to script it, but as you noticed, the scripting can get quite complex.

There are a couple other options which people have used. One is to combine as many of the smaller modules as possible, to end up with fewer files. But that can be a lot of work too. Another option is to use external authentication to manage accounts.

With external authentication, you set up the privilege sets in each file, and have the user accounts all mananged on an external directory server. The groups they are members of in the directory server determines which privilege set they are in, and therefore what access they have.

More on external authentication can be found in this forum and in FileMaker's tech briefs.

[mse]

Wait for Account Administrator

http://www.newmillennium.com/index.php?submenu=Password_Administrator_Overview&src=directory&view=products&srctype=display&id=11&category=Developer%20Software&PHPSESSID=5e74cb96a42cd4fc52fdfe34106ea172

[KnoxIan]

Well, I guess it's encouraging that someone's working on a solution, although it's frustrating that such a fundamental thing requires a $200 third-party program that doesn't actually exist. It blows my mind that FileMaker has never addressed the concept.

Thanks for the info, Ender. I'll look into external authentication.

[Fenton]

I've uploaded a couple of simple example files (a while back), in the Sample Files forum, whose techniques I've used for several clients to manage accounts and passwords. They handle what I've needed to. Privilege Sets must still be created manually on each file; since privilege sets are specific to each table.

http://fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/112882/post/112882/hl/Accounts+Fenton/#112882

All you really need is a central "Staff" file, with its "control" scripts, then a few scripts in each of the other files, and a global field (for the new account name to reach back to Staff). If you create a table occurrence in each file's relationship graph with the same name for the Staff file, you can import the scripts and make a couple of minor tweaks and they work in any file. It could be better, but it works as is.

[KnoxIan]

The attachment no longer seems to exist, alas. Is there somewhere else I might download those files?

[Lee Smith]

You are correct. The File link is broken....

The reason for this is that any attachments to any Topic Areas other than Sample Files, did not come through with the changed to the Forum back in July(?). Ocean West is suppose to try and get these back, but for now, someone who has the file, or Fenton, will need to provide the file to you here, or repost the file to the link you have provided.

Lee

[Fenton]

I added the files again, so go there again. Actually I added 2 versions of the files. The 2nd version keeps the passwords, with an option to "encode" them. This incorporates a cool Custom Function by Geoff Wells, which is also available at:

briandunning.com/filemaker-custom-functions/list.php

[P.S. You need FileMaker Developer (or FileMaker Pro Advanced) to see the Custom Function. But you can use the file and its custom functions with regular FileMaker Pro. It's only the encode-decode I'm talking about, the account stuff is just regular FileMaker.]

Edited October 11, 2005 by Guest

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Seems as if your best bet here is to use External Server Authentication. See the Tech Brief at:

http://www.filemaker.com/support/upgrade/techbriefs.html.

Regarding the statement:

It blows my mind that FileMaker has never addressed the concept.

referring to multifile Account management.

The fact is that they did address it. They just didn't address it the way you wanted them to do. I assure you that this was and has been the topic of much discussion. And it remains so even now.

Steven

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Previous was in response to Knoxlan, not to Fenton. I'll get the hang of this Web UI one day.

Steven

[KnoxIan]

The fact is that they did address it. They just didn't address it the way you wanted them to do.

True enough. Like I say, I'm a novice at this stuff. I'll do a little reading on external authentication.

Fenton, thanks for the files. I haven't had a chance to dig into them yet, but hopefully, I can carve out a little time today to play around with them.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Let us know if you need more help. The External Server Authentication Tech Brief is a good start. It does require some fortitude to get through it. Work section by section. We were not able to include every scenario in the paper, but we tried to cover the main ones.

Steven