Configuring security rules

To create a security rule:

1. On the Security Rules page, click Project Rules, Web Progress Rules or Miscellaneous Rules, depending on the type of security rule you want to create. You see the corresponding list of security rule types.
2. Click Create Rule to the right of the security rule type that you want to create. For example, to create a new security rule to determine which users are able to create projects, click Create Rule to the right of the Create Project security rule type. The Create Security Rule page appears, with the security rule type displayed in the Rule type field.
3. For some types of security rule, you can use the Rule applies to field to specify whether the rule applies only to the Asta Vision website, only to Asta Powerproject, or to both.
   
   For example, you could use this field to specify that non-administrator users are able to check out and check in programmes from within Asta Powerproject, but not from within the Asta Vision website. This field does not appear for all types of security rule.
4. Select the user roles to which the security rule should apply in the Applies to roles field. If you want the rule to apply to users of more than one role, CTRL or SHIFT-click to select as many user roles as you need. If the security rule should apply to all roles, do not select anything in this field.
   
   To deselect a user role that is currently selected in this field, hold down CTRL and click the user role.
5. If you want the rule to be triggered only if the value of one or more enumeration or integer-type user-defined fields matches certain criteria, you can add field rules to the rule. For example, you may want to specify that a rule should be triggered only when the value of a project-level user-defined field that represents the regions in which you work equals 'North'. This would create a rule that applied only to projects in your north region; you could create similar rules that applied to the projects in your other regions. Or you may want to specify that a rule should be triggered only when the value of a project-level user-defined field that represents the cost of a project is greater than £40,000. This would create a rule that applied only to projects that cost over £40,000.
   
   To add field rules to the rule:
   
   1. Click Add Field Rule. The New Field Rule popup appears.
   2. Specify whether to trigger the rule based on the value of a project, programme or user-level user-defined field in the Object field. For some types of rule, not all three types of user-defined field are available.
   3. Select the enumeration or integer-type user-defined field in the Field field. If you have selected 'Project' or 'User' in the Object field, all project or user-level, enumeration and integer-type user-defined fields are available; if you have selected 'Programme' in the Object field, all programme-level, enumeration and integer-type user-defined fields are available, as well as the Status and Type fields.
   4. Specify whether the rule should be triggered if the value of the selected field is equal to, or not equal to, a specific value in the Comparison field.
      
      If you have selected a user-defined field that relates to a hierarchical user-defined enumeration, you use this field to specify whether the rule should be triggered if the value of the selected field is within, or not within, a specific branch of the hierarchy.
      
      If you have selected an integer-type user-defined field, you can also specify that the rule should be triggered if the value of the selected field is less than, or greater than, a specific value.
   5. If the field rule is based on a project or programme-level, enumeration-type user-defined field, the With field appears. Select 'Fixed Value' to populate the Value field with the contents of the user-defined field specified above, or select 'User Field' to populate the Value field with the names of any user-level, enumeration-type user-defined fields.
      
      Selecting 'User Field' here enables you to specify that a rule should be triggered if the value of a programme or project-level user-defined field is equal to, or not equal to, the value of a specific user-level user-defined field. For example, you might want a rule to be triggered only if the value of a 'Region' user-defined field for a project matches the value of a 'Region' user-defined field for the logged-in user.
      
      If you select 'User Field' here, it is always the value of the field for the logged-in user that is compared, unless this is a 'Can Be Assigned to Project' rule, in which case the value of the field will be checked for each user in the assignment list, and a user will not be included if the field values do not match.
   6. Select the value that the selected field must be equal to, not equal to, less than, or greater than, for the rule to be triggered, in the Value field.
      
      If you are basing the field rule on a user-defined field that relates to a hierarchical user-defined enumeration, you select a branch of the hierarchy in the Value field. The rule will be triggered if the value of the selected field is within, or not within, any level of the selected branch.
   7. If you want the field rule to apply only to users with a specific user role, select the role in the Applies to role field. This field enables you to trigger rules according to different criteria for different types of user: a rule may be triggered for one type of user if field 'A' is set to a particular value, or it may be triggered for a different type of user if field 'B' is set to a particular value.
      
      If you need a field rule to apply to more than one type of user, you can set up two identical field rules, with the only difference being the user role specified against each one. This is easier than having to set up multiple security, workflow or email rules for different types of user.
      
      If you configure a field rule to apply only to users with a specific user role, the role name appears to the left of the field rule description in the list of field rules once you have created it:
      
      
      
      The role name also appears to the left of the field rule description on the Security Rules, Workflow Rules or Email Rules page:
      
      
   8. For workflow and security rules, a Ignored by administrator roles check box is available. Select this check box if you want this field rule to be ignored for users with an administrator role, meaning administrator users will be able to carry out the rule's action even if this field rule is not met.
   9. Click OK. You return to the previous page, where a row appears for the field rule to the right of the Fields field. For workflow and security rules, field rules that do not apply to administrator users - those for which the Ignored by administrator roles check box has been cleared - are marked with a .
   10. Repeat the above steps as many times as required to add more field rules to the rule.
       
       Click Remove to the right of a field rule to remove it from the list if required.
6. You can specify that the security rule's action is available only to users that are assigned to the current project:
   • To make the action available only to users that are assigned to the current project, select the All roles must be assigned to project check box.
   • To make the action available to all users, regardless of whether they are assigned to the current project, clear the All roles must be assigned to project check box and select nothing in the Specific roles which must be assigned field.
   • To make the action available only to users with specific roles that are assigned to the current project, clear the All roles must be assigned to project check box and select the user roles in the Specific roles which must be assigned field. CTRL or SHIFT-click to select as many user roles as you need.
     
     To deselect a user role that is currently selected in this field, hold down CTRL and click the user role.
   If you use these fields to restrict a rule to certain types of user that are assigned to a project, the rule will not apply to users with other roles, even if their role has been specified in the Applies to role field for the security rule or one of its field rules.
   
   If you have selected an administrator role in the Applies to roles field, users to which the administrator role has been assigned will always be able to carry out the security rule's action regardless of your selection in these fields.
   
   These fields do not appear for 'Create Project' and 'Can Be Assigned To Project' security rules.
7. Click Create. You return to the Security Rules page, where the new rule appears in the list, underneath the appropriate security rule type.

You can create security rules by making a copy of an existing rule and editing it. This is a good way of creating security rules if you want to set up a number of rules that are similar, but not identical, to each other, as it saves you from having to set up each rule from scratch.

To create a security rule based on a copy of an existing rule:

1. On the Security Rules page, click Project Rules, Web Progress Rules or Miscellaneous Rules, depending on the type of security rule you want to copy. You see the corresponding list of security rule types.
2. Click the Actions drop-down to the right of the security rule that you want to copy and select Copy. A copy of the security rule appears in the same category as the original rule.
3. Click Edit to the right of the copy rule. The Edit Security Rule page appears.
4. Edit the details of the copy rule as required.
5. Click Save Changes. You return to the Security Rules page.

To edit a security rule:

1. On the Security Rules page, click Project Rules, Web Progress Rules or Miscellaneous Rules, depending on the type of security rule you want to edit. You see the corresponding list of security rule types.
2. Click Edit to the right of the security rule that you want to edit. The Edit Security Rule page appears.
3. Edit the details of the security rule as required.
4. Click Save Changes. You return to the Security Rules page.

To delete a security rule:

1. On the Security Rules page, click Project Rules, Web Progress Rules or Miscellaneous Rules, depending on the type of security rule you want to create. You see the corresponding list of security rule types.
2. Click the Actions drop-down to the right of the security rule that you want to delete and select Delete. A popup appears, asking you to confirm whether you want to delete the security rule.
3. Click OK to delete the security rule and return to the Security Rules page.