how to handle and store the users and access levels

[ii128]

I have over 30 applications and databases. Some of them are VB Applications. Some of them are Access Applications. Each application need to log in bases on User name and then get the access level. They are too many users and access levels for all 30 applications.

Anyone has a good idea on how to handle and store the users and access levels universally?

I have two ideas. any comments on that?
1, Save all users and access levels in one centrol database.
2. Save the users and access levels in each individual database.

 

[RobS23]

If this is SQL check out using NT Integrated Security. If it's Access and you have 30 db's I would be inclined to create a separate security DB. For front end security I use a pseudo-bitmap technique that compares a value in the tag (or you can strip out of name etc) of a form,control etc and compares this to a stored binary value.

 

[riarc]

Try this
Create a global DB
in that DB create an app_access table.
In the app_access table create fields app_name, user_name, access_lvl.

you could create user levels such as
100 - read only
500 - read write
1000 - super user

Its just a thought

 

[Alt255]

Yes, use something other than Access to store your User data.

You might have better results saving the data to an encrypted file.

anymore questions?

 

[MrEGuest]

You could create three tables

1. Users - will store userID, UserName, & Password
2. Groups - will store GroupID, group name
3. UserGroups - will store userID and groupID (1 user can belong to 0 or many groups)


Storing group based access privileges is always better than setting permissions user by user because generally the majority of users will have the same access rights.

Then, you can create small admin utility which will allow an admin to setup access groups and associate the users with the groups.

In your applications you then have many options to control access. For example you could create a simple User class which will hold the user data for a user that's logged in and will be instatiated and populated when the user logs in.

Good luck!
Josh

 

[WilMead]

Your question should be "How can I enable both ways in a single interface?"

This answer is simple. Standardize the interface for the application and create a standard data source definition.

Manage the two with a middle layer object. This object provides your application with authentication services. The Authentication Service can be told where its data sorce is or simply default to some central location.




Wil Mead
wmead@optonline.net