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Version: 1.3.0

Role-Based Access Control

VirtualMetric DataStream role-based access control (RBAC) provides granular permission management for enterprise deployments, enabling organizations to control user access to telemetry processing components based on assigned roles. The system supports both built-in roles with predefined permissions and custom roles with fine-grained access controls across DataStream components including pipelines, devices, targets, routes, and administrative functions.

Built-in Roles

DataStream provides three predefined roles with hierarchical permissions:

Owner

  • Full administrative control over the tenant
  • All permissions across all system components
  • Cannot be deleted or have role changed by other users
  • Ownership transfer capability to other users
  • One owner per tenant - role assignment protected

Admin

  • Administrative permissions for most system components
  • User management capabilities
  • Configuration access for devices, pipelines, targets, and routes
  • Cannot access ownership functions or modify Owner accounts

User

  • Standard user permissions for day-to-day operations
  • Read access to most components
  • Limited create/edit capabilities based on business requirements
  • No administrative or user management functions

Custom Role Management

Create custom roles with specific permission sets for organizational requirements.

Create Custom Role

  1. Access Role Management

    • Navigate to OrganizationRoles
    • Click Create New Role button
  2. Configure Role Details

    • Role Name: Descriptive identifier for the role
    • Description: Purpose and scope of the role
    • Configuration Method: Select Basic or Advanced
  3. Permission Assignment

    Basic Configuration:

    • Predefined Permission Sets: Select from common role templates
    • Simplified Interface: Checkbox-based permission selection

    Advanced Configuration (requires Advanced RBAC feature):

    • Granular Permissions: Individual permission selection per component
    • Fine-grained Control: Separate Read, Create, Edit, Delete permissions

Permission Categories

System Components:

  • Pipeline: Telemetry processing chain management
  • Device: Data input source configuration
  • Target: Data output destination management
  • Quick Route: Simple route configuration
  • Advanced Route: Complex conditional routing
  • Director: Service orchestration management

Administrative Functions:

  • User: User account management
  • Role: Role and permission management
  • Audit: System audit log access
  • Settings: System configuration management
  • Usage: Resource utilization monitoring

Enterprise Features:

  • SSO: Single sign-on configuration
  • MSSP: Multi-tenant switching capabilities
  • Content Hub: Pre-built template access

Permission Levels:

  • Read: View component information
  • Create: Add new components
  • Edit: Modify existing components
  • Delete: Remove components

Role Assignment

Assign roles to users during account creation or through user management.

Assign Role to User

  1. Navigate to User Management

    • Access OrganizationUsers
    • Select target user or create new user
  2. Role Selection

    • Role Dropdown: Select from available roles
    • Built-in Roles: Owner, Admin, User
    • Custom Roles: Organization-specific roles
  3. Permission Validation

    • System validates role permissions against user requirements
    • Feature Access: Roles filtered by tenant edition capabilities
    • Tenant Scope: Permissions limited to tenant boundaries

Advanced RBAC Features

Edition-Based Permission Filtering

Advanced RBAC Feature (premium editions):

  • Custom role creation and modification
  • Granular permission assignment per component
  • Role management interface access

Feature Dependencies:

  • SSO Permissions: Require SSO feature in tenant edition
  • MSSP Permissions: Require MSSP feature for multi-tenant operations
  • Advanced Configuration: Available only with Advanced RBAC feature

Security and Compliance

Session Management:

  • Automatic session invalidation when roles change
  • Permission cache clearing for immediate access updates
  • Audit trail for all role and permission modifications

Access Protection:

  • Owner role protection prevents accidental lockout
  • Self-modification restrictions prevent users from elevating their own permissions
  • Tenant isolation ensures users cannot access other tenant resources

Role Modification and Deletion

Modify Existing Role

  1. Access Role Settings

    • Navigate to OrganizationRoles
    • Select role to modify
  2. Update Permissions

    • Add/Remove Permissions: Adjust access levels
    • Change Configuration Method: Switch between Basic/Advanced
    • Update Description: Modify role documentation
  3. Apply Changes

    • User Session Impact: Existing user sessions invalidated
    • Immediate Effect: Permission changes take effect immediately
    • Audit Logging: All changes recorded in audit trail

Delete Custom Role

  1. Check Role Usage

    • User Assignment Validation: Ensure no users assigned to role
    • Dependency Check: Verify no system dependencies
  2. Role Removal

    • Navigate to role settings
    • Click Delete Role (requires confirmation)
    • User Reassignment: Reassign affected users to other roles first

Restrictions:

  • Built-in roles cannot be deleted (Owner, Admin, User)
  • Roles with active user assignments must be unassigned first
  • Owner role deletion is permanently blocked for tenant security

Troubleshooting

Permission Issues

User Cannot Access Component:

  1. Verify Role Assignment: Check user's assigned role
  2. Review Role Permissions: Confirm role includes required permissions
  3. Check Edition Features: Ensure tenant edition supports required features
  4. Validate Tenant Scope: Confirm user accessing correct tenant resources

Role Management Not Available:

  1. Advanced RBAC Feature: Verify tenant edition includes Advanced RBAC
  2. User Permissions: Ensure current user has Role Read/Create/Edit permissions
  3. Owner Access: Confirm Owner role for full role management access

Session and Cache Issues

Permission Changes Not Applied:

  1. Session Refresh: Log out and log back in to refresh permissions
  2. Cache Invalidation: System automatically clears permission cache
  3. Browser Refresh: Clear browser cache if interface issues persist