Browser-based Management of an Altium Vault Server
Contents
- Accessing the Vault
- Users
- Adding a New User
- Editing an Existing User
- Changing Forgotten Passwords
- Removing a User
- Groups
- Creating a New Group
- Editing an Existing Group
- Removing a Group
- Vault Structure
- Adding a New Folder
- Editing an Existing Folder
- Removing a Folder
- Folder-Level Sharing
- Navigating the Vault Structure
- Indication of Vault Access by Users
- Ability to Logout Users
- Indication of User Group Membership
- Support for Windows Authentication
Parent article: Altium Vault Technology
For an Altium Vault Server only, connection is also possible through its browser-based interface, providing the URL to that vault is known. The browser interface allows for administration of vault access, as well as limited manipulation of vault content itself, including folder definition. This allows people other than the designer to contribute to the management and maintenance of vault data, as well as being able to access and download released data for specific Item Revisions.
Accessing the Vault
To access an Altium Vault Server, simply use a preferred external Web Browser and type the address for the vault in the following format:
http://<ComputerName>:<PortNumber>/console
(e.g. http://jhowiehome:9780/console, for an Altium Vault Server installed using the default port assignment). You will be presented with a Sign-in page.
Sign in through the browser interface using the same vault credentials used to connect through Altium Designer.
Access an Altium Vault Server through a preferred external Web browser.
The interface divided into three pages, for browsing and managing:
- Users
- Groups
- Vault Structure (including folder-level sharing permissions).
Users
Management of users for access to the Altium Vault Server is performed from the Users page, by an administrator of that vault. A user is simply a person who it is intended will need access to the vault.
Create a 'database' of people who are to have access to the Altium Vault Server, from the Users page of the browser interface.
All users will be listed by default. Each user in the list is displayed in terms of:
- Type – represented by an icon as either an administrator for the vault (
), or a standard user/non-administrator (). - Full Name, comprising First and Last name.
- Username.
In addition, if a user is an administrator for the vault – is therefore a member of the Administrators group – they will have the icon to the right of their entry.
Controls are available at the top-right of the list to group and sort the users in a variety of ways:
- Group By – use the options here to group the users by a specific criteria. Two options are available:
Group(arrange users according to the groups they belong to);None(no grouping – all users presented in a single list). - Sort By – use the options here to sort the users by a specific criteria. Two options are available:
Name(sort alphabetically by full name, in ascending order from A-Z);Username(sort alphabetically by username, in ascending order from A-Z).
At this top level you can add a new user, or access controls to edit or remove an existing user.
Adding a New User
To add a new user for vault access, simply click on the Add User button, located at the top-left of the page. Controls will appear with which to specify the contact details, login credentials, and additional group membership for that user.
When you click to add a new user, you will be presented with controls with which to specify that user and their group membership.
Specify details for the user. The following are required fields (marked with a red asterisk):
- First Name
- Last Name
- Username
- Password
The Username and Password become that user's login credentials for access to the vault.
Specify also which of the existing groups the user is to be made a member of, if required. If the user is required to have administrative powers, check the box next to the Administrators entry. Once all details are filled out and specified as required, click the Add button – the new user will be created and added to the list of users with access to the Altium Vault Server.
Fill out details for the new user and assign to one or more existing groups as required, then click Add.
Editing an Existing User
Clicking on an individual user's Full Name in the list, or using the Edit command from the associated control drop-down at the far right, accesses their full user details. Make any changes to the contact details for that user, their login credentials (Username, Password) and group assignment as required.
Access and make changes to a user as required.
When all modifications have been made as required, simply click the Apply button to effect those changes.
Changing Forgotten Passwords
Non-administrative users can only view the users who have access to a vault. They cannot make any changes. This applies also to their own details. Therefore if such a user forgets their password, they will need to get an administrator for the vault (any user who is a member of the Administrators group) to effectively 'reset' the password for them. This simply involves the administrator:
- Accessing the details for the user and entering a new password in the Password field.
- Clicking Apply to effect the change.
- Communicating the new password back to that user.
Removing a User
To remove a user, simply use the Remove command from the associated control drop-down at the far right. A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion. Click OK to proceed, after which the user will be removed from the vault's user database. They will no longer have access to the vault.
Access the control for removing an existing user.
Groups
Management of groups for the Altium Vault Server is performed from the Groups page. Groups allow you to further organize your users according to, for example, the particular section of the Organization in which they are involved, or the design team they are in. Groups make sharing of vault content more streamlined.
Create specific groupings (or 'memberships') of users.
Each group in the list is displayed in terms of:
- Type – represented by an icon as either a system group (), or a standard user-created group ().
- Group Name.
- Member Count – how many defined users are part of this group.
In addition, for the user currently signed into the browser interface, the icon to the right of a group name is used to visually indicate what groups they currently belong to.
At this top level you can add a new group, or access controls to edit or remove an existing group.
Creating a New Group
To create a new group, simply click on the Add Group button, located at the top-left of the page. Controls will appear with which to define the group, in terms of its name and members.
When you click to add a new group, you will be presented with controls with which to specify that group and its members.
Use the Group Name field to enter a meaningful name for the new group. For example this may be a name that is reflective of the task performed by its members. This is a required field, as denoted by the red asterisk.
The Members region is where you define the members of the group – its constituent users. This can be done as part of creating the group, or by editing the group afterward, as required. To add a user as a member of the group, simply click inside the Add Member field and start typing the full name (First Name Last Name) or username for that user. As you type, a drop-down list will automatically and dynamically populate with matching results, based on existing users that have access to the vault – click the required user.
Dynamic search filtering enables you to quickly obtain the user required as you type.
Continue adding further users in this manner. If you need to remove a user from the field, simply click the small cross at the right of the box containing that user's name. Once all users have been entered as required, click the Add button. The new group will be added.
With name and members defined as required, click Add to effect creation of the group.
Editing an Existing Group
Clicking on a group's name in the list, or using the Edit command from the associated control drop-down at the far right, accesses full details for that group. Make changes to the group name and/or user membership as required.
Access and make changes to a group as required.
When all modifications have been made as required, simply click the Apply button to effect those changes.
Removing a Group
To remove a group, simply use the Remove command from the associated control drop-down at the far right. A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion. Click OK to proceed, after which the group will be removed.
Access the control for removing an existing group.
Vault Structure
The Vault page gives you access to the structure of the Altium Vault Server. From here, you will be able to browse the folders and Items within the vault. And although you can't create, edit, or remove Items from within the browser interface, you are able to create and edit folders, and so build the structure of the vault, without having to be connected to that vault through Altium Designer.
Browse and define the structure of the vault.
Each folder in a list is displayed in terms of:
- Folder Name.
- Date and time the folder was created, or last updated, as applicable.
- The user who created (or last updated) the folder. For a folder you have created/updated, this entry will simply appear as '
You', while you are signed in to the vault's browser interface.
In addition, if you create or modify a folder while you are signed in, that folder will have the icon to the right of its name.
Clicking on a folder name will drill down into that folder, presenting any sub-folders therein. Clicking on an Item name within a folder will drill down to the detailed page for that Item. And depending on the type of Item, you can download released documents.
Browse the Items that have been released to the vault.
The Sort By control, located at the top-right of the page when browsing the content of a folder, can be used to sort sub-folders or Items in a variety of ways:
Name– sort alphabetically by folder name (or Item ID), in ascending order from A-Z.Date– sort by created/updated date, from latest to earliest.Description– sort alphabetically by folder (or Item) description, in ascending order from A-Z.Comment– for a folder of Items, sort alphabetically by Item Comment field, in ascending order from A-Z.
At the parent folder level you can add a new sub-folder, or access controls to edit, share, or remove an existing sub-folder. At the highest level of the structure, you can add/edit/share/remove top-level folders for the vault. Again, what can be done depends on the access privileges you have:
- Administrators –full access to create top-level folders and sub-folders, and edit, share, and remove folders.
- Non-Administrators – can create sub-folders, but cannot create top-level folders. In addition, they can only edit, share and remove sub-folders they have created.
Adding a New Folder
To create a new folder within the vault structure, simply browse to the level in the structure in which the folder is to be added, then click on the New Folder button, located at the top-left of the page. Controls will appear with which to define the folder, in terms of its name, type, and description.
When you click to add a new folder, you will be presented with controls with which to specify that folder.
Use the Folder Name field to enter a meaningful name for the folder, perhaps an umbrella term that reflects the relationship of the Items that will be stored within it.
Use the Folder Type field to declare the intended purpose of any given folder – that is the type of content it will be used to contain. The following table summarizes the different folder-types available for use in a vault. You have full control over the folder-type, it can be changed at any time.
| Folder Type | Code | Intended Purpose |
|---|---|---|
|
|
| Used to contain released Component Items. |
|
|
| High-level folder under which sub-folders of Component Items and their related domain model Items are stored. |
|
|
| High-level folder under which sub-folders of reusable design content Items – schematic sheets, templates, reference designs – are stored. |
|
|
| Used to contain released Schematic Sheet Items. |
|
|
| Used to contain released Part Choice List Items. |
|
|
| Used to contain released PCB Component Model Items. |
|
|
| High-level folder under which sub-folders of PCB production data Items – Blank Board and Assembled Board – are stored. |
|
|
| Used to contain released Schematic Template Items. |
|
|
| Used to contain released Schematic Symbol Items. |
|
|
| Used to contain content of any description – a sort of generic 'bucket' of released Items if you will. |
Use the Folder Description field to enter a description for the folder, perhaps describing the content it is to hold.
Once all attributes of the folder have been defined as required, click the Add button. The new folder will be added as part of the vault structure.
With folder properties defined, clicking Add will effect its creation.
Editing an Existing Folder
To modify the properties of an existing folder, simply use the Edit command from the associated control drop-down at the far right of the folder's entry. Controls will be presented for making changes to the folder's name, type and description as required.
Use the Sharing control below the Folder Description field to access the Sharing Settings window, from where you can modify the access permissions for the folder – see Folder-Level Sharing.
Access and make changes to a folder as required.
When all modifications have been made as required, simply click the Apply button to effect those changes.
Removing a Folder
To remove an empty folder, simply use the Remove command from the associated control drop-down at the far right. A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion. Click OK to proceed, after which the folder will be removed.
Access the control for removing an existing folder.
Folder-Level Sharing
Related article: Controlling Access to Content in an Altium Vault Server
An Altium Vault Server also supports the ability to 'share' vault folders – facilitating connection to, and access of, vault content of a particular nature. By sharing vault folders, design content in a vault can be easily partitioned and shared with others. A folder in a vault can be shared on a number of different levels, in effect defining both the level of visibility of that folder, and the level of security for access to it. This can range from being strictly private access by specified individuals or groups, through to levels for allowing anyone in the same organization to view or change content respectively.
By careful configuration of folder-level access permissions, the administrator of a vault can fully control who is able to see what content in that vault, and whether other users can simply view a folder and its content, or also edit it (effectively releasing design data into it). A single vault can be partitioned into various effective 'zones' of content, but with controlled permissions, the content can be made selectively visible, or hidden, as required – giving the right people, the right access, to the right data.
To share a folder, simply use the Share command from the associated control drop-down at the far right of the folder's entry. The Sharing Settings window will appear, from where you can modify the access permissions for the folder as required.
Configure folder-level sharing from the vault's browser-based interface.
Sharing can be configured to be simple 'any logged-in user can view' or 'any logged-in user can change', or it can be made more private in nature – adding individual users, or groups of users, and setting explicit permissions for each. In this way you can fully control who is allowed to Collaborate (released data into the folder), and who is allowed to only View the folder's data (Read-only permission, as it were).
Navigating the Vault Structure
You can navigate the content in an Altium Vault Server – through the browser interface – in several ways, as highlighted in the following image and described thereafter.
The various ways in which to navigate vault content.
- By clicking on a folder name whose contents you wish to peruse.
- Using the breadcrumbs at the top of the page. These reflect the current folder being browsed, along with the hierarchical path to that folder. Click on any entry in the path to jump directly to that folder, making it the current folder being browsed.
- Using the search feature. Simply enter a keyword based on an Item's ID, Comment or Description and press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon. The entire vault will be scanned and results of the search listed, in terms of matching Items.
Additional
The latest release of the Altium Vault Server brings several improvements to administration of the vault through its browser-based interface. These improvements are available, irrespective of whether access is made through an external web browser, or through the applicable views under Altium Designer's Home page.
Indication of Vault Access by Users
Current usage of the vault – in terms of which users are currently accessing it (through Altium Designer or an external web browser) – can be quickly gauged from the Users page of the browser interface. Indication is provided through a dedicated icon to the immediate left of the icon for group membership ().
Quickly assess which users are currently accessing the vault.
For each user, the icon is used to reflect their state of vault access, and can be in one of two states:
– currently logged in to the vault.
– not currently logged in to the vault.
Ability to Logout Users
An administrator for the Altium Vault Server has the power to logout any user that is currently logged into the vault (apart from themselves of course!). This enables licensed vault connections to be 'freed up' as it were, for assignment to other users, should the route of purchasing additional licensed connections not be viable. To do so, locate the user of interest on the Users page of the browser interface, and use the Logout command from the associated control drop-down at the far right. A dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the deletion. Click OK to proceed, after which the user will be logged out from the vault, distinguished by their vault access state changing from to .
An administrator for the vault (General Administrator) logs out another user that is currently accessing the vault (Neal Geneare).
Indication of User Group Membership
User group membership can quickly be seen from the Users page of the browser interface. To do so, hover the cursor over the group membership icon associated to the user of interest – . A pop-up will present, listing all groups that user currently belongs to.
Quickly see which groups a particular vault user belongs to.
Support for Windows Authentication
The Altium Vault Server supports two modes of user authentication when accessing the vault:
- Built in – this is provided courtesy of the vault's own Identity Service (IDS). The user accesses the vault by entering the credentials supplied to them by an administrator for the vault.
- Windows – using Windows Domain Authentication. The user accesses the vault by entering their Windows login credentials.
Setting the required mode of authentication is performed when initially adding a user to the vault, through the browser-based interface, but can be switched at any stage thereafter.
Mode is specified using the Authentication field. By default, Built in mode is used. To use Windows Domain Authentication, click on this field and choose Windows from the drop-down.
Switch user access control to use Windows Domain Authentication.
The sub-fields change from Username and Password, to Username and Domain respectively. The Domain field is pre-filled with the name of the domain of which the PC is currently part. Enter the Username to be exactly the same as the Username for that user's Windows login.
When using Windows authentication, the Domain is filled ready. You just need to enter the Username portion of the user's Windows login credentials.