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ProjectWise Design Integration Forum ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create
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    ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

    jcallicott
    Offline jcallicott over 9 years ago

    I have a simple - or so I think - question regarding ProjectWise folder security:

    I have a situation where users cannot delete, rename, or otherwise modify a folder they themselves created.

    Here is the background: my organization is preparing to launch several projects in ProjectWise (08.11.11.574). Like many organizations, we have a simple but standard folder directory structure (FDS). The folders are pretty intuitive as to what goes where, so we want this same FDS available for consistency on all projects. So we have set folder security on these folders so that users cannot modify or delete them. "Write" and "Delete" are checked off. No problem.

    However, we also want users to be able to create subfolders at the ends of this FDS. So in folder security, we enable "create subfolder". Still no problem.

    And we want users to be able to create, move, rename, or even (gulp) delete documents they create in those folders. So in document security, we allow File Read, File Write, Read, Write, and Delete. Again, still not a problem.

    Now, suppose a user wants to rename, move, or even delete a subfolder that's not a part of the standard FDS - it got created by them or some other user. For example, suppose the folder "Roadway" is part of the FDS. A user creates a subfolder underneath that called "Interim". Now, suppose it's a few weeks later and that folder "Interim" is no longer needed. Or, when it gets created, it gets mis-typed as "Ineterrim" or some other undesirable name. In the former instance, the user decides to delete the folder.

    Problem.

    In the later example, the user decides to try and rename the folder.

    Problem.

    As far as I can tell, the user is stuck - it can't be done. The subfolder "Interim" (or its mis-spelled cousin) has inherited its properties from "Roadway", which means that "Write" and "Delete" are also off in the new subfolder. They can create, edit, and modify documents (including deletion) in the new subfolder, but not the new subfolder itself.

    Any suggestions? I have even looked into workflow-based security, but the problem there was that to make that work the users need to be able to change the state. That means they would be able to change the state of the standard FDS folders too. Of course, the other thing is that it creates extra steps and isn't really going to get us where we need to get.

    Is there maybe a way the user could change the subfolder's permissions through access control tab and then manage to get at it that way? Of course, that assumes the user created the subfolder. What if they are trying to modify or delete a subfolder created by another user (who may well no longer even be with the organization)? Either way, seems overly complicated.

    This situation is regularly accommodated in Windows via permissions. I'm sure ProjectWise can similarly support it, but I've busted my brain trying to figure out how. I think I have to be be missing something obvious, or it's maybe really, really subtle. Regardless, I'm open to suggestions and would love to hear any ideas.

    Thanks!

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    • Molly Watts
      0 Offline Molly Watts Mon, Aug 25 2014 9:48 AM

      Have you looked into the datasource setting "Miscellaneous > Grant implicit 'Change Permissions' rights to owners of projects, folders, and documents"



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    • jcallicott
      0 Offline jcallicott Mon, Aug 25 2014 2:00 PM in reply to Molly Watts

      Molly, thanks for your suggestion!  That setting is already turned on.

      The problem is the new folders users create inherit the ownership as well as security.  Thus, the user is not the owner of the new folder, even though they created it - thus, they are still locked out.  I can change the ownership of the folders in the project to get around this, but that means users would then be able to change the permissions on the other folders in the standard FDS also.  

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    • Molly Watts
      0 Offline Molly Watts Mon, Aug 25 2014 3:13 PM in reply to jcallicott

      How are your users creating the folders?  By default, the creator of the folder will be set as the owner, unless its changed in the new folder dialog.

      From the help file (To Create a Folder Using Folder > New Folder)

      8.(Optional) When the Create Folder dialog first opens, by default, you are assigned as the owner of the folder that you are creating. If you want to assign someone else as owner of the folder, click Change in the Owner section. When the Select Owner dialog opens, select the user to whom to grant ownership of the folder, and click OK.



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    • Jeff Burrill
      0 Offline Jeff Burrill Mon, Aug 25 2014 3:31 PM in reply to jcallicott

      Because ProjectWise lacks a "Creator/Owner" object for rights assignment like in Windows, what you are asking is really not possible in ProjectWise out-of-the-box. I know I've asked for this very thing, but to date, the CR hasn't been addressed.

      To accomplish what you are specifically asking, to my knowledge, could only be accomplished via custom module developed with the SDK.

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    • Kevin van Haaren
      0 Offline Kevin van Haaren Tue, Aug 26 2014 6:47 PM in reply to Jeff Burrill

      I think there was a presentation at Bentley ProjectWise conference that talked about using the Rules engine for a fake delete command (or a recoverable delete command).  Basically the user would set a state that made it disappear (user/group no access). An Admin could then have a saved search that searched for that state and did the final clean up.

      Not sure about the rename issue, that needs folder write privs so i'm not sure on it.

       

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    • Kevin van Haaren
      0 Offline Kevin van Haaren Tue, Aug 26 2014 6:47 PM in reply to Jeff Burrill

      I think there was a presentation at Bentley ProjectWise conference that talked about using the Rules engine for a fake delete command (or a recoverable delete command).  Basically the user would set a state that made it disappear (user/group no access). An Admin could then have a saved search that searched for that state and did the final clean up.

      Not sure about the rename issue, that needs folder write privs so i'm not sure on it.

       

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    • jcallicott
      0 Offline jcallicott Wed, Aug 27 2014 12:07 AM in reply to Kevin van Haaren

      Kevin,

      I thought of doing the same thing - a state change command that would in effect delete the folder.  I even went to that session at Bentley together this year and got a lot of insight out of it, even though we opted not to go that route.  We figured it was more administrative load to hunt down and deal with the soft-deleted files/folders rather than get requests to delete folders one in a while.  

      I appreciate all the replies!  

      I'm surprised this topic hasn't come up more on these boards in the past...

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