Proposal Externalize User Permissions

Abstract

This is a proposal to make it possible to externalize user permissions so that Roller can pull user-weblog permissions from a separate user permissions system.

Background

Here's an explanation of Roller's current user permissions management, the perceived problems and proposed solutions.

Roller manages user-weblog permissions

In addition to roles, which are global across a Roller site, Roller also each user's permissions to access weblogs. There is a many-to-many relationship between users and weblogs and it's stored in a database table:

-- User permissions within a website
-- permission_mask: bitmask 000 limited, 001 author, 011 admin
-- pending: pending user acceptance of invitation to join website
create table roller_user_permissions (
   id              varchar(48) not null primary key,
   website_id      varchar(48) not null,
   user_id         varchar(48) not null,
   permission_mask integer not null, 
   pending         $db.BOOLEAN_SQL_TYPE_TRUE not null
);

There are three permission levels:

• limited: can edit draft weblog entries only, can submit for review
• author: can edit draft and publish weblog entries
• admin: can author and can manage users, weblog settings, theme and etc.

Each User object provides access to the User's weblog permissions. When a user logs in, we use this to display the user's list of weblogs.

User

public List getPermissions()
public void setPermissions(List perms)

Each Weblog object provides access to the Weblog's permissions. When a weblog admin uses the manage members page, we use this information to display the list of weblog members and the permissions levels of each.

Weblog

public List getPermissions() 
public void setPermissions(List perms) 
public void removePermission(WeblogPermission perms)
public int getUserCount()
public int getAdminUserCount()

WeblogEntry

public boolean hasWritePermissions(User user)

h4. Problem

Permissions cannot be managed by external system because the User to Permissions to Weblog relationship is managed by the ORM, the information must be stored in Roller database tables and cannot be externalized and managed by another system.


h4. Solution: User Permissions API

Insead calling ORM supported methods on the Weblog and User classes, the Roller front-end will call the Roller UserManager to access permissions information. We'll add these new methods to accommodate that:

UserManager

public Set<WeblogPermission> getWeblogPermissions(Weblog weblog)
public Set<WeblogPermission> getUserPermissions(User user)
public void grantPermissions(WeblogPermission perm, String username)
public void removePermissions(WeblogPermission perm)
public int getUserCount(Weblog weblog)
public int getAdminCount(Weblog weblog)

To allow us to plugin alternate user management systems Roller's default UserManager implementation will call a _User Permissions API_ interface to store and retrieve permissions:

UserPermissions interface methods

public Set<Permissions> getObjectPermissions(String objectClass, String objectId)
public Set<Permissions> getUserPermissions(String username)
public void grantPermissions(Permissions perms, String username)
public void removePermissions(Permissions

Permissions bean

int mask
String objectClass
String obectId

Roller will include a User Permissions API that stores data in the Roller database. Other implementations can be plugged in via DI.

You can stop reading here... the rest is TBD

Requirements

Requirements satisfied by this proposal

Issues

Issues to be considered

Design

List and describe new manager methods, Struts actions, JSP pages, macros, etc.

Comments

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