Configure Access to OCF File System Sources

Alation Cloud Service Applies to Alation Cloud Service instances of Alation

Customer Managed Applies to customer-managed instances of Alation

A file system source can be visible to all users or only to specific users and groups designated by a file system Source Admin. By default, a file system source is visible to all users, or public. You can manage the visibility of a file system source on the Access tab of the settings page:

File System Source Privacy

Users can access a file system source as File System Admins or Viewers:

  • File System Admins—The File System Admin access allows editing the settings page, including managing access to the file system source, changing the connection parameters, scheduling, and running metadata extraction (MDE).

  • Viewers—The Viewer access allows viewing the file system source and its child objects in the catalog, including finding them with Alation Search.

For a private File System source, you can add specific users or groups as File System Admins or Viewers.

For a public File System source, you can add more File System Admins. All catalog users are Viewers by default.

Manage Access to File System Source

You can also and or revoke access from users and groups.

Manage Access to a Public File System Source

To manage access:

  1. Open the Access tab of your file system source settings.

  2. Under the People section, on the right of the File System Admins table, click the +Add button. A quick search list will open.

  3. Start typing the name of a user or group in the search field. Search will provide dynamic prompts that you can select from. Select the user or group you want.

  4. The user or group you selected will be added to the File System Admins table. These users now have File System Admin access and can view and edit the file system source settings.

Manage Access to a Private File System Source

To grant or revoke access to or from users and groups:

  1. Open the Access tab of your file system source settings.

  2. Under the People section, on the right of the Viewers & File System Admins table title, click the +Add button. A quick search list will open.

  3. Start typing the name of a user or group in the search field. Search will provide dynamic prompts that you can select from. Select the user or group you want.

  4. The user or group you selected will be added to the Viewers & File System Admins table. Initially, all newly added users or groups are Viewers.

  5. To change the access level to File System Admin, use the dropdown list in the Access Level column. Select File System Admin from the list.

Revoke Access

To revoke file system source access from a user or group:

  1. Find the user or group you want in the File System Admins or Viewers & File System Admins table. (The table name depends on your file system source privacy setting.) You can sort the Name column or use the filter on the top right of the table to find the user or group.

  2. For this user or group, click Remove in the rightmost column of the table. The user or group will be removed from the table.

    Note

    You cannot remove the File System Admin access from the last remaining File System Admin.

Access for Server Admins

Users with the role of Server Admin can grant the File System Admin access to themselves on any file system source.

To grant access:

  1. As a Server Admin, open the catalog page of a file system source.

  2. On the top right of the page, click Settings.

  3. You’ll land on the Access tab of the settings. Other tabs will be disabled until you’ve opened access to yourself. Use the information in Grant or Revoke Access to grant yourself access.