Can't invite one user to certain share sites

[moshi_moshi]

We are encountering an issue when inviting a specific user to some sites in share. The problem is as follows.

On the invite page, the 'Add >>' button next to the user name is disabled.

The user in question isn't a current member of the site, nor have they already been invited, nor do they belong to any groups added to the sites.

The sites are all public, moderated.

On creating a new site, this behaviour doesn't display, it IS possible to invite the user. It only happens for a handful of existing sites.

I'm wondering what the best way is to debug this further. What could it be about this particular user and those particular sites that is preventing the user from being added?

Thanks in advance. Happy to provide more information as necessary.

[sglover]

From looking at the webscript that implements this request (potentialmembers.get.js) users who have already been invited to the site or are already a member of the site will be disabled in the invite screen. Do they appear in the "Pending Invites"? To confirm,


You could use Firebug or similar to determine what the following http request is returning when you search for users in the invitation screen:

…/api/sites/<your site name>/potentialmembers?authorityType=USER&filter=<filter>&maxResults=250

Does the "notAllowed" property contain those users who are disabled? If so, the implementation populates this with users who are either already a member of the site or have been invited to the site. Site invitations are determined by querying the workflow engine; given what you've stated, the only thing I can think of is that there are some invite workflows hanging around in the database. Try attaching a debugger and breakpointing in  org.alfresco.repo.invitationInvitationServiceImpl, method searchNominatedInvitations to determine whether this is the case.

[moshi_moshi]

Thanks for the very thorough reply.

The user doesn't appear in the 'Pending Invites' no.

I made the http request to: alfresco/service/api/sites/<site-name>/potentialmembers?authorityType=USER&filter=<filter>&maxResults=250

…and can confirm that the user appears as "notAllowed" in the JSON.

I would attempt:

attaching a debugger and breakpointing in org.alfresco.repo.invitationInvitationServiceImpl, method searchNominatedInvitations to determine whether this is the case.

but the site in question is deployed on a live instance and I'm not sure how to go about 'attaching a debugger'. Could you point me in the direction of:
- how I would go about debugging a live instance?
- whether there is anything else I can try to debug the issue. Can I for example, easily query the invite workflows related to the user? Perhaps via the api? or via the pg database?

Thanks again for your help.

[moshi_moshi]

some commenting out in potentialmembers.get.js shows the user to already have an invite.

So then the issue becomes, why does the user not show in the 'Pending invites' list?

Any further help to track this down would be great. I really am a newbie.

[afaust]

Hello,

the Pending Invites only shows those invites that have been sent out and not been accepted or rejected. After accepting or rejecting an invitation, it will not show up there, but still exist until the user that sent out the invitation acknowledges this and thereby ends the workflow. As long as the invitation workflow is still active and waiting for acknowledgement by the initiator, you won't be able to send out a new invitation.

Regards
Axel

[zh]

Hello Axel,

What we need to do if user lost the invitation how we can resend it again ? We use Community Alfresco 5.1.f

Thank you in advance!

Best regards

Zh

[afaust]

There is no way of "loosing" the invitation. It is a workflow and the task will always be available via the "My Tasks" page. As a result there is no way to resend it unless the invitation has actually been rejected...

[zh]

Thank you a lot Axel !

Best regards,

Zh

[moshi_moshi]

Thanks Axel,

that closes the issue. It was a lack of understanding on my part regards the invite UI and the workflows.

It seems to me like the confirmation on the part of the inviter following the accept/reject phase is one step too far. Surely an accept or reject should complete the workflow and allow the user entry to the site. After all, the inviter took the step to send the invite in the first place, any retraction of this decision can be handled by removing the user once they are in the group.

Thanks again.