Manage access based on categories

[vboshova]

I am searching for a solution how to retrieve documents based on predefined metadata ( for example categories) and to administer user access based on those metadata, not based on physical spaces/folders as it is supported by alfresco out of the box. Consider for example the business case: I have documents with categories/properties: Contracts, Offers, Tenders. I need to capture all documents with a property Contracts and I want only the people form Business development department having access to them. Similar to the user rights administration, based on physical categorization(spaces and folders), but we need it to be based on virtual, custom views with having document only once saved physically. Is it possible this to be realized with Alfresco or some add on. If, yes, is it out-of-the-box feature or custom development is needed?

[stevereiner]

Permissions can be set on individual documents not just on folders/spaces. With document templates you can setup say a contract template that has the contract category and permission setup for the business development group.  Then filtering of out of the box views (search, folder views, etc.) in all clients would be restricted by the server as you described in your "virtual, custom views".  Alfresco explorer, Alfresco share, and FlexSpaces (and some other alternative clients / frameworks) have built-in UI for navigating by categories. For regular properties, there is no out of the box navigation in clients, only available through search.

[vboshova]

Thanks a lot for your reply. If I understood correctly, we have to define a new custom template with the 'contract' category and permission setup for the business development group. Than add this template to the list of templates, and apply for the respective documents. Could you please explain how filtering by the server is expected to be restricted so people from business department to be able to search only for documents with predefined template?

[stevereiner]

Doc templates would only be for using the create new document from template feature. For uploading existing documents, would use type or aspects to have things setup for contract documents. Would also need to setup in types and/or templates to not give read permissions to those outside of the business dev group.   Then in folder views and search results, the server won't return docs in which the user doesn't have read permission to in lists.

[vboshova]

Thanks a lot, your help is much appreciated!. I am going further with my questions though, this topic is very important for us to take a decision go/not go with alfresco. Does it mean we should develop custom types ( what is more correct actually - types or content types? ) , with their own metadata and permission models and apply them when upload new document into Alfresco.  Is it possible dynamically add aspects/categories, applies rules and workflows to a document with custom type, the same way as it is with standard types? Could you post me a link to some readings where I can read how custom types are created.

[stevereiner]

http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Data_Dictionary_Guide

http://blogs.alfresco.com/wp/phampton/2011/01/17/the-versatility-of-alfresco-aspects/

http://ecmarchitect.com/images/articles/alfresco-content/content-article.pdf

books
http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Alfresco-David-Caruana/dp/0470571047
http://www.packtpub.com/alfresco-developer-guide/book

aspects are more flexible than types, may want both types and aspects
categories more like tags just more structured (actually tags are implemented with categories)

You can do all the things with custom types that you can with standard types
Also can setup a rule to apply only to docs with a certain type or aspect