Security and User Management

[amal]

Hi All,
           We have a immediate requirement to implement a DMS solution in our company. So we are quite happy with the alfresco features, except the security. We need a sophisticated security system which can grant and restrict access to particular space.
                        If you have a version which has proper security system implemented, please let me know the URL where I can download it.

Thanx in advance,
Amal.

[kevinr]

Hello,

Advanced security and permissions support have now been made available as part of the Enterprise or Profesional network for Alfresco:

http://www.alfresco.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=286
http://www.alfrescosoftware.com/pdf/Comparison_V7.pdf

Thanks,

Kevin

[rdanner]

Hello,

Advanced security and permissions support have now been made available as part of the Enterprise or Profesional network for Alfresco:

http://www.alfresco.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=286
http://www.alfrescosoftware.com/pdf/Comparison_V7.pdf

Thanks,

Kevin

Alfresco has a very powerful and granular security model.  Currently the Groups and Roles are not enabled in the community product. 

The thing is alfresco is trying to sell groups and roles.  There is a saying "if you want to sell more blades, you have to give a little more razor".  The community product is free so that doesn’t count as a little more razor.  Alfresco needs to give away a little bit of what it is selling… for instance groups and roles.

Another example is HA (high availability) wares.  The export and import functionality provides enough to do stand by replication for the community. If you need more then that… then you are probably someone who can pay for the additional product features in one way or another.

Back on the subject of groups and roles:  Given the granularity of the alfresco model.  Groups and roles could be enabled in the community version. 

What might be sold is the granularity of the ACL applicability.  The community version could allow a group to be assigned to a folder and that’s it.

Professional to the document, and enterprise to the node (document versions and other model nodes).

You need to make people want groups and roles.  You can’t do that by saying its there if you pay for it.  You have to give them a "Taste".

In today’s world nobody wants to manage users independently.  The thought of that alone will turn people away from the product.  That is not effect alfresco is looking for.  We want people to see how powerful the architecture is, the only way to do that is to allow them to glimpse it.

Basically, the verticalization is great.  The availability of certain advanced functionality is and should be considered as compensation ware. Alfresco is after all a business. The thing is… don’t turn off functionality.  Throttle it.  Every function of the system should be available at some level, a level that gives a glimpse of the advantage of the advanced levels.

My whole point is this… don't try and make people buy because they have pain (oh i wish i could do this.), make them buy because the glimpse the possibilities.  Pain is a de-motivator not a motivator.



Sorry to ramble on with this, but I really like the alfresco product and architecture and I want the company to kick some ass in technology and in the market.