Idents

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An ident is an authorization-id used to identify users, programs and groups. There are four types of idents in a Mimer SQL database: USER, OS_USER, PROGRAM, and GROUP idents.

USER Idents

USER idents identify individual users who can connect to a Mimer SQL database.

A USER's access to the database is protected by a password and is restricted by the specific privileges granted to the ident. USER idents are generally associated with specific physical individuals who are authorized to use the system.

OS_USER Idents

OS_USER idents are idents which reflect a user id defined by the operating system.

An OS_USER ident allows the user currently logged in to the operating system to access the Mimer SQL database without providing a user name or password.

For example: if the current operating system user is ALBERT and there is an OS_USER ident called ALBERT defined in Mimer SQL, ALBERT may start Mimer BSQL (for example) and connect directly to Mimer SQL simply by pressing <return> at the Username: prompt.

If an OS_USER ident is defined with a password in Mimer SQL, the ident may also connect to Mimer SQL in the same way as a USER ident (i.e. by providing the user name and password). An OS_USER ident may not have the same name as a USER ident in the database.

PROGRAM Idents

PROGRAM idents can be used by an application for effective administration of access rights and authorization control.

PROGRAM idents do not strictly connect to Mimer SQL, but they may be entered from within an application program by using the ENTER statement.

The ENTER statement may only be used by an ident who is already connected to a Mimer SQL database.

An ident is granted the privilege to enter a PROGRAM ident. A PROGRAM ident is set up to have certain privileges and these apply after the ENTER statement has been used. PROGRAM idents are generally associated with specific functions within the system, rather than with physical individuals.

The LEAVE statement is used to return to the state of privileges and database access that existed before PROGRAM was used.

GROUP Idents

GROUP idents are collective identities used to define groups of user and/or program idents.

Any privileges granted to or revoked from a GROUP ident automatically apply to all members of the group. Any ident can be a member of as many groups as required, and a group can include any number of members.

GROUP idents provide a facility for organizing the privilege structure in the database system. All idents are automatically members of the group PUBLIC. When a privilege is granted to PUBLIC, all users receive the privilege.

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