Manage Users and Users Group

Introduction

This guide explains how to manage user groups and users in Prolaborate. Efficiently managing users and groups ensure secure access, seamless on-boarding. and simplified administration.

Note:

1. Starting from Prolaborate 5.6, user groups can be created and managed at the application level, in addition to the repository level.
2. Existing User group details such as group name, administrative access, and user membership can only be modified at the application level. At the repository level, only the default dashboard for the user group can be customized.

Manage User Groups

User groups in Prolaborate make it easier to handle large sets of users by grouping them under common permissions and roles. Instead of assigning permissions to each individual, administrators can define access rights once at the group level and simply add or remove users as needed.

Prerequisites

Managing User Groups at the Application level

1. To create and manage user groups at the application level, the user should be an administrator.

Managing User Groups at the Repository level

1. The user should have access to the repository.
2. The user should be an administrator or part of a user group that has access to ‘Users and User Groups’.

How to create a new User Group?

From Prolaborate 5.6 onwards, user groups in Prolaborate can be created at both the Application level and the Repository level. However, it is recommended to create groups at the Application level for better management and consistency across repositories.

Creating User Groups at the Application Level

Creating user groups at the application level is recommended if you plan to work with multiple repositories. These groups can be reused across repositories, making administration more efficient.

Advantages of creating user groups at the application level

1. Creating the group is a one-time setup
2. A single user group can be assigned to multiple repositories.
3. Permissions and repository access are managed from a centralized location.

Steps to create a user group at the application level

Click Menu > User Group Management under Portal Settings. You can also use the search bar and find it.

Click Create User Group.

On the Create User Group page, fill in the required details as shown below

Field	Description
Name	Enter a suitable name for the user group.
Users	Select the users you want to include in the group
Repository Access	Choose the repositories this group should have access to. If selected, the admin can also set a default dashboard for this group.
Administrative Access	Define which repository features that the members of this group can access
Status	Set the status of the group as Active or Inactive.
Require EA Authentication	If enabled, users in this group will be prompted to enter their EA model credentials or use OpenID (if configured) before opening associated repositories. To learn more about EA Authentication, click here.

Note:

1. Making a group Inactive does not deactivate its members. However, permissions granted through this group will be revoked, and the group will no longer appear as an option in the application.

Once all details are entered, click Save. The new group will be added, and you will be redirected to the User Group List page.

Creating User Groups at the Repository Level

Creating user groups at the repository level is useful when you want to define permissions for a specific repository only.

Once created, the user group will also be added at the application level automatically, making it available for reuse in other repositories.

Steps for Admin to unblock a user:

Open the repository where you want to add the group.

Click on Menu > User Groups under Repository Configuration.

Click Add User Group > Add New User Group.

On the Create User Group page, fill in the required details:

Field	Description
Name	Enter a suitable name for the user group.
Users	Select the users you want to include in the group
Administrative Access	Define which features that the members of this group can access within this repository.
Default Dashboard	Select the dashboard to be set as default for this user group.
Status	Set the status of the group as Active or Inactive.

Note:

1. The status of the group cannot be modified at the repository level. It must be managed from the application level.

Once the details are complete, click Save. The new group will be added, and you will be redirected to the User Group List page.

How to add User Groups to Repositories

Prolaborate provides multiple ways to assign user groups to repositories. This flexibility helps administrators manage access efficiently, whether they are creating new groups, editing existing ones, or setting up new repositories.

When Creating a New User Group at the Application Level

While creating a new user group at the application level, administrators can directly assign it to one or more repositories.

During the creation process, select the required repositories in the Repository Access section.

Once saved, the group and its members are automatically added to the selected repositories.

Note:

1. If a user group is created directly at the repository level, it is automatically assigned to that repository.

When Editing an Existing User Group at the Application Level

Admin can also assign repositories to an existing user group.

On the User Group Management page, click Edit under the Actions column for the desired group.

On the Edit User Group page, select the repositories under the Repository Access section.

The group and its members will automatically be added to those repositories after saving.

From the User Group Management Listing Page

On the User Group Management page, locate the Associated Repositories column.

Click the Edit icon to open a modal window that lists all repositories in the application.

Select the required repositories and save the changes to assign the group.

When Adding a New Repository

Starting from Prolaborate 5.6, user groups can be assigned while adding a new repository.

On the Add Repository page, click on the Select User Groups dropdown under User Groups List section where it displays all the available user groups.

Once saved, the selected groups are immediately associated with the new repository.

Using the Add Existing User Groups Option

Open a repository and navigate to user groups page under repository configuration.

Click Add User Group > Add Existing User Group.

From the list, select the relevant user groups and click Add.

The selected groups will then be linked to the repository.

Edit User Group Configurations

To edit a user group at the application level, click Edit under Actions column for the desired group.

Make the necessary changes and click Save to update the configuration.

Note:

1. At the repository level, only the default dashboard can be modified. The name, status, users, and administrative access cannot be changed at the repository level.

Remove a User Group from a Repository

Admin can remove a user group from a repository in different ways.

Note:

1. Removing a user group from a repository will also remove all its members from that repository.

Quick Remove

Navigate to User Group Management page under Portal Settings

On the User Group Management page, click the Edit icon in the Associated Repositories column.

A modal window will appear, listing all repositories. Unselect the repositories you want to remove the group from and save the changes.

The group and its members will be removed from the deselected repositories.

Edit User Group Page at the Application Level

Navigate to the User Group Management page under Portal Settings.

Click Edit under the Actions column for the required group.

On the Edit User Group page, unselect the repositories in the Repository Access section.

The group and its members will be automatically removed from the unselected repositories.

From Inside the Repository

Open a repository and navigate to user groups page under repository configuration.

In the listing page, click Remove under the Actions column for the desired group.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the removal process. Click Remove to remove the user group from the repository.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action is performed.

Bulk Remove

User groups can also be removed in bulk from a repository. Select the user groups that you wish to remove using the check box in the listing page and then click Remove.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the removal process. Click Remove Anyway to remove the selected user groups from the repository.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action is performed.

Enable EA Authentication in a User Group

Enabling EA Authentication ensures that members of the selected user group must authenticate before accessing associated repositories.

Users will be prompted to either:

• Enter their EA model credentials, or
• Use OpenID (if it has been configured in the model in EA).

To learn more about EA Authentication, click here.

Inactive Unused User Groups

If a user group is no longer required, it can be set to Inactive instead of being deleted.

To inactive unused user groups, click Edit under Actions in the user groups listing page at the application level.

Toggle the Status to Inactive and click Save to update the changes.

The user group will be made inactive.

Note:

1. Making the group inactive does not make its members inactive.
2. Permissions assigned through the group will be revoked.
3. The group will no longer appear for selection anywhere in the application.
4. The status cannot be modified when editing a group configuration from inside a repository.

Delete a User Group

When a user group is no longer needed, it can be deleted from the application.

To delete a user group, click Delete under Actions in the user groups listing page at the application level.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the deletion process. Click Delete to delete the user group from the application.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action is performed.

User groups can also be deleted in bulk from the application. Select the user groups that you wish to delete using the check box in the listing page and then click Delete.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the deletion process. Click Delete Anyway to delete the selected user groups from the application.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action is performed.

Note:

1. User groups can only be deleted if they are not assigned to any repositories or access control profiles.

Add or Remove Users from a group

Users can be added to a user group upon creating them. Select the users that you wish to add as members of a user group.

Add and save the configuration to update.

To remove users from a group or add other users to a group, click the Edit icon under Actions of the respective group to open the edit user group page.

Remove users and save the configuration to update.

Note:

1. Only admins can add or remove users from a user group.
2. It can be done only at the application level not at the repository level

Setup Custom Dashboard for a User Group

A default dashboard can be set for a user group for each repository where members of the user group can land on the respective dashboard upon opening a repository.

Note:

1. If users are part of multiple groups, the default dashboard will be set based on the user group which is set as default for the repository.

When Creating a User Group at the Application Level

Admin can set up a custom dashboard as default for a repository when creating a new user group.

After selecting a repository, admin can choose a dashboard from the list of available dashboards in the respective repository.

When Editing a User Group at the Application Level

To set up a custom dashboard as default at the application level, click the Edit icon under Actions of the respective user group to open the edit user group page.

Select the dashboard from the dropdown to set up a custom dashboard for the user group to the respective repository.

Click Save to update the configuration.

From the User Group Listing page at the Application Level

On the User Group Management page, locate the Associated Repositories column.

Click the Edit icon to open a modal window that lists all repositories in the application.

Select the dashboard from the dropdown to set up a custom dashboard for the user group to the respective repository.

Click Save to update the configuration.

When Creating a New User Group at the Repository Level

Admin can set up a custom dashboard as default for a repository when creating a new user group at the repository.

Upon creating a user group, admin can choose a dashboard from the list of available dashboards in the respective repository.

When Editing an Existing User Group at the Repository Level

To set up a custom dashboard as default for a user group at the repository level, click the Edit icon under Actions of the respective user group to open the edit user group page.

Select the dashboard from the dropdown to set up a custom dashboard for the user group to the respective repository.

Click Save to update the configuration.

Setup Custom MDG for a User Group

Admin can customize forms of stereotypes for a MDG profile and set it as a default for a user group. Members of the user can view only the respective properties for a stereotype in the properties window, overview page, and reports.

Click on the Create Profile button or Edit Profile icon under Actions to open the respective page and select the respective user group from the Assigned User Groups dropdown field.

Click Save to update the changes.

To learn more about MDG profiles, click here.

Note:

1. A user group can be selected for only one profile.
2. If users are part of multiple groups, the profile configuration will be displayed all over the application based on the user group which is set as default for the repository.

Switch Default User Group

A user can belong to multiple user groups, and a default user group is automatically picked (first assigned group) by the application. However, if a user wishes to change the default user group, they can follow the steps below.

To set a user group as default for a repository, click the Profile icon on the top right corner and choose the option Change Default Group.

Choose the required user groups from the dropdown list that the logged in user is a part of. Click Save to update the changes.

Users can also set a default group directly from the My Profile page. Click the Profile icon on the top right corner and choose the option My Profile.

The default group set for each repository will be displayed at the bottom. Click the Edit icon under Actions to open the model window.

Choose the required user groups from the dropdown list that the logged in user is a part of. Click Save to update the changes.

Setup Permission for a group

Access permissions can be applied to user groups to determine which EA model information that the member of the user groups can view in Prolaborate.

Click Menu > Access Permissions under Repository Configuration and follow the steps below.

1. Choose the Customized Access option.
2. Select the package, element, or diagram from the repository browser on the left.
3. Choose the user group from the list.
4. Define the permission to be set (Read, Write, Collaborate)
5. Click Add to apply the permission.

To learn more about sections and access permissions, click here.

Manage Users

Users in Prolaborate are individuals who are granted access to view and collaborate on Enterprise Architect (EA) models and related information. Administrators can add users to Prolaborate in several ways, depending on the setup of the organization.

User Types in Prolaborate

The following user types are supported in Prolaborate:

User Type	Details
Prolaborate Admin	Administrators who have full access to the Prolaborate application. They can configure settings, manage users and groups, control repository access, etc.
Registered User	Users who have been manually added by a Prolaborate Admin, or who have enrolled themselves using the self-sign-up option.
Identity Provider User	Users who log in to Prolaborate using an external Identity Provider (IdP) via SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) configuration.
Active Directory User	Users added through Active Directory (AD) integration.
Active Directory Group User	Users who gain access through a group imported from Active Directory.

This guide explains how a Prolaborate Admin can add and manage these users within the application.

Note:

1. To learn how to configure and manage Active Directory Users and Groups, click here.
2. To learn how to manage SAML Single Sign-On configuration, click here.
3. To learn how users can enroll themselves using self-sign-up settings, click here.

Prerequisites – Users

Managing Users at the Application level

1. To create and manage users at the application level, the user should be an administrator.

Managing Users at the Repository level

1. The user should have access to the repository.
2. The user should be an administrator or part of a user group that has permission to ‘Users and User Groups’.

Create a New User at the Application Level

Creating users at the application level is recommended when working with multiple repositories. Adding users at this level is a one-time activity, and the same users can be assigned to different repositories or groups without re-creation.

Steps to Create a User at the Application Level

Click Menu > User and License Management under Portal Settings. You can also use the search bar to find it.

Click Add User.

Field	Description
Email	Enter a valid email address of the user.
Password	Enter the password. Note: 1. The password must be between 12 and 30 characters long and must include at least one number, one letter, and one special character. The following special characters are allowed: !, @, #, $, %, &, *, (, ), _, ., ;, :, ^, + 2. Once it is set up the user will be prompted to change the password on their first login.
First Name	Specify the user’s first name.
Last Name	Specify the user’s last name.
Assign Access Control Profile	Select an Access Control Profile to automatically assign this user to the relevant groups and repositories. To learn about Access Control Profile, click here.
Status	By default, the user is created as Active. Toggle the button to make the user Inactive if needed.
Make Super Admin	Enable this option to grant the user administrator privileges at the application level.
MFA Enforced	Enable this option to require the user to configure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) upon login. To learn more about MFA, click here.
Require EA Authentication	When enabled, the user will be prompted to enter their EA model credentials or use OpenID (if configured) before accessing repositories. To learn more about EA Authentication, click here.

After filling in the details, click Save. The new user will be added, and you will be redirected to the User List page.

Add Users to the Repository

Create a New User at the Repository Level

Users can be added directly at the repository level. This allows administrators to assign users specifically to a repository while still ensuring they are recognized at the application level.

When a new user is created at the repository level, they are automatically added to the application level. This makes it easy to reuse the same user across other repositories later.

Steps to Add a User:

Open the repository and then click on Menu > Users under Repository Configuration.

Click Add User.

On the Add User page, fill in the following details:

Field	Description
Email	Enter a valid email address of the user.
Password	Enter the password. Note: 1. The password must be between 12 and 30 characters long and must include at least one number, one letter, and one special character. The following special characters are allowed: !, @, #, $, %, &, *, (, ), _, ., ;, :, ^, + 2. Once it is set up the user will be prompted to change the password on their first login.
First Name	Specify the user’s first name.
Last Name	Specify the user’s last name.
User Group Membership	Select the relevant user groups. The user will inherit permissions and repository access defined for the selected groups.
Default Dashboard	Choose the dashboard the user should see by default after logging in. This ensures the user always lands on the correct dashboard.
Status	By default, the user is created as Active. Toggle this option to make the user Inactive if required.
MFA Enforced	Enable this option to require the user to configure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) upon login. To learn more about MFA, click here.

After entering all the details, click on the Save button and the user will be added. You will then land on the page where all the list of users are listed.

Add an Existing User to a Repository

If the user already exists at the application level, they can be added to a repository without recreating them.

Steps to Add an Existing User:

To add an existing user to a repository, first open the repository and then click on Menu > Users under Repository Configuration.

Click Add User.

Click the Add Existing Users section.

Select the relevant users and user groups (if required). Once selected, click on Add Users to add them to the repository.

The selected users will now be part of the repository and inherit the access defined by their groups or individual settings.

How to Invite Collaborators to Access Prolaborate?

Prolaborate allows users to invite external collaborators directly from an artifact or a review.

Once invited, the user will appear under the Invited Collaborators list. To view the list, go to Menu > User and License Management under Portal Settings, and click the Invited Collaborators tab.

The list of users who have been invited to Prolaborate will be displayed.

Invited users will receive an email with a signup link. Once they complete the signup form, they will be added as full Prolaborate users and can begin collaborating.

If they do not sign up, they remain in the Invited Collaborators list but will not be active Prolaborate users.

Note:

1. Invited collaborators will consume a Prolaborate license.
2. Mailer should be configured in Prolaborate and invite collaborator option should be enabled for a repository in Repository settings to allow users to invite external collaborators.

How to Edit User Details?

User details can be edited at both the application (portal) and repository levels.

In the users listing page, click Edit under Actions to open the edit page.

Make the required changes and click Save to update the changes.

Note:

1. User details from Active Directory (AD) or Identity Provider (IdP) cannot be edited in Prolaborate. These must be updated in the respective system.

How to View Repository Access and Assigned User Groups of a User?

Admins can quickly check which repositories and user groups a user belongs to from the listing page.

Click View under Repository Membership column.

A modal window will display the repositories and user groups assigned to the user.

Note:

1. In Prolaborate versions 5.5 and below, admins could also add or remove repositories and groups from this window.
2. In Prolaborate V5.6, it has been modified where admin can only view the information and not edit it.

How to Enable and Disable MFA?

Admins can enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for additional security. MFA can be enabled or disabled for individual users at both application and repository levels.

To learn more about MFA, click here.

In the edit page of a user, toggle the MFA Enforced option to enable or disable MFA.

Admin can also select multiple users and enable or disable MFA from the listing page.

Admin can also reset the MFA configuration of the user by clicking the Reset button.

Inactive Unused User Accounts

Admins can inactivate users without deleting them.

When inactive, the user remains in Prolaborate but cannot log in. However, Prolaborate retains all discussions, and reviews contributed by inactive users.

Note:

1. An inactive user still consumes a license.

To update or change the user status from active to inactive or from inactive to active, toggle the Status option in the edit user page.

To change the status of multiple users, select the users from the list and click on the Change Status option to change their status.

View When the User Last Access Prolaborate

Admins can track when a user last accessed the platform.

The Last Active On column in the Users listing page displays the date and time of a user’s most recent login.

Change Password for a User Account

Admins and users can reset or change passwords in different ways depending on whether the Mailer is configured.

Send Password Reset Link

If Mailer is enabled and configured, the admin can send a password reset link for a user.

To send the password reset link, click More under options and choose Send Password Reset Link for the required user.

The user will receive an email with a link to reset their password.

Note:

1. This option will only be visible if the mailer is configured. To learn more about Mailer configuration, click here.

Set Temporary Password

If the Mailer is not configured, the admin can set up a temporary password manually and inform the user. When the user logs in using the temporary password, they will be prompted to reset the password.

To set up the temporary password for a user, click on More under Actions and choose Set Temporary Password.

A modal window opens where admin can set a temporary password for a user.

The user can log in with this temporary password and will be prompted to reset it upon their next login.

Forgot Password

If the Mailer is configured, users can reset their own password from the login page.

Click the Forgot Password option on the login page.

Enter your registered email and click Reset Password.

Note:

1. This option will only work if the Mailer is configured. To learn more about Mailer configuration, click here.
2. Only users created directly in Prolaborate can reset their passwords this way.
3. Users registered through external directories (e.g., SAML SSO or Active Directory) must contact their respective administrators to reset their passwords.

Unblock User Account

If a user enters an invalid password three times, their account will be blocked, and their status will change to Blocked.

A blocked account will automatically unlock after 30 minutes. Alternatively, users can request their Admin to unblock the account.

Steps for Admin to unblock a user:

Go to the Users listing page. Click Edit under Actions for the blocked user. Toggle the Manage Account Access option to unblock the user.

Remove Users from a Repository

Admins can remove a user from a repository while keeping them active at the application level.

To remove a user, click More under Actions and choose Remove in the users listing page at the repository level.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the removal process. Click Remove to remove the user from the repository.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action has been performed.

Users can also be removed from the repository in bulk. Select the users that you wish to remove using the check box in the listing page and then click Remove.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the removal process. Click Remove Anyway to remove the selected users from the repository.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action has been performed.

Note:

1. Removing a user from a repository does not delete them from Prolaborate. They will still exist at the application level.
2. From Prolaborate v5.6, this option is only possible if the user is not part of any User Group in the repository.
3. If they are, you must first remove the user from the group, then remove them from the repository.

Delete Users from the Application

Deleting a user will permanently remove them from Prolaborate.

To delete a user, click More under Actions and choose Delete in the users listing page at the application level.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the deletion process. Click Delete to delete the user from the application.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action has been performed.

Users can also be deleted in bulk from the application. Select the users that you wish to delete using the check box in the listing page and then click Delete.

A modal window appears prompting you to confirm the deletion process. Click Delete Anyway to delete the selected users from the application.

A successful alert will be displayed confirming successful action has been performed.

Note:

Before deleting a user, it’s important to be aware of certain implications:

1. Open Discussions: If a user is deleted from Prolaborate, any discussions they initiated that are still in an open state will remain unchanged. However, from Prolaborate 5.6, only the administrator will have the option to close the discussion.
2. Review Moderator: If the user being deleted is the sole moderator for a review, this action may hinder another user from editing the associated reviews. Only Admins who are not a participant in a review can edit them.
3. For SSO users, if a user who has previously logged in through Single Sign-On (SSO) has been deleted from Prolaborate, and then logs back into the application, they will be treated as a new user. This means that any additional permissions or groups that were assigned to them, other than the default profile access/group for SSO, will be revoked. The default profile will be assigned to them.

It is advisable to review these factors before proceeding with the deletion of a user to ensure a smooth transition and prevent any unintended consequences.

Convert Registered Users to SAML Users

Starting with Prolaborate v4.4.1, administrators can convert users created directly in Prolaborate (Registered Users) into Identity Provider (IDP) Users.

This is useful when your team decides to switch from managing users locally in Prolaborate to managing them centrally through an Identity Provider (IdP).

When converted, Prolaborate automatically maps users with the same login email in both systems, ensuring a seamless transition.

Prerequisites to Convert Registered Users

1. The email address of the user in Prolaborate and in the Identity Provider must be identical.
2. SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) must be enabled, and “Others” must be chosen as the Identity Provider in the configuration.

In such scenarios, Prolaborate automatically maintains a single user record, ensuring only one license is consumed. Existing configurations and permissions remain intact and new permissions from the selected Access Control Profile in SAML SSO are applied.

Note:

1. Once SSO is enabled, the user must log in using the “Log in with SSO” option for the conversion to occur.
2. After conversion, the user will no longer be able to log in with their original Prolaborate credentials.

Convert Active Directory Users to SAML Users

Starting with Prolaborate v4.4.2, administrators can also convert Active Directory (AD) Users into SAML Identity Provider (IDP) Users.

This conversion ensures that Prolaborate users are authenticated through a centralized SSO system instead of Active Directory credentials.

Prerequisites to Convert Active Directory Users

1. Users should have the same log in email address.
2. SAML Single Sign-On (SSO) must be enabled, and “Active Directory Federation Service (ADFS)” must be selected as the Identity Provider in the configuration.

Prolaborate automatically links the AD user with their corresponding Identity Provider account. User retains existing permissions, and additional permissions are applied from the SAML Access Control Profile.

Note:

1. Once SSO is enabled, the user must log in using the “Log in with SSO” option for the conversion to occur.
2. After conversion, the user will no longer be able to log in with their original Active Directory credentials.

Impacts after migrating from old versions to Prolaborate 5.6

Users can encounter the following changes after upgrading to Prolaborate 5.6 from the older versions.

1. All user groups created in the repositories will be displayed at the application level under User Group Management. Due to this change, admin can view multiple user groups with the same (e.g. Administrators, Default, etc.) at the application level but each group will be associated to the respective repository that they are copied from.
2. The Administrator and Default user group, which were automatically created upon adding a new repository, will not occur.
3. Admin cannot add a new user group with the same name after upgrading to 5.6
4. Removing a user group from a repository will also remove all its members from that repository.
5. Users can only be removed from a repository only if the user is not in any user group in the repository. If they are, you must first remove the user from the group, then remove them from the repository.