Proficy* HMI/SCADA - iFIX

CONFIGURING SECURITY FEATURES

Version 5.5
January 2012
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 Table of Contents
About This Guide .............................................................................................................................. 1

Reference Documents .................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 3

Protecting Your Process ............................................................................................................... 3

iFIX Security Concepts ................................................................................................................. 4

Understanding Security Status ..................................................................................................... 5

Understanding iFIX Security ............................................................................................................. 7

Security Files ................................................................................................................................ 8

Using Security with a File Server .............................................................................................. 8

Using Security Without a File Server ........................................................................................ 8

User Accounts .............................................................................................................................. 9

Group Accounts ............................................................................................................................ 9

Assigning Privileges................................................................................................................ 11

Identical User Accounts .......................................................................................................... 12

Security Areas ............................................................................................................................ 13

Creating a Recipe User Account ............................................................................................ 13

Application Features ................................................................................................................... 14

Assigning Special Application Features ................................................................................. 18

Run-time Environment Protection............................................................................................... 18

Securing Scripts and the Visual Basic Editor ......................................................................... 19

Securing Pictures and Schedules ........................................................................................... 19

Electronic Signatures .................................................................................................................. 20

Protecting SCADA Nodes ........................................................................................................... 21

Restricting Database Write Access on a Node-by-Node Basis ..............................................21

The iFIX Screen Saver ............................................................................................................... 22

Working with Visual Basic for Applications ................................................................................. 24

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Configuring Security Features

Defining and Assigning Security Privileges .................................................................................... 25

The Security Configuration Program .......................................................................................... 26

Exiting from the Security Configuration Program ................................................................... 26

Working with the Security Toolbox ......................................................................................... 27

Enabling and Disabling Security ............................................................................................. 27

Defining Security Areas .............................................................................................................. 27

Assigning Security Areas ........................................................................................................ 28

Creating Group and User Accounts............................................................................................ 28

Limiting Login Time................................................................................................................. 28

Modifying Group and User Accounts ...................................................................................... 29

Deleting Group and User Accounts ........................................................................................ 29

iFIX Automatic Login .................................................................................................................. 29

Creating a Public Account ...................................................................................................... 30

Deleting an Automatic Login Configuration ............................................................................ 30

Importing and Exporting the Security Configuration ................................................................... 30

Importing User Account Passwords ....................................................................................... 31

Defining the Security Path .......................................................................................................... 31

Defining the Backup Path ....................................................................................................... 32

Configuring Global Security Paths.............................................................................................. 32

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment ....................................................................... 33

Example: Securing the Run-time Environment ...................................................................... 34

Using iFIX Security ......................................................................................................................... 37

Logging in to iFIX Manually ........................................................................................................ 37

Changing the Account Password ........................................................................................... 38

Logging out of iFIX Manually ...................................................................................................... 38

Understanding the Security Log File .......................................................................................... 38

Using iFIX with Windows Security .................................................................................................. 41

Configuring Windows User Accounts ......................................................................................... 41

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 Table Of Contents

Setting Passwords to Expire ................................................................................................... 41

Limiting the Number of Invalid Login Attempts ....................................................................... 42

Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX ............................................................... 42

User Accounts that Log in to Windows ................................................................................... 43

Domain Users Logging Into Windows .................................................................................... 43

Using the Security Configuration Program ................................................................................. 43

Using Security Synchronizer ...................................................................................................... 44

Administrative Considerations ................................................................................................ 45

How the Security Synchronizer Works ................................................................................... 46

Preparing to Run the Security Synchronizer .............................................................................. 47

Decide the Source of Windows Security Information ............................................................. 47

Create Windows Users ........................................................................................................... 48

Create Windows Groups ........................................................................................................ 48

The CreateWindowsGroups Tool ........................................................................................... 51

Assign Users to Windows Groups and Grant Privileges ........................................................53

Configure iFIX Security ........................................................................................................... 53

Running the Security Synchronizer Application ......................................................................... 54

Using the Command Line ....................................................................................................... 56

When to Run the Security Synchronizer .................................................................................... 58

When to Run the Security Synchronizer................................................................................. 58

Scheduling Security Synchronizer .......................................................................................... 58

Using the Security Synchronizer Automation Interface .............................................................. 60

Application Feature Name Aliases ............................................................................................. 60

Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................................. 71

Understanding Security Configuration Messages ...................................................................... 72

Understanding Security Synchronizer Messages ....................................................................... 76

Error Severity Categories ....................................................................................................... 76

Application Error Codes (200-299) ......................................................................................... 76

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Configuring Security Features

User Account Error Codes (100-199) ..................................................................................... 78

General Error Codes (1-99) .................................................................................................... 79

Command Line Parameter Errors........................................................................................... 79

Security Configuration Dialog Boxes .............................................................................................. 81

Application Feature Selection Dialog Box .................................................................................. 81

Authorized ............................................................................................................................... 81

Available ................................................................................................................................. 81

Add All .................................................................................................................................... 81

Add.......................................................................................................................................... 81

Delete ..................................................................................................................................... 82

Delete All ................................................................................................................................ 82

Automatic Login at Startup Dialog Box ....................................................................................... 82

Auto Started Nodes ................................................................................................................ 82

Add.......................................................................................................................................... 82

Modify ..................................................................................................................................... 82

Delete ..................................................................................................................................... 82

Automatic Login Node Dialog Box .............................................................................................. 82

Node ....................................................................................................................................... 82

Application User...................................................................................................................... 82

System User ........................................................................................................................... 83

Configuration Dialog Box ............................................................................................................ 83

User Based Security ............................................................................................................... 83

Security Path .......................................................................................................................... 83

Backup Path ........................................................................................................................... 83

Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles ................................................................................ 83

Edit Security Area Dialog Box .................................................................................................... 83

Area ........................................................................................................................................ 83

Name ...................................................................................................................................... 84

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Group Accounts Dialog Box ....................................................................................................... 84

Current Groups ....................................................................................................................... 84

Add.......................................................................................................................................... 84

Modify ..................................................................................................................................... 84

Delete ..................................................................................................................................... 84

Group Membership Selection Dialog Box .................................................................................. 84

Authorized ............................................................................................................................... 84

Available ................................................................................................................................. 84

Add All .................................................................................................................................... 84

Add.......................................................................................................................................... 84

Delete ..................................................................................................................................... 85

Delete All ................................................................................................................................ 85

Group Profile Dialog Box ............................................................................................................ 85

Group Name ........................................................................................................................... 85

Security Areas ........................................................................................................................ 85

Application Features ............................................................................................................... 85

Modify ..................................................................................................................................... 85

Password Confirmation Dialog Box ............................................................................................ 85

Retype Password to Confirm Change .................................................................................... 85

Security Area Naming Dialog Box .............................................................................................. 86

Security Areas ........................................................................................................................ 86

Modify ..................................................................................................................................... 86

Security Area Selection Dialog Box ............................................................................................ 86

Authorized ............................................................................................................................... 86

Available ................................................................................................................................. 86

Add All .................................................................................................................................... 86

Add.......................................................................................................................................... 86

Delete ..................................................................................................................................... 86

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Configuring Security Features

Delete All ................................................................................................................................ 86

Select User Dialog Box ............................................................................................................... 86

Select User List Box ............................................................................................................... 87

User Accounts Dialog Box .......................................................................................................... 87

Current Users ......................................................................................................................... 87

Add.......................................................................................................................................... 87

Modify ..................................................................................................................................... 87

Delete ..................................................................................................................................... 87

User Profile Dialog Box .............................................................................................................. 87

Use Windows Security ............................................................................................................ 87

Windows Security Enabled ..................................................................................................... 87

Windows Security Disabled .................................................................................................... 88

Group ...................................................................................................................................... 89

Security ................................................................................................................................... 89

Application .............................................................................................................................. 89

Modify ..................................................................................................................................... 89

How Do I... ...................................................................................................................................... 91

Configure Security Features ....................................................................................................... 91

Manage User Accounts .............................................................................................................. 91

Managing User Accounts ....................................................................................................... 91

Manage Group Accounts ............................................................................................................ 97

Managing Group Accounts ..................................................................................................... 97

Configure Security .................................................................................................................... 100

Configuring Security ............................................................................................................. 100

Completing the Configuration Dialog Box ............................................................................ 100

Use Electronic Signatures ........................................................................................................ 102

Using Electronic Signatures ................................................................................................. 102

Configure for Automatic Login .................................................................................................. 105

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Configuring for Automatic Login ........................................................................................... 105

Create or Rename Security Areas............................................................................................ 106

Create Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box .................................106

Configure the iFIX Screen Saver .............................................................................................. 107

Enable Environment Protection ................................................................................................ 108

ix
About This Guide
Configuring Security Features is intended for system administrators who must configure and maintain
security for iFIX® systems. The manual explains the concepts of iFIX security and steps you through
the process of configuring iFIX security.

Reference Documents
For related information about iFIX, refer to the following manuals:

• Understanding iFIX
• Writing Scripts
• Creating Recipes
• Using Electronic Signatures
• Setting Up the Environment

1
Introduction
As iFIX monitors your process, it creates data files, such as alarm files; iFIX also modifies and updates
other data, such as the process database. In some companies, access to iFIX applications and data files
is available to everyone. In such an environment, changes to the data files and access to iFIX files and
applications are not critical to the process. However, in other companies these applications and data are
only available to authorized personnel because they are critical to the process.

iFIX provides an integrated security program to assist you in protecting your process. Refer to the
following sections for more details:

• Protecting Your Process

• iFIX Security Concepts
• Understanding Security Status

Protecting Your Process

There are different levels of security that you can implement to protect your process. On one level, you
can control the physical security of your machines and buildings. On another level, you can implement
security for your operating system and your network using firewalls, passwords, and filters.

You can also restrict access to your iFIX applications and files, and protect your data files from
unauthorized changes, by enabling iFIX security. This manual focuses on iFIX security. iFIX security
is optional and is disabled by default. When you enable iFIX security, you can restrict:

• Access to iFIX programs, operator displays, schedules, and recipes.

• Access to critical program functions (for example, reloading the process database).
• Write access to the process database.
• Data entry and alarm acknowledgement, by requiring electronic signatures and verification.
This can assist you in becoming compliant with the 21 CFR Part 11 regulation.

Enabling security also allows you to track all the changes to the process database and forces operators
to log in to iFIX. Logging in requires a login name and an optional password. Depending on your
configuration, this data can be the same or separate from your Windows® login name and password.
Refer to the Using iFIX with Windows Security chapter for more information.

iFIX security is user-based, meaning operators cannot access iFIX applications, files, or database
blocks unless you assign access to them. Assigning program, file, or database access to an operator is
commonly referred to as assigning a privilege to that operator.

You can enable security using the Security Configuration program. This program is a flexible and
easy-to-use application that lets you assign operator rights, login names, and passwords. Refer to the
Defining and Assigning Security Privileges chapter for more information

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Configuring Security Features

iFIX Security Concepts

Before you restrict access to iFIX applications and files, you need to understand how security works.
The security concepts described in the following list are described in more detail in the Understanding
iFIX Security chapter. For information on using the concepts, see the Defining and Assigning Security
Privileges chapter.

User Account – defines the privileges assigned to one person. iFIX identifies each user account
with a login name and an optional password. User accounts can belong to one or more
groups. When a user account belongs to a group, it inherits all the privileges associated with
the group. The user account can have privileges in addition to the group privileges.

Group Account – assigns access to the most commonly-used privileges that two or more people
must share. Allows you to bundle a set of privileges and assign them in one step to a user
account.

Application Feature – a privilege that allows an operator to access specific application functions.
For example, the WorkSpace Runtime application feature provides access to the
WorkSpace run-time environment. To help simplify explanations, this manual collectively
refers to applications and specific application functions as application features.

Security Area – a physical or functional division of a plant. For example, security areas can be
process hardware (such as pumps or ovens), utilities (such as fuel, water, or steam), or
maintenance functions.

The following figure shows how user accounts, group accounts, application features, and security areas
interrelate. Each user account has privileges that are directly assigned and inherits any privileges
assigned to the groups to which the user account belongs.

Security Concepts

4
 Introduction

Electronic Signature – uniquely identifies operators performing or verifying changes to your

process. You can require operators to enter a user name and password before
acknowledging an alarm or entering data. This functionality can assist you in becoming
compliant with the 21 CFR Part 11 United States FDA government regulation.

Run-time Environment Protection – restricts the things that operators can do during Proficy
iFIX WorkSpace Run Mode. For example, you can prevent operators from switching to
other applications or exiting the WorkSpace when you have Run-Time Environment
Protection enabled.

Understanding Security Status

When you initially start the iFIX Security Configuration program, iFIX security is disabled. The
Security Configuration program indicates this status by displaying an open lock on the screen. While
security is disabled, anyone can use iFIX programs or modify iFIX configuration files without
restriction. Electronic signature capability is also disabled when security is disabled.

When you enable security, the lock closes and operators must log into iFIX with their user accounts to
gain access. For instructions on enabling and disabling security, refer to the section Enabling and
Disabling Security.

5
Understanding iFIX Security
Your main design goal when developing an iFIX security strategy is to create group and user accounts.
Using groups minimizes the amount of work needed to create the accounts while providing you with
flexibility and power. For example, instead of creating five operator accounts that all assign the same
security areas and application features, you can create one group account with these privileges and then
assign the group account to the five operators.

To achieve this goal, assess your operators' needs and identify the common privileges they require.
Once you identify these common privileges, you can create group accounts that provide them.

For example, John, Dave, Tim, and George are all iFIX operators. Their needs are summarized in the
following table:

User name Application features Security areas

John WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3

Dave WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3

Tim WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3

George WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3

Since each operator requires access to the same application features and security areas, it is possible to
create a group account called Operators that provides these privileges. Once you create the group
account, you can assign it to each operator's user account, as the following figure shows.

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Configuring Security Features

Assigning Account Privileges with a Group Account

Security Files
You can share iFIX security files among all your iFIX nodes. However, you cannot share these files
with FIX32 nodes. If you have a network with nodes of both types, use one set of security files for
your iFIX and another set for your FIX32 nodes.

When you... You...

Do not share security Must copy the security files to each iFIX node.
files.

Share security files. Can make system-wide changes quickly and avoid the need for
copying files.

Using Security with a File Server

Using a file server, you can eliminate the need to copy security files to multiple computers. The
simplest way to share your security files is to enter your file server path as the security path. To learn
how to change the security path, refer to the section, Defining the Security Path.

Using Security Without a File Server

You can set up security without a file server by storing all the security files and the Security
Configuration program on each local computer. The security files reside in a path called the security
path, which the Security Configuration program defines.

8
 Understanding iFIX Security

Security also keeps another copy of the security files in a path called the backup path. Security uses
this path when it cannot find the security path, for example, if the security path becomes unavailable.

Once you set up security and enable it on one computer, you must duplicate the security configuration
on every node. The simplest way to do this is to copy your security files to every computer on your
network. For a list of files to copy, refer to the Troubleshooting chapter.

Also, make sure you enable security on every node. Otherwise, security may not function properly.

User Accounts
A user account defines the privileges assigned to one person. iFIX identifies each user account with a
login name and an optional password. User accounts can belong to one or more groups. When a user
account belongs to a group, it inherits all the privileges associated with the group. The user account
can have privileges in addition to the group privileges

When designing a user account, always include the user's full name, login name, and password in your
security plan. If you plan to use Windows security, you should also include the domain name if you
plan to store the user accounts on a domain controller.

Including the user's full name is especially important when you are using electronic signatures, because
the full name is recorded in messages sent to the audit trail for electronic signatures.

Including the password is particularly important because iFIX security does not display user account
passwords. Consequently, including user passwords ensures that you provide the correct password to
your operators.

Group Accounts
Whenever possible, use group accounts to assign the majority of account privileges. You greatly
simplify creating a security configuration if you take the time and effort to assess your operators'
needs. If the security requirements at your site do not warrant such an effort, use the sample group
accounts provided. These accounts provide you with a simpler approach to Configuring Security
Features. For example, the sample group accounts define functional roles in a manufacturing facility.
You could easily create other group accounts, such as those listed in the following table.

To create a Assign the following application features...

group account
for...

Database Database Block Add-Delete, Database Manager, Database Reload, and

Designers Database Save.

Operator Display WorkSpace Configure, WorkSpace Runtime, WorkSpace Runtime Exit,

Designers Enable Task Switching, Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access, Database
Manager, Database Save, Database Reload, and Database Block Add/Delete.

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Configuring Security Features

To create a Assign the following application features...

group account
for...

Recipe Developers Recipe Builder Development Window, Recipe Download from the Recipe
Builder, Recipe Save from the Recipe Builder, Recipe Upload from the
Recipe Builder, and Recipe Text Output from the Recipe Builder.

Supervisors WorkSpace Runtime, WorkSpace Runtime Exit, and Enable Task

Switching.

Typically, when assigning privileges to an operator, you select the necessary group accounts first. This
assigns common privileges needed by two or more operators doing similar tasks. Then, you can add
any specific privileges an operator may require. Configuring your group and user accounts in this way
provides a modular approach that is easy to maintain.

For example, in the following figure, the group account Operators defines access to the Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace run-time environment and specific security areas. These privileges define the common
security rights shared by all operators. If an individual operator needs additional rights, for example, to
enter electronic signatures, you can assign those rights in his or her own user account.

10
 Understanding iFIX Security

Sample Accounts

Assigning Privileges
After you create your group accounts, you can assign any remaining privileges to individual user
accounts. These remaining rights should be unique privileges assigned to one person. If, however, you
find that two or more operators require the same privileges, consider creating additional group
accounts.

For example, consider the operator accounts for John, Dave, Tim, and George. Assume that George
and Dave need additional privileges to perform electronic signatures and access another security area,
while Tim needs access to the functional security area Ovens. Since Tim is the only operator who
requires access to this security area, you can assign it directly to his user account. However, because
both George and Dave require an extra application feature and security area, you might want to create
a second group account to provide these privileges. This is illustrated in the following figure.

11
Configuring Security Features

Assigning Extra Rights with Group Accounts

Identical User Accounts

While the best way to maintain flexibility in your security strategy is to define common privileges with
group accounts, you may find it easier not to use them. In general, this happens when you only have to
create a small number of identical user accounts. If you decide not to include group accounts in your
security plan, you can save time creating identical user accounts as described in the following steps.

To create identical user accounts:

1. Create one user account.

2. Export your security configuration.
3. Open the export file in a text editor.
4. Copy and paste the user account as many times as needed.
5. Change the user name, login name, and password of each user account.
6. Save the file and import it back into the Security Configuration program.

For more information on using this method, refer to the section Importing and Exporting the Security
Configuration.

12
 Understanding iFIX Security

Security Areas
You should keep a separate list of security areas as you plan each group and user account. When you
finish, the resulting list contains the names of the security areas you require, allowing you to define
your security areas in one session instead of multiple sessions.

Security areas restrict access to database blocks, operator displays, schedules, and recipes. The
following table summarizes the access restrictions provided by security areas.

When you assign a security You restrict...

area to a...

Database block Write access. Read access to blocks is available from any
operator display.

Operator display, schedule, or Read access to the file.

recipe

If someone attempts to change a block's value illegally, security generates a message containing the
login name of the person who attempted the change. iFIX sends this message to the security audit trail
and every enabled alarm destination except the Alarm Summary. To learn more about these messages,
refer to the Implementing Alarms and Messages manual. To learn about the security audit trail, refer to
the Understanding the Security Log File section.

Creating a Recipe User Account

Using the GE Intelligent Platforms recipe package, you can download recipes to a process database.
Typically, when security is enabled, you can protect the blocks in each process database by assigning
them to security areas. As a result, recipe downloads can fail because the current operator may not
have rights to change the blocks to which the recipe writes.

You can eliminate this problem by creating a recipe user account. This account defines the security
areas to which your recipes can download. When a download begins, iFIX examines the security areas
assigned to the Recipe user account instead of the currently logged in operator.

You can create a Recipe user account by:

• Naming it RECIPE.
• Defining the required security areas.

Once you create the account, copy it to the security path of every SCADA server.

IMPORTANT: Security loads the Recipe user account into memory the first time a recipe downloads.
If you modify this account, the local computer continues to use the version in memory. To force the
computer to re-read the new version, log out the current user, log in with the Recipe user account, and
log out again.

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Configuring Security Features

Do Not Use "RECIPE" as a Domain User Account

Be aware that using "RECIPE" as a domain user account is not supported in the Proficy iFIX product.
If you do attempt to use RECIPE as a domain user name, you will be able to download a recipe on a
SCADA node, but not on a View node.

Application Features
You should familiarize yourself with the available application features before you design any group or
user account. Very often it is possible to assign an application feature for a specific application
function, such as the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace run-time environment, without providing access to the
entire application. The following table lists the available application features.

Application Feature Descriptions

Application Allows the user to...

Feature

Application Generate baseline files in the Application Validator.

Validator - Creation
of Baselines

Application Run the Application Validator and generate reports.

Validator - Run-time
Access

Background Task Stop any background task such as SAC, Session Monitor, or Historical
Exit Collect.

Batch Execution - Perform a specified action in the Proficy Batch Execution product.
[Action Name]

Change Use Change Management version control features in iFIX.

Management

Database Block Add a block to, delete a block from, or modify a block in a database.
Add-Delete
NOTE: In FIX32, this application feature only allows add and delete
functionality.

Database Manager Configure individual blocks in a database and import, export, save, print,
query, sort, and summarize the contents of a database.

Database Reload Reload the database in memory or load a different database.

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 Understanding iFIX Security

Application Feature Descriptions

Application Allows the user to...

Feature

Database Save Save the database in memory to disk.

EDA Feature #1-54 Access an Easy Database Access (EDA) application feature. You can
provide access for up to 54 EDA application features.

Electronic Signature Bypass the Electronic Signature option, and test an application without the
- Bypass need to repeatedly enter signatures.

NOTE: Selecting Add All when you are adding application features to
a user or group account will not add this application feature. You
must select it explicitly.

Electronic Signature Perform signed actions.

- Perform By

Electronic Signature Verify signed actions.

- Verify By

Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del Log off, shut down the computer, access the Windows Task Manager, or
change the computer's password by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del.
The logged-in user needs this if iFIX is running as a service and they log
off the machine.

Enable Task Switch between tasks.

Switching

FIX32 - [Action] Perform a specified action in a FIX Desktop application.

GE Intelligent Access an application feature defined by an OEM (Original Equipment

Platforms OEM Manufacturer). You can provide access for up to 12 OEM application
Reserved #1-12 features.

Historical Trend Configure the Classic Historical Assign program.

Assign

Historical Trend Stop the Classic Historian HTC program.

Collection

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Configuring Security Features

Application Feature Descriptions

Application Allows the user to...

Feature

Historical Trend Legacy application feature that is not used in iFIX.

Export

iFIX - System Shut down iFIX.

Shutdown

Manual Failover Allows you to manually initiate a failover from the active LAN to the
standby LAN.

Project Backup- Back up and restore the iFIX files on the local node.
Restore

Recipe Builder Create master and control recipes, enable and disable the audit trail, assign
Development tag groups to recipes, and scale a batch.
Window

Recipe Builder Modify control recipes and override recipe items within specific limits.
Operations Window

Recipe Download Download recipes from the Recipe Builder.

from Recipe Builder

Recipe Load Legacy application feature that is not used in iFIX.

Recipe Save Legacy application feature that is not used in iFIX.

Recipe Save from Save recipes.

Recipe Builder

Recipe Text Output Create recipe reports, master text recipes, and control text recipes.
from Recipe Builder

Recipe Upload from Upload recipes from the Recipe Builder.

Recipe Builder

Runtime Visual Open the Visual Basic Editor from the run-time environment.
Basic Editor Access

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 Understanding iFIX Security

Application Feature Descriptions

Application Allows the user to...

Feature

Security Configure the security system, create and delete user and group accounts,
Configuration and name security areas.

Security Run the Security Synchronizer.

Synchronizer

Startup Profile Run the Startup Profile Manager application.

Manager

System Configure node connections, system paths, alarm services, and the
Configuration SCADA configuration for a node.

System User Login Log in as the system user.

System User Logout Log out as the system user.

Tag Group Editor Create, edit, and save tag groups.

NOTE: When you assign the Tag Group Editor application feature to
a user, you must also assign the WorkSpace Configure application
feature to that same user. If both these application features are not
assigned, the user is considered unauthorized for the Tag Group
Editor application.

Tag Status View tag staus information.

VisiconX Writes Allow VisconX to do writes.

WorkSpace Switch to the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace configuration environment.

Configure

WorkSpace Runtime Switch to the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace run-time environment.

WorkSpace Runtime Quit the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace from the run-time environment.
Exit

NOTE: Refer to the Proficy Batch Execution documentation for more information about the
application features specific to Proficy Batch Execution.

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Configuring Security Features

Assigning Special Application Features

Regardless of how you set up your group accounts, you should provide the following application
features on an individual basis:

• Security Configuration
• iFIX - System Shutdown
• Background Task Exit
• Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del

The Security Configuration application feature should be assigned to your system administrator or the
person in your organization responsible for creating and maintaining iFIX security. In fact, iFIX
security requires you to assign the application feature to at least one user account; providing access to
the program with a group account does not fulfill this requirement.

The iFIX - System Shutdown and Background Task Exit application features should be assigned to
anyone responsible for shutting down iFIX. If no one is assigned these features, it will be impossible to
shut down iFIX programs in an orderly fashion.

The Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del application feature should be assigned to at least one user if you are planning
to enable Environment Protection. Also, it should be assigned to the user that is logged in when iFIX is
configured to run as a service under Windows.

Run-time Environment Protection

The Proficy iFIX WorkSpace provides a run-time environment. While an operator is in this
environment, you may not want them to:

• Start other applications.

• Switch to other applications.
• Exit from the WorkSpace.
• Restart the computer using Ctrl+Alt+Del.
• Open unauthorized pictures.
• Close the current picture.
• Use the WorkSpace menu.
• Switch to the configuration environment.
• Access the system tree.
• Access the pull down menus.
• View the titlebar.

By enabling environment protection, you restrict operators from doing these actions and provide a
secure run-time environment. For more information on setting up a secured environment, refer to the
section Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment.

After you configure a secure environment, the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace uses your settings as defaults
for the run-time environment. You can set up a user account to override one or more of these settings

18
 Understanding iFIX Security

by assigning certain application features to it.

IMPORTANT: If you plan to use environment protection when iFIX is running as a service, be sure to
add TSFE.EXE to your Windows Startup program group. TSFE.exe is an iFIX application (located in
your iFIX install folder) that enables task switching and keyboard filtering when a new user logs into
Windows. By adding TFSE.exe to your startup group, you are ensuring that users can log into
Windows with environment protection enabled and then operate iFIX in an appropriate, secured
environment.

TIP: Be aware that you if you disable the WorkSpace title bar, menu bar, and pull-down menus, it may
not be obvious how to shut down the WorkSpace window in run mode. This is a security feature. If the
shut down ability is desired, configure your security appropriately and inform your users of the Alt+F4
keyboard shortcut to close the WorkSpace, or add a VBA script to shut down the WorkSpace. Refer to
the Shut Down the iFIX WorkSpace with a VBA Script section for more details on how to add this
script to your picture.

Securing Scripts and the Visual Basic Editor

One of the options you have when you enable environment protection is to restrict access to the Visual
Basic Editor. If access is not restricted, the editor appears when a compilation error or a run-time error
occurs, allowing you to correct the error.

However, when you restrict access, the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace suppresses the Visual Basic Editor
even if an error occurs. Consequently, if you plan to enable this option, your scripts must have error-
handling routines. Otherwise, an error message appears and the script terminates.

Securing Pictures and Schedules

In addition to securing scripts, you can also secure pictures and schedules by using the Security Area
property. You can set this property on a picture or schedule using the Property window. For more
information on properties, refer to the Controlling Object Properties chapter in the Creating Pictures
manual. This property restricts access to a picture or schedule at run-time so that only users with rights
to the specified area can access the pictures and schedules assigned to the security area, as the
following figure shows.

19
Configuring Security Features

Securing Pictures and Schedules

In the Securing Pictures and Schedules figure, notice that John can access the pictures and schedules in
the security area Line 1 because he has rights to it. However, Frank cannot access the area Line 1
because Frank has rights to Line 5 only. If Frank attempts to open a picture or schedule in Line 1, a
message box appears alerting him of the security violation. The violation is also recorded in the
security audit trail and every enabled alarm destination except the Alarm Summary.

Pictures and schedules that you configure to preload at run-time are also restricted by the security area.
Consequently, if you assign the operator display OVERVIEW.GRF to the security area Line 4 and
configure the WorkSpace to load the picture automatically on startup, the picture will not load when
John logs in because he does not have rights to Line 4. Preloading schedules works the same way: the
logged-in user must have rights to the security area of the schedule, or the schedule does not run.

Electronic Signatures
Use electronic signatures to create a more secure environment by requiring that operators electronically
sign for all process changes and alarm acknowledgements. Electronic signatures uniquely identify the
operator making the change, and can require the electronic signature of another person to verify the
change.

Detailed permanent records of operator actions are written to and stored in a relational database. You
can query and report on these records, and then use this data to provide a comprehensive audit trail
detailing the history of your process.

The following application features give user or group accounts electronic signature privileges:

• Electronic Signature – Perform By

• Electronic Signature – Verify By

20
 Understanding iFIX Security

Refer to the Using Electronic Signatures manual for detailed information on using electronic
signatures.

Protecting SCADA Nodes

Application developers can allow certain operators the ability to write to specific SCADA nodes only.
This prevents the possibility of access from unknown or unauthorized nodes. This is an important
feature to ensure that operators are positioned physically close to the equipment they are manipulating.

By default, iFIX nodes accept connections from any remote node over TCP/IP. You can restrict access
from unknown or unauthorized nodes using the accept_unknown_host parameter in the
NETWORK.INI file. The configuration shown in the following figure illustrates one method to
restrict access to a SCADA server.

In this example, the accept_unknown_host parameter restricts access to the main SCADA server,
SCADA01. Access is restricted to iClients iClient01 and iClient10, and to a second SCADA server,
SCADA02. SCADA02 duplicates the information on SCADA01 so that the Terminal Server, TServer,
can provide the data to remote nodes. However, direct access from the Internet to SCADA01 is not
provided. This feature keeps SCADA01 secure from unauthorized nodes.

Restricting Access from Unauthorized Nodes

For more information about restricting access from remote nodes, refer to the section Disabling
Connections from Unauthorized Nodes in the Setting up the Environment manual.

Restricting Database Write Access on a Node-by-Node Basis

You can also restrict database write access on a node-by-node basis using the
accept_unauthorized_writes parameter in the NETWORK.INI file. When you use this parameter with
security areas, database writes are first restricted by security area and then by node. The following
figure illustrates how security areas interact with the accept_unauthorized_writes parameter.

21
Configuring Security Features

In this example, John and Frank cannot modify SCADA01's database from iClient10. John cannot
modify the database because the NETWORK.INI file authorizes writes from iClient01 only. Frank
cannot change the database because he does not have rights to Line 1.

However, when John logs into iClient01, he can modify the database because the NETWORK.INI file
grants access. Conversely, when Frank logs into iClient01, he cannot modify the database because he
does not have rights to Line 1. Consequently, the SCADA server rejects his request even though he is
logged into an authorized node.

Restricting Database Write Access

For more information about restricting database write access on a node-by-node basis, refer to the
section Disabling Database Write Access for Unauthorized Nodes in the Setting up the Environment
manual.

The iFIX Screen Saver

A customized screen saver is integrated into the iFIX software. As part of your strategy to secure
inactive computers, you can use the iFIX Screen Saver. This screen saver activates in the same way
that other Windows screen savers do, but it also has some features specific to iFIX.

The moment when a screen saver appears is typically referred to as the activation of the screen saver.
A screen saver deactivates once the operator moves the mouse or presses a key on the keyboard.

You can configure the iFIX Screen Saver to perform these tasks when it activates:

• Terminate the continuous use period. Refer to Allow Continuous Use in the Using Electronic

22
 Understanding iFIX Security

Signatures manual for more details on continuous use.

• Blank out the screen.
• Log out the current iFIX user.
• Prompt for login.
• Log in a specified user.
• Open a specified picture.

NOTE: The screen saver sends all errors to the Windows Event Log. For example, if you have the
screen saver configured to open a specific picture and that picture is unavailable, this error is sent to
the Event Log. To see these errors, start the Window Event Viewer and open the Application log.
Screen saver errors have VB Runtime as their source.

You configure the iFIX Screen Saver using the Display option in the Windows Control Panel.

When the iFIX Screen Saver activates, it displays a bitmap image. You can substitute the default
bitmap image, iFIXScreenSaver.bmp, with a different bitmap file, such as one containing a company
logo, as long as the name remains the same. The iFIX Screen Saver is located in the C:\Program
Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\local directory. You cannot relocate this file.

IMPORTANT: You should disable screen saver password protection if the iFIX Environment
Protection option is enabled. Password protection requires the entry of Ctrl+Alt+Del; these keys may
be disabled if Environment Protection is enabled, or if security is enabled. Instead, you should use the
iFIX Screen Saver Security options to log out of iFIX when the screen saver activates.

23
Configuring Security Features

iFIX Screen Saver Settings

You use the iFIX Screen Saver Settings dialog box, shown in the previous figure, to configure iFIX
security settings.

NOTE: Because Microsoft disabled screen savers for Terminal Server sessions for Windows® Server
2003, the iFIX Screen Saver does not work on Terminal Server clients for Windows Server 2003.

Working with Visual Basic for Applications

Using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can write scripts that provide security access and
information. For example, you can use a script to determine the currently logged in operator and his or
her security rights. You can also write scripts that let operators log into and out of iFIX. Such scripts
let you customize the login process to your needs.

To learn how to write a script with iFIX security, refer to the Writing Scripts e-book. To learn about
specific VBA methods that access the security system, refer to the iFIX Automation Reference file.

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Defining and Assigning Security Privileges
Before you enable the security system, you should create all required group and user accounts. Group
accounts define the security areas and application features available to group members. Likewise, user
accounts define the security areas, application features, and group accounts available to individuals.

By default, iFIX provides sample group and user accounts that you can examine to learn how to create
your own accounts. You can also use the sample accounts to log into iFIX. The following table lists the
login name and password for the sample user accounts. For instructions on logging into iFIX, refer to
the Logging in to iFIX Manually section.

Sample User Accounts

Account Login Name Password

Guest Guest Guest

System Administrator Admin Admin

NOTE: Do not enable Windows security for the sample user accounts. If you have the Guest account
enabled on an iFIX machine, login validation for iFIX security will not work properly.

To implement an iFIX security strategy:

1. Name your security areas. See Defining Security Areas.

2. Create group and user accounts. See Creating Group and User Accounts.
3. If you plan to automatically log any operator into iFIX, define each automatic login
configuration. See iFIX Automatic Login.
4. Specify a local security and backup path on each node. If you are using a file server, enter the
path to the file server as the security path and enter a local path as the backup path. See
Defining the Security Path.
5. Enable security on all nodes and save the security configuration. See Importing and Exporting
the Security Configuration.
6. If you plan to enable environment protection, start the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and set the
run-time environment preferences you want to use on each iClient. You can also configure the
iFIX Screen Saver to secure inactive computers.
7. If you plan to use electronic signatures to protect and track data entry and alarm
acknowledgement actions, set them up as recommended in Using Electronic Signatures. See
the Overview: Using Electronic Signatures section in that book.

When you finish, you can verify your security configuration by logging into iFIX and accessing the
application features and security areas available to each user account. Also, try to access application
features and security areas that are unavailable to ensure that security denies access.

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Configuring Security Features

The Security Configuration Program

In Classic view, start the Security Configuration program by clicking the Security Configuration button
on the Application toolbar, as shown in the following figure.

In Ribbon view, to start the Security Configuration program, on the Applications tab, in the System &
Security group, click Security Configuration Utility.

Once the program starts, the Security Configuration window appears.

The Security Configuration Window

Exiting from the Security Configuration Program

You can close the Security Configuration program by selecting Exit from the File menu in the Security
Configuration window.

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 Defining and Assigning Security Privileges

Working with the Security Toolbox

The Security Configuration program provides a set of tools for:

• Creating group and user accounts.

• Naming security areas.
• Setting up a node to log in automatically.
• Enabling and disabling security.
• Setting security paths.

These tools are available from the Security toolbox, as the following figure shows:

Security Toolbox

Enabling and Disabling Security

After you have configured your security areas, group accounts, and user accounts, you can restrict
access to applications and files on a node and force operators to log into iFIX by enabling security.
Once you enable security, the lock displayed by the Security Configuration program closes to indicate
the computer is protected.

NOTE: If you enable security and set the security path to a folder other than the default, which is the
C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\Local folder, when you change the node name, security is
disabled. You will need to configure iFIX security again and enable it.

If you want to provide complete access to the files on a computer, you can disable security. Typically,
you disable security when you want to create a public node. Once security is disabled, the lock
displayed by the Security Configuration program opens to indicate the computer is unprotected.

Defining Security Areas

Once you complete your security strategy, the next step is to define your security areas and specify a
name for each area. You can define up to 254 security areas, and each name can be up to 20 characters.
iFIX names the first 16 security areas A through P by default. However, you can rename these areas or
create a new area by clicking the Security Area button on the Security toolbox. After you define a

27
Configuring Security Features

security area, you can assign it to a group or user account.

NOTE: The SANAMES.CFG contains a list of all the security area names. When you add a new
security area in the Security Configuration application, the SANAMES.CFG is updated with the new
name. Be aware that if you later decide to manually copy security files to each iFIX node, instead of
using the Backup and Restore utility to copy the security configuration, it is important to include the
SANAMES.CFG file. Your security may not work properly without this file.

Assigning Security Areas

Once you define the security areas you need, you can use one of the following methods to assign a
security area to a database block, picture, schedule, or recipe:

• To assign a security area to a database block, open the Database Manager and double-click
the block you want to modify. When the block's dialog box appears, locate the Security Areas
list box. Typically, the list box resides on the Advanced tab. Once you locate the list box,
select a line of text from it and enter the security area you want to assign.
• To assign a security area to a picture or a schedule, open the picture or schedule in the Proficy
iFIX WorkSpace and select Property Window from the View menu (Classic view) or click
Property Window in the Window group on the View tab (Ribbon view). When the Properties
window appears, enter the security area you want to assign to the Security Area property.
• To assign a security area to a recipe, refer to the Creating Recipes manual.

Creating Group and User Accounts

You can create group and user accounts by clicking the Group Accounts button or the User Accounts
button on the Security toolbox and clicking Add, then completing either the Group Profile dialog box
or the User Profile dialog box. In these dialog boxes, you can modify the security areas and application
features assigned to this account. In the User Profile dialog box, you can also modify the group
accounts assigned to this user account, and set the password for this user account.

For a list of application features refer to the Application Features section. For a description of security
areas, refer to the Security Areas section.

Limiting Login Time

The Security Configuration program allows you to enter a login time-out interval when creating a user
account. This interval limits the length of time an operator can remain logged into iFIX. When an
operator attempts to access a restricted application feature or security area after the time interval
expires, iFIX logs out the operator.

With this feature, you can configure iFIX to automatically log out operators who forget to do so at the
end of their shift. For example, assume you want operators logged in for up to eight hours. By entering
a time-out interval of 8:00:00, you instruct iFIX to log out your operators eight hours after they log in.
If an operator exits from all iFIX applications a few minutes early, but does not log out, iFIX logs out
the operator when someone from the next shift runs a program. This forces the current operator to log
in with their own account, and prevents unauthorized access to applications and security areas that
were available on the previous shift.

This feature does not eliminate the need to manually log out when an operator finishes using iFIX,
particularly if you have strict security requirements. If you decide to use this feature, consider it as a

28
 Defining and Assigning Security Privileges

safety mechanism that prevents operators from remaining logged in indefinitely.

Modifying Group and User Accounts

As group and user responsibilities change, you may find it necessary to modify accounts.

NOTE: Once operators log in, their group and user accounts reside in memory. As a result, changes
to group or user accounts do not take effect until users log out and log in again. By logging in again,
the operator forces iFIX to re-read the account information.

Deleting Group and User Accounts

You can delete group and user accounts that you no longer need. Deleting a user account that
automatically logs into iFIX also removes the associated autologin configuration file as well. Refer to
the section iFIX Automatic Login to learn more about setting up a user account to automatically log in.

You can delete every currently-defined account by selecting the Clear command from the File menu.
When you select this command, the security system:

• Disables itself.
• Deletes all group and user accounts.
• Deletes all automatic login configurations.
• Renames the first 16 security areas A through P and deletes any other named security areas.
• Prompts you to create sample accounts. This prevents you from accidentally locking yourself
out of the Security Configuration program. To be safe, you should always create sample
accounts.
If you do not create sample accounts and re-enable security, you cannot exit from the Security
Configuration program until you create at least one user account. This feature also helps to
prevent you from accidentally locking yourself out of the Security Configuration program.

NOTE: iFIX does not modify the security and backup paths when you select the Clear command.

iFIX Automatic Login

Using the Security Configuration program, you can set up iFIX to log in an operator automatically
when it starts up by creating an automatic login configuration. You can create this configuration by
specifying the name of the:

• Node you want to automatically log in.

• User you want logged in.

NOTE: The user that is automatically logged in must be an iFIX user that is not connected to Windows
security.

Automatic Login and the Security Path

You can create automatic login configurations for multiple computers. When the security path is local,
you can specify an automatic login configuration for each node by configuring it locally. However, by

29
Configuring Security Features

defining a file server path as the security path, you can specify an automatic login configuration for
any computer from any node on the network.

Automatic Login and Application Users

Automatic login configurations require you to specify an application user. An application user is the
name of the operator you want logged in automatically. This name must be the full name defined in a
user account. Once logged in, operators have access to the privileges assigned to the specified user
account.

Creating a Public Account

Depending on your security requirements, you may want to create a public account that is available to
everyone in non-critical areas of your process. This account would have no password and would
automatically log in when you start iFIX. This account would also provide access to the Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace run-time environment.

By default, the Guest account is installed with iFIX. This account has no password, but is not
automatically logged on.

Deleting an Automatic Login Configuration

You can delete any automatic login configuration that you no longer need by selecting the name of the
node you want to remove.

Importing and Exporting the Security Configuration

The Security Configuration program allows you to import and export your security configuration.
Exporting the configuration creates a security configuration file, SECURITY.RPT, by default, in the
security path. This file contains the following information:

• Whether security is enabled or disabled.

• Security area names.
• Defined group and user accounts.

After you create a security configuration file, you can copy it to another computer and import the data.
Importing a configuration file does one of the following:

• Replaces the existing security configuration with the one defined in the configuration file; or
• Adds any new group and user accounts from the configuration file to the existing security
configuration. Any account with a full name or a login name that matches an existing account
is ignored. Also adds any new security areas from the configuration file in the existing
security configuration.

By exporting and importing a security configuration, you can cut your development time creating user
and group accounts particularly when you want to create many similar accounts on multiple nodes. For
example, suppose you want to create the same user account on five nodes. Instead of creating same
account five times, you can:

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 Defining and Assigning Security Privileges

1. Create one user account.

2. Export the user account.
3. Import the user account into the remaining 4 nodes.

Importing User Account Passwords

Exported security configuration files do not include user account passwords in order to protect them.
Similarly, when you import a configuration file, the Security Configuration program creates user
accounts without passwords.

You can avoid this situation by adding a password to each account in the configuration file. When you
import the edited configuration file, the Security Configuration program assigns a password for each
user account you modified.

The following figure shows what part of the configuration file to edit.

Adding Passwords to a Security Configuration File

NOTE: You do not need to add passwords to user accounts that use Windows security. However, in
order to protect your passwords, if you add passwords to a security configuration file prior to
importing it, delete the file when you finish importing the data. If you need a text copy of the security
configuration, export the configuration again.

Defining the Security Path

The security files that you create reside in a path called the security path. The Security Configuration
program sets this path to the iFIX Local path by default, but you can change it to any other local or
network path.

Determining the path to specify as the security path depends on your needs. If you want a node to have
its own set of accounts, define a local path. However, if you want to share user and group accounts
with other computers, specify a file server (network) path as the security path.

IMPORTANT: Be aware that when you enter a security path you must have read-write access to the
path you designate. After you enter a path, the Security Configuration program creates lock files
(SECLOCK.LCK and SECLOK2.LCK) allowing you to use the program with read-only access to the

31
Configuring Security Features

security path.

Before you define the path, verify that it exists. If it does, the Security Configuration program prompts
you to copy the files to the new path. If the path does not exist, the following text appears:

Security path invalid or unavailable. Continue?

Click Cancel or the No button to abort the process and create the path you want to use. If you plan to
create the path later, click the Yes button. The following text appears:

Security Files must be manually copied from oldpath

Click OK to acknowledge the message and copy the security files to the path you specified. If you do
not create the new path or copy the security files to it, you will be unable to restart the Security
Configuration program.

Defining the Backup Path

In addition to the security path, you can define a backup path that contains a copy of the files in the
security path. These files are updated whenever you save a modified security configuration. The
configuration is saved to the security path, as well as the backup path of the machine where you
perform the save. If there are other nodes that share the security path and have the backup path
pointing to the local hard drive, the backup is not performed on those machines.

iFIX uses the files in the backup path when the security path is unavailable. For example, if you define
a file server path as your security path, and the file server becomes inaccessible, iFIX uses the backup
path to allow operators to log in.

Like the security path, iFIX sets the backup path, by default, to the iFIX Local path, but you can
change it to any other local or network path. If you plan on using a network path as your security path,
use a local path for the backup path.

The backup path you specify must exist. Otherwise, the following text appears:

Invalid path specified

Click OK to acknowledge the message and create the path you want to use.

Configuring Global Security Paths

When you enable the global security paths option in the Configuration dialog box (of the Security
Configuration application), all iFIX user sessions on a computer share the same security configuration.
If you use iFIX startup profiles created in the Startup Profile Manager, you most likely want to enable
this option. To enable global security paths, select the Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles check
box in the Configuration dialog box. The following figure shows an example of the Configuration
dialog box with the global security paths check box highlighted.

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 Defining and Assigning Security Privileges

Configuration Dialog Box, Global Security Paths Enabled

For example, in a Terminal Server environment, enable this option if the default SCU is enabled in the
Startup Profile Manager. If you do not enable global security paths, you will need to individually
configure security within each Terminal Services user session.

IMPORTANT: For global security paths to work correctly, the Base and Language paths in the SCU's
Path Configuration dialog box must be the same for all users. Project paths can differ, however. To
open the SCU, click the Start button, point to Programs, Proficy HMI SCADA - iFIX, and then select
System Configuration. Click the Path Configuration button to open the Path Configuration dialog box.
The default Base path is C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX, while the default Language path is
C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\NLS.

For more information on working with Terminal Services, refer to the Using Terminal Server manual.
For more information on the Startup Profile Manager, refer to the Using the Startup Profile Manager
chapter in the Setting up the Environment manual.

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment

You can secure the run-time environment by enabling environment protection from the Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace. Refer to the Run-time Environment Protection section. Once you enable environment
protection, you can choose the specific actions you want to restrict. For example, if you want to restrict
all operators from starting other applications using the system tree, select the Disable Title Bar and
Menu Bar, and Disable Task Switching check boxes.

NOTE: Some computer keyboards have special buttons that allow users to directly launch e-mail,
searches, or internet browsers. Because these special buttons could circumvent iFIX environment
protection, you may want to uninstall the software that operates the special buttons.

The following table provides other common tasks you may want to restrict operators from, and the
options to do so.

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Configuring Security Features

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment

To restrict an operator Select the check box(es)...

from...

Switching to another Disable Task Switching.

application that may be
running. NOTE: The Shift + F10 key macro does not work if you
select this option.

Exiting from the Proficy iFIX Disable Title Bar and Menu Bar.
WorkSpace.

Restarting the computer using Disable Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Ctrl+Alt+Del or logging out of
Windows.

Closing the current picture. Disable Title Bar and Menu Bar. Also select the Full Screen in
Run mode check box from the General tab and clear the Title
bar and Resizeable check boxes from the Picture Preferences
tab.

Using the WorkSpace menu or Disable "WorkSpace" Menu Pulldown.

switching to the configuration
environment.

Accessing the Visual Basic Disable VBE Access.

Editor.

Locking Down the Windows Taskbar

To ensure that the Windows taskbar does not display on top of the WorkSpace in Full
Screen mode:

1. Right-click the Start button or taskbar and select Properties. The Taskbar and Start Menu
Properties dialog box opens.
2. Select the Taskbar tab.
3. Clear the Keep the taskbar on top of other windows option.

Example: Securing the Run-time Environment

Let's assume you enable environment protection in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and you want to
provide John with rights to run Recipe Builder, download control recipes, and task switch between the
run-time environment and the Recipe Builder. To do this, you must assign the following application
features to John's user account:

34
 Defining and Assigning Security Privileges

• Task Switching.
• Recipe Builder Operations Window.
• Recipe Download from Recipe Builder.

These application features override the run-time environment settings and enable John to perform the
specific actions you want.

35
Using iFIX Security
Operators can log into iFIX manually or automatically. By logging in, operators identify themselves as
iFIX users and gain access to pictures, recipes, and applications that they are authorized to use. Refer
to the following sections for more details:

• Logging in to iFIX Manually

• Logging out of iFIX Manually
• Understanding the Security Log File

Logging in to iFIX Manually

Operators can log into iFIX manually using the Login program. When the Login program starts, it
allows operators to enter their login name and password.

The Login program gives operators three attempts to enter their login name and password correctly.
After the third unsuccessful attempt, the Login program exits. Operators can try to log in again by
restarting the Login program.

If Windows security is authenticating the login name and password, operators can change their
password after they log in. Windows passwords are case-sensitive.

NOTE: Each time an unsuccessful attempt is made to access the iFIX system, a message is sent to the
alarm system. If you have configured the Alarm ODBC Service and your relational database, these
messages are also written to your relational database, and can be included in the audit trail of your
process.

To log into iFIX:

1. In Classic view, in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace, in the Application toolbar, click the Login
button.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Login.
2. Enter your login name and password.
3. Click Login.

Password Expiration Considerations

When iFIX security is synchronized with Windows security, passwords can expire. If the Windows
password has expired, the user is notified and prompted to change the password. If the Windows
password is about to expire, a notification message displays, reminding the user to change the
password.

For more information about synchronizing iFIX security with Windows security, refer to the Using

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Configuring Security Features

iFIX with Windows Security chapter.

Changing the Account Password

The steps that follow describe how to change a Windows account password for the logged in user.
Security must be enabled to perform these steps.

To change the account password:

1. In Classic view, in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace, in the Application toolbar, click the Login
button.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Login.

2. Click Change Password. The Change Windows Password dialog box appears.
NOTE: The Change Password button is only available for Windows user accounts.

3. In the Old Password field, enter your current password.

4. In the New Password field, enter your new password.
5. To confirm the change to your password, in the Confirm New Password field, enter your new
password again.

Logging out of iFIX Manually

Operators can log out of iFIX by exiting all protected iFIX applications, starting the Login program,
and clicking Logout.

To log out of iFIX:

1. On the Application toolbar, click Login.

2. Click the Logout button.

Understanding the Security Log File

iFIX security generates an audit trail of security-related actions taken by iFIX users. The security audit
trail log file resides in the default iFIX alarm path and has the name format YYMMDD.LOG. For
example, the file 031023.LOG contains the audit trail for October 23, 2003. If you have configured the
Alarm ODBC Service and your relational database, iFIX writes these messages to your relational
database.

By reviewing the audit trail log file you can learn:

• Who logged in and out.

• Each time there is an unsuccessful attempt to access iFIX.

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 Using iFIX Security

• When an operator failed to complete the login process three times.

• When someone attempted to access a security area or application feature for which they had
no privilege.
• When someone successfully or unsuccessfully signed for a data entry or alarm
acknowledgement action.
• When an operator exceeded the length of time he or she can remain logged in.

Refer to the Setting up the Environment manual for more information about the iFIX Alarm path.

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Using iFIX with Windows Security
You can connect iFIX user accounts to Windows user accounts. This allows you to use your existing
Windows user accounts for password validation. Both local and domain Windows accounts are
supported.

You also gain the following advantages of Windows security:

• Case-sensitive passwords.
• Passwords that expire.
• Online password changes.
• Ability to specify minimum password requirements.
• Account lockout.

An operator can log into iFIX by entering his or her Windows user name and password. iFIX sends
this information to Windows for authentication. If the operator's account specifies a Windows domain
name, the user name and password are sent to a Windows domain controller for authentication. If
Windows verifies the user name and password, iFIX completes the login process. Otherwise, it logs an
error. Refer to the chapter Using iFIX Security for more information about logging into iFIX.

For information on setting up Windows user accounts for use in iFIX, refer to the section Configuring
Windows User Accounts.

There are two basic ways that you can configure iFIX to use your Windows security accounts:

• Configure each account using the iFIX Security Configuration program. Refer to the section
Using the Security Configuration Program.
• Use the Security Synchronizer program to update all your accounts at once. Refer to the
section Using Security Synchronizer.

Configuring Windows User Accounts

When you are setting up Windows user accounts for use with iFIX security, you should configure the
passwords, set account lockout thresholds, and configure the account disabled message. Refer to the
following sections for more details:

• Setting Passwords to Expire

• Limiting the Number of Invalid Login Attempts
• Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX
• User Accounts that Log in to Windows

Setting Passwords to Expire

One of the benefits of using iFIX with Windows security is that you can set Windows passwords to

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Configuring Security Features

expire.

To configure the local password expiration policy:

1. In the Control Panel, from the Administrative Tools folder, select the Local Security Policy.
2. From the Local Security Settings window, select Account Policies.
3. From the Account Polices folder, select Password Policy.
4. On the right-side of the window, double-click the Maximum password age.
5. Set the number of days after which passwords expire.
6. Click OK.

Limiting the Number of Invalid Login Attempts

When an iFIX user account is connected to a Windows user account, the application developer can set
an account lockout threshold, which prevents a user from accessing the account after he enters the
incorrect user name or password beyond the number of acceptable times. Once the account lockout
threshold has been reached, the account is disabled. For more information on the message displayed
for a disabled account, refer to Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX.

To set the account lockout threshold:

1. From the Administrative Tools folder, select Local Security Policy.

2. Select the Security Settings folder from the folder list in the Local Security Settings dialog
box.
3. Select the Account Policies folder.
4. Select the Account Lockout Policies folder.
5. Select Account Lockout Threshold.
6. Select the number of invalid login attempts before the account is disabled.

Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX

At run time, when a user logs in or enters an electronic signature, he receives an error if the account
has been disabled. The application developer can configure the message to display, such as a telephone
number or the name of a contact person; otherwise, a general message displays.

To configure the account disabled message:

1. In Classic view, on the WorkSpace menu, click User Preferences.

-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Home tab, in the WorkSpace group, click Settings, and then click User
Preferences.

2. Select the General tab.

3. In the User Account Disabled Message field, enter a descriptive message indicating an action
the user might take to correct the problem, such as:

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

Account is Disabled. Contact Security Services.

You can enter up to 100 characters in this field.

User Accounts that Log in to Windows

When you use Windows security in iFIX on computers that do not run Windows Vista or Windows
Server 2008, user accounts that need to log in to a machine must have the "Act as Part of the Operating
System" right enabled in the local security policy. On Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, you
do not need to enable the "Act as Part of the Operating System" right.

NOTE: User accounts that are not used to log in to Windows should not have this right.

To add the Act as Part of the Operating System right:

1. In the Control Panel, from the Administrative Tools folder, select Local Security Policy.
2. In the Local Security Settings dialog box's folder list, select the Local Policies folder.
3. Select the User Rights Assignment folder.
4. In the Rights list, double-click Act as Part of the Operating System.
5. Add the users you want to have this right to the list.
6. Log out of Windows and log in again for your changes to take effect.

Domain Users Logging Into Windows

If you are using Windows user names and passwords within iFIX Security, be aware that Windows
user accounts must have the policy "Access this computer from the network" applied under "Local
Security Settings". By default, this policy is assigned to the groups "Users" and "Everyone" on the
local machine. If the domain policy overrides the local policy settings by removing these groups, then
the Windows user names and passwords will fail with insufficient rights when trying to log in from
iFIX. If domain administrators wish to restrict this right, then they must do one of the following tasks
in order to continue to use Window user names and passwords within iFIX:

• Create a Domain Group that contains all the Domain Users that will be used within iFIX
Security, add this group to the domain policy "Access this computer from the network", and
deploy this policy to all machines running iFIX.
• Add the Domain Users group to the domain policy "Access this computer from the network",
and then deploy this policy to all machines running iFIX.
• Add Authenticated Users to the domain policy "Access this computer from the network", and
then deploy this policy to all machines running iFIX. Be aware that this group requires each
user to log on to the domain at least once to be considered an authenticated user.
• Leave at least the Users group in the domain policy "Access this computer from the network".
If you choose this option, be aware that the Anonymous user and the Guest user are not part
of the Users group.

Using the Security Configuration Program

To connect your Windows and iFIX user accounts using the iFIX Security Configuration program,

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Configuring Security Features

follow the steps below.

To connect your Windows and iFIX user accounts:

1. Create your Windows user accounts locally or on a domain controller. To ensure a secure
environment, do not create any local accounts if you are using domain accounts. For more
information on using a domain controller with Windows, refer to your Windows operating
system documentation.
2. If a user account needs to log in to Windows in addition to iFIX, configure that Windows
account with necessary rights, as described in the section User Accounts that Log in to
Windows.
3. Run the iFIX Security Configuration program. In the User Profile dialog box for each iFIX
user account, select Use Windows Security, and enter the Windows user name. If the account
is local, leave the domain field blank; otherwise enter the name of the domain controller.
The user and domain names you enter must match the names used by a Windows user
account. Although iFIX login names can only be six characters for standard iFIX users, iFIX
users who have Windows security enabled can have login names of up to twenty characters.
For information on accessing the Security Configuration program, refer to the section The
Security Configuration Program. For information on creating and modifying iFIX user
accounts, refer to the sections Creating Group and User Accounts and Modifying Group and
User Accounts.

Using Security Synchronizer

The Security Synchronizer is an application that allows you to assign iFIX security privileges to iFIX
user accounts based on a Windows security configuration. This model enables you to use Windows
security as a central source of configuration for both Windows and iFIX user accounts. This
centralized security environment, consequently, assists you in compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11.

NOTE: Current iFIX software must be installed and running on the machine using the Security
Synchronizer.

Operational Overview

First you create Windows groups for each iFIX privilege you want to assign. This includes iFIX
security areas, application features, and groups. Then you assign Windows users to these Windows
groups. The Synchronizer accesses this Windows account information, and then adds, modifies, and
deletes iFIX security user accounts based on this information. The Synchronizer modifies only those
iFIX security user accounts configured to use Windows security. However, you can configure the
Synchronizer to delete non-Windows users from iFIX. Refer to the /R parameter in the Using the
Command Line section for more information about deleting users.

You can periodically run the Synchronizer as a background task or you can manually run the
Synchronizer. Refer to Scheduling Security Synchronizer for more details.

NOTE: You must assign the Security Synchronizer application feature to the iFIX user that runs or
schedules the Security Synchronizer.

You run the Synchronizer in these security storage configurations:

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

• Windows user and group accounts configured on the local computer.

• Windows user and group accounts configured on a domain controller.
• A combination of these two configurations.
TIP: If you run the Security Synchronizer and you have Proficy Change Management enabled, be
aware that the security files may be under someone else's source control and you cannot modify them.
Refer to the Check Out section for more information on Change Management rules. Check the alarm
log file for Security Synchronizer results. If you installed iFIX to the default location, you can find this
.log file in the C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\ALM folder.

In addition to being able to run the Synchronizer in a number of configurations, Security Synchronizer
also provides these features:

• Ability to run regardless of whether a user is logged into iFIX, or whether a logged-in user
has sufficient iFIX security privileges.
NOTES:

• This feature depends on the system user having Automatic login privileges and the
Security Synchronizer application feature assigned.

• If Proficy Change Management is enabled and you want to use the Security
Synchronizer: there must be an iFIX logged-in user, and that logged in user must
have sufficient security privileges to use Proficy Change Management.

• An audit trail that lists all changes made to the iFIX security configuration through the
security log and optionally through alarm messages.
• Added security that prevents you from accidentally running the Synchronizer. This is
accomplished by requiring command line parameters for the program to run, and by requiring
the system user to have the Security Synchronizer application feature assigned.
• A robust set of parameters you can use to customize the command line that runs the
Synchronizer. For example, you can supply a time-out value to any new iFIX user accounts
created by the Synchronizer, and you can remove all iFIX user accounts not configured to use
Windows security. Refer to Using the Command Line for more information on command line
parameters.

Administrative Considerations
Before running the Synchronizer, you should be aware of the following considerations and potential
constraints:

• You may schedule the Synchronizer to run at routine intervals. Because you cannot always
determine which user may be logged-in when the Synchronizer runs, you may want to
consider creating a "special" security user that has the appropriate rights and permissions to
the Synchronizer. iFIX Security's System Autologin User option can be used to "impersonate"
a certain user when the Synchronizer runs. Refer to the Node-based Security section for
information about using the Autologin feature with Security Synchronizer.
• To ensure that the correct information is accessed when you use domain security, you may
want to consider locating all Windows users in the same domain. If you use domain security
in your configuration, the current Windows user must log in to Windows and the appropriate
domain for the Synchronizer to retrieve the necessary user account information. Inability to
access the domain can result in incomplete configuration information.

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Configuring Security Features

NOTE: You do not need access to the domain if you use local security.

• The Security Synchronizer application is not intended to run as a service.

• iFIX security file structure prevents iFIX security users from being members of more than 12
iFIX security groups at the same time.
• You can assign no more than 20 characters when naming global groups on domain controllers
that are configured to support access by users on systems earlier than Windows 2000.
This restriction affects users who use domain-based Windows security when synchronizing
iFIX security privileges. Because several iFIX security privilege names exceed 20 characters,
shorter aliases are provided for these application features. Refer to the section Application
Feature Name Aliases for a complete list of aliases.
• When iFIX security is enabled, you must ensure that at least one iFIX user has access to the
iFIX Security Configuration application feature. The system will not delete the last remaining
account with Security Configuration privileges; a message is logged to the audit trail
indicating this situation.
• The Security Synchronizer uses the Windows security configuration as the master or source of
the security data when it runs. Manual changes to a user's security privileges through the iFIX
Security Configuration utility are overwritten when Security Synchronizer runs if those
changes do not match the Windows security configuration for that user.
Security Synchronizer does not change the domain name or Login Time-out values for
existing user accounts in iFIX security; it does change the security privileges for security
areas, application features, and iFIX groups assigned to the account.
NOTE: The Synchronizer may replace an existing iFIX account from one domain with a new
account from another domain if the Windows user account has moved. In this case, the
Synchronizer treats this as a new account, and not as a modification of an existing account.
The Synchronizer deletes the original iFIX account and creates a new iFIX account with the
appropriate domain and login time-out values.

How the Security Synchronizer Works

The Security Synchronizer maps Windows group names to iFIX security privileges. You assign iFIX
security privileges to users who are members of the Windows groups that represent these privileges.
iFIX security privileges are revoked from users who are not members of Windows groups that
represent these privileges.

The Security Synchronizer performs the following steps to synchronize iFIX security users with their
Windows user accounts, based on Windows group memberships:

1. Reads the current iFIX security configuration to determine the currently-available security
areas, application features, and iFIX group names. These names are used to determine the
Windows group names that represent each iFIX privilege.
2. Determines which Windows users belong to each of the Windows group names.
3. Modifies the user account of the same name in iFIX security for each Windows user account
that belongs to any of the valid group names.
Only iFIX user accounts configured to "Use Windows Security" are modified. The Security
Synchronizer makes modifications by assigning the user those privileges that map to the
Windows groups for which they are a member, and deleting privileges that map to Windows
groups for which they are not a member.
4. Creates a new iFIX security user account if the Windows user account name does not match

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

an existing iFIX security user account. The appropriate iFIX security privileges are applied to
the new account.
5. Removes any iFIX user from the security configuration who is not a member of at least one of
the mapped Windows groups that represent an iFIX privilege.
iFIX users not configured to "Use Windows Security" are removed in this manner only if the
/R parameter is used in the Security Synchronizer command line. Refer to the Using the
Command Line section for more information on the Security Synchronizer command line.
NOTE: The Autologin user accounts are never removed from the security configuration,
regardless of whether they use Windows security or belong to any Windows groups. If
security is enabled, the last user account to have the Security Configuration application
feature assigned to it will not be deleted. Also, if a user account is currently logged in to iFIX
it will not be deleted.

6. Writes an audit trail message to the iFIX security log. The log message includes a record for
each added and deleted iFIX user account, other account modifications, and errors
encountered during processing.
NOTE: These messages can also be sent to the iFIX alarm destinations as text messages.
Refer to the Using the Command Line section for more information.

7. Writes analog and digital values to the iFIX database to indicate the success or failure of the
synchronization. Writes are performed in this manner only if one or more of the
Node.Tag.Field parameters are used in the command line. Refer to the Using the Command
Line section for more information on the Security Synchronizer command line.

Preparing to Run the Security Synchronizer

You must follow each of these steps to prepare the Security Synchronizer to run. Details for each step
follow these summarized steps:

1. Decide the Source of Windows Security Information – Decide whether you want to use
domain security, local node security, or both.
2. Create Windows Users - Create Windows users on the domain or local computer, as decided
in the first step.
3. Create Windows Groups – Create Windows groups on the domain or local computer, as
decided in the first step. You can use The CreateWindowsGroups Tool for this step.
4. Assign Users to Windows Groups and Grant Privileges – Assign the Windows groups created
in the previous step to the appropriate Windows user accounts.
5. Configure iFIX Security – Create at least one iFIX account with the appropriate privileges to
run the Security Synchronizer. Ensure that one of these users is logged in when the Security
Synchronizer application is running.
NOTE: You must perform this step only if you run Security Synchronizer while security is
enabled.

Decide the Source of Windows Security Information

The first step you must take in preparing to run the Security Synchronizer is to decide the source of
Windows security information. You can create Windows groups in the local computer's security
configuration or on a domain controller. You must determine if the security information should come

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Configuring Security Features

from a Windows domain, the local computer, or both. One factor to consider when making this
decision is the network configuration at the site where the Security Synchronizer is used.

NOTE: It is important to understand that the source of Windows security information determines
where Windows groups are to be located, not where the Windows user accounts are to be found.
Depending on whether local or domain security groups are used, the members of these Windows
groups can be local user accounts, domain user accounts, or both. Domain groups may only contain
domain user accounts, while a local group can contain both local and domain user accounts.

Create Windows Users

Create your Windows user accounts locally or on a domain controller. To ensure a secure environment,
do not create any local accounts if you are using domain accounts. For more information on using a
domain controller with Windows, refer to your Windows operating system documentation.

If a user account needs to log in to Windows in addition to iFIX, configure that Windows account with
necessary rights, as described in the section User Accounts that Log in to Windows.

Create Windows Groups

Before using the Security Synchronizer, you must create Windows groups for all iFIX application
features, security areas, and security groups to be assigned to iFIX users. You can use the
CreateWindowsGroup tool to create these groups. Refer to The CreateWindowsGroups Tool for more
information on using this tool.

Once you create Windows groups, you can use the Windows User Manager or a similar Windows
security configuration tool to grant individual membership in the groups to Windows user accounts.

The following subjects are discussed in this topic:

• Configuration Strategy
• Limitations on Global Group Names
• Global Group Nesting Not Supported

Configuration Strategy

You can reduce the number of Windows groups that must be created by grouping iFIX application
features into iFIX security groups. Each iFIX security group can represent a set of application features
that apply to a certain level of user, such as operators or supervisors.

You can then assign Windows users to the Windows group that represents the iFIX security group that
represent their user level, such as "iFIX Security Group - Operators." Assigning users to groups in this
manner:

• Eases the configuration process by grouping similar application features into a single security
group.
• Helps you avoid assigning Windows users to every application feature privilege that they are
to be granted.

Because iFIX security prevents an iFIX user from belonging to more than 12 security groups, you may
still need to assign some application feature privileges individually. You should always assign security

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

area privileges individually, since typically there are more application feature privileges than security
areas.

Each Windows group name represents a single iFIX security privilege. An iFIX security privilege can
be any of the following:

iFIX Application Feature Name – predefined in the iFIX security system.

Security Area Name – user-defined in the iFIX Security Configuration program. These names
have default letter values of A through P when iFIX is installed.

Security Group Name – user-defined in the iFIX Security Configuration program.

Windows group names that represent each iFIX privilege are created by combining a prefix string
indicating the type of iFIX privilege with the name of the iFIX privilege. There are long and short
forms of the prefix string. The following table shows each type of iFIX privilege and its long and short
prefix strings.

Windows Group Names

iFIX Privilege Long Prefix String Short prefix string

Application Features FIX Application Feature - FAF -

Security Areas FIX Security Area - FSA -

Security Groups FIX Security Group - FSG -

NOTE: You must use the correct syntax in prefix strings. Spaces before and after the dash are
required in the long prefix string. Spaces before and after the dash are prohibited in the short prefix
string.

The following table shows examples of iFIX privilege names and their corresponding Windows group
names. It is assumed that an iFIX security area named "Plant Floor" and an iFIX security group named
"Supervisors" has been configured in iFIX security for this example.

Privilege Names and Corresponding Windows Groups

iFIX Privilege Windows Group Name - long Windows Group Name -

form short form

Plant Floor Security FIX Security Area - Plant Floor FSA - Plant Floor
Area

Supervisors Security FIX Security Group - FSG - Supervisors

Group Supervisors

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Configuring Security Features

Limitations on Global Group Names

You must limit the size of each Windows global group name to 20 characters if you synchronize iFIX
security with Windows security groups that exist on either of the following domains:

• A Windows NT 4.0 domain

• Windows 2000 domain controllers that are configured to support access by users on systems
earlier than Windows 2000.

Because many iFIX application feature names exceed this limit, to successfully use Security
Synchronizer in this situation, you must do either of the following:

• Use aliases for iFIX application features that exceed 16 characters. Refer to Application
Feature Name Aliases for a complete list of pre-defined Windows group name aliases for
application feature names.
• Use the short prefix strings, described in the Windows Group Names table.

The 20-character limit on the size of the Windows global group name also affects user-defined iFIX
security groups, which can be up to 30 characters long, and iFIX security area names, which can be up
to 20 characters long. If you use the Windows NT 4.0 domain as the source of Windows security
information, do not use more than 16 characters when naming iFIX security areas and iFIX security
groups. This technique reserves four characters for the short prefix strings.

The 20-character limit does not apply to:

• Windows groups defined on a local computer (also referred to as local groups), since they can
be up to 256 characters long.
• Windows XP domains or Windows 2000 domains with no access by users on systems earlier
than Windows 2000, since global group names on these domains can be up to 64 characters
long.

As an alternate solution to the global group name character limitation, you can also use Windows local
groups to contain global groups. You can create local groups with the full application feature names
and you can assign global groups with an arbitrary name to the appropriate local groups.

If you are a Windows user who belongs to the global group, you also belong to the local group that
contains the global group. Therefore, you will be assigned the privilege associated with that local
group name.

Since creating and maintaining local groups across multiple computers adds complexity to the
configuration required to use the Security Synchronizer, you should use this alternate solution only
when a single node is running the Security Synchronizer to synchronize a shared set of security files. If
multiple nodes are running the Security Synchronizer to synchronize multiple copies of the iFIX
security data, then you should use the application feature name aliases with global groups. Refer to
Application Feature Name Aliases for a complete list of pre-defined Windows group name aliases for
application feature names.

CAUTION: If you do not follow these procedures when using Windows NT 4.0 domain security with
Security Synchronizer, an incorrect iFIX security configuration based on the Windows configuration
may result.

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

Global Group Nesting Not Supported

The Security Synchronizer does not support nested global groups within a Windows domain. Only user
accounts that belong to a global group are supported. Global groups that are members of other global
groups are ignored. Accounts that belong to the contained global group are not granted the security
privileges associated with the containing global group.

A global group can be contained in a local group defined on a specific computer. However, any global
groups contained in local groups are not processed. Do not place global groups within local groups for
the purpose of Windows-to-iFIX security synchronization.

The CreateWindowsGroups Tool

The CreateWindowsGroups tool helps you to quickly create Windows groups that map to iFIX
privileges:

• Eliminate typographical errors when creating Windows security groups using the appropriate
names to map to iFIX security privileges.
• Use the correct syntax when creating Windows security groups.
• Create Windows global and local groups, using the appropriate names for iFIX security
privileges.

Before using this tool, you must log in to Windows as a member of the Administrators or Account
Operators group on either the local computer or the Windows domain, depending on whether you
create the Windows groups on the local computer or on the domain. However, iFIX does not need to
be running to use this tool.

The following figure shows the CreateWindowsGroups tool. Use the procedures following this figure
to create Windows security groups.

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Configuring Security Features

The CreateWindowsGroups Tool

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups tool:

1. Run CreateWindowsGroups.exe from the iFIX directory. A list of Windows group names
displays in a list box. The Windows group names are derived from the current iFIX security
configuration, including the user-configured security group and security area names.
NOTE: Windows group names display in the list box only if you establish all group and
security area names in the Security Configuration program before using the
CreateWindowsGroups tool.

2. Select the appropriate filters and prefix style for the Windows groups you wish to create. If
you are creating groups on a Windows NT 4.0 domain, you must select the Show NT 4.0
Names filter.
3. Select the groups you want to create in Windows security from the list box of group names.
The list may include different group names that represent the same iFIX security privileges.
NOTE: Use Ctrl/Click to select multiple group names in the list box. Use Shift/Click to select
a range of group names in the list box.

4. Click Create Local Groups to create the groups currently selected in the list box if you are
creating Windows groups on the local computer.
5. Click Create Domain Groups. The Specify Domain for Group Creation dialog box appears.
6. In the Create Groups on this Domain edit box, specify a domain name, if you are creating
Windows groups on the Windows domain.
7. Click OK.

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Assign Users to Windows Groups and Grant Privileges

Once you create the Windows groups that you need, you can assign Windows user accounts to the
groups that correspond to iFIX security privileges. You use the Windows User Manager tool to assign
users to groups that represent the iFIX privileges that they should be granted.

Configure iFIX Security

You can run the Security Synchronizer using a node-based or user-based approach to iFIX security.

Node-based Security

Choose this method if you want to run the Security Synchronizer on a node, regardless of who, if
anyone, is logged into iFIX. Using the iFIX security Autologin feature, you must specify an iFIX user
account as the system user. This account is automatically logged in as the system user the next time
iFIX is started. You cannot log this user off unless you remove the associated account from the System
User field in the Automatic Login Node dialog box, located in the Security Configuration program and
restart iFIX.

NOTE: The system user you create here is recognized only by the Security Synchronizer. Other iFIX
features and programs do not recognize the system user; therefore, this user cannot be used to provide
access to any security privilege other than running the Security Synchronizer.

To specify the system user:

1. Open the Security Configuration program.

2. On the Edit menu, click Autologin.
3. Click Add.
4. In the Node field, enter the iFIX node name. This is the node where the Security Synchronizer
will be run.
5. In the System User field, select an account.
6. Click OK.

Refer to the chapter Defining and Assigning Security Privileges for more information on the Security
Configuration program.

The user account logged in as a system user must have these two application features to be able to
execute the Security Synchronizer:

Security Synchronizer – needed to actually run the Security Synchronizer.

System User Login – needed for the user to be logged-in as the system user.

If you follow this method, the Security Synchronizer can run, providing these conditions are true:

• iFIX is running.
• Security Configuration program is not running.
• A user is logged in to Windows.

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Configuring Security Features

The Security Synchronizer can run even if a non-system user, such as an operator with limited security
privileges, is logged in. iFIX logs the system user in at startup, and the Security Synchronizer checks
for the system user when it executes.

The iFIX user account specified as the system user is not modified or deleted by Security
Synchronizer, even if the /R parameter is specified. Refer to the Command Line Parameter Errors
section for more information on the run-time parameters. When this iFIX user account is used, its
privileges to run the Security Synchronizer cannot be revoked. Therefore, you should create a separate
iFIX user account that represents the system user with only the necessary security privileges. You
should avoid using an existing iFIX user's account.

NOTE: Once you add a system user to the Autologin configuration, you must restart iFIX for that user
to become logged-in.

User-based Security

To use this method, the currently logged in iFIX user must have the privileges necessary to run the
Security Synchronizer. You must assign the Security Synchronizer application feature to the
appropriate user accounts. If you do not specify a system user in the iFIX Autologin configuration,
then, by default, user-based security is used.

Under user-based security, if the current user does not have the appropriate Security Synchronizer
application feature privilege or if no user is logged in, the Security Synchronizer does not run and a
message is sent to the audit trail file.

Running the Security Synchronizer Application

You should run Security Synchronizer from only one location for each set of iFIX security files you
maintain. If all nodes on a company network use a shared set of iFIX security files that are stored on a
file server, then only one node on the network should run Security Synchronizer to update the security
configuration. If each iFIX node maintains its own set of iFIX security files, then you must run
Security Synchronizer on each node in order to update the security configuration for each node.

NOTE: Actions on an iClient node that affect data in the iFIX database require that the iFIX user have
the proper privileges on both the SCADA and View node; this requires that iFIX security
configurations are identical on both nodes. You may want to update all iFIX security configurations
using Security Synchronizer at or near the same time to keep separate security configurations
synchronized with each other.

Because the Security Synchronizer runs as a background task, you must execute it from a command
prompt window or use a similar method to supply command line parameters to the program.

You cannot start the Security Synchronizer by double-clicking the file in Windows Explorer because
you need to supply command line parameters to start the synchronization process. This inability to
launch the Synchronizer provides added security by preventing you from clicking the program icon in
Explorer and initiating the synchronization process at an inappropriate time, which could lead to an
incorrect security configuration.

You can, however, execute the program using an icon you create that contains the appropriate
command line parameters. You can create a Windows shortcut that points to the Security Synchronizer
program and supplies the command line parameters. Use the Shortcut tab of a shortcut to the
SecuritySynchronizer.exe to enter the appropriate information to create your shortcut.

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

To run Security Synchronizer, you must:

• Install iFIX on the computer that will run Security Synchronizer.

• Log the computer into the Windows domain from which user accounts will be retrieved,
either the local computer domain or a global domain.

All output that results from running the Security Synchronizer is directed to the security log file. The
security log file is located in the iFIX Alarm path. Optionally, these messages can be directed to the
iFIX alarm destinations as text messages. Refer to Using the Command Line for more information.

The following figure shows typical messages written to the security log file while the Security
Synchronizer runs. In this example, several users, such as FBROWN and OPERATOR1, configured to
use the domain2 domain in the Windows Security configuration, are added to the iFIX security
configuration.

Security Log/Audit Trail

You cannot run the iFIX Security Configuration program and the Security Synchronizer at the same
time. The system prevents the two from running simultaneously, which prevents one program from
overwriting changes that the other program is currently trying to make to the security files.

To determine if the Security Synchronizer has completed, you can:

• Check the alarm destinations or security log file for a message indicating this state. An alarm
destination can be the alarm history, alarm file, or alarm printers.
• Use the Completion Status tag command line parameter.

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Configuring Security Features

Using the Command Line

The following table describes each option in the command line.

SecuritySynchronizer.exe Command Line Parameters

Command Line Description

Option

/Ddomain name Supplies the name of the domain where the Windows groups are located.
You must supply either this parameter, or the /L parameter, or both
parameters to enable the Security Synchronizer to locate the Windows
groups.

/L Indicates that the local computer security configuration where the Windows
groups are located. You must supply either this parameter, or the
/D<domain name> parameter, or both parameters to enable the Security
Synchronizer to locate the Windows groups.

/R Indicates that all iFIX user accounts not configured to use Windows
security will be removed from the security configuration.
Any accounts that do not have the Use Windows Security check box
selected in the iFIX Security User Configuration dialog box will be
removed from iFIX security with the following exceptions:
The Application and System User Autologin accounts are not deleted from
iFIX security.
The user account that is currently logged in is not deleted from iFIX
security.

/ENode.Tag.Field Supplies the name of an analog iFIX database tag and floating point (F_)
field to which a value is written after the Security Synchronizer completes.
The value written to this tag indicates the most serious error, if any,
encountered during the synchronization process. A value of 0 indicates that
no errors were encountered.
Refer to Understanding Security Synchronizer Messages for a list of error
codes.

/FNode.Tag.Field Supplies the name of a digital iFIX database tag and floating point (F_)
field to which a value is written after the Security Synchronizer completes.
A value of 0 indicates that no errors were encountered. A value of 1
indicates that an error was encountered.
You can determine the specific error encountered by checking the security
log file or the Analog Error tag, specified using the /E parameter.

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

SecuritySynchronizer.exe Command Line Parameters

Command Line Description

Option

/CNode.Tag.Field Supplies the name of a digital iFIX database tag and floating point (F_)
field to which a value is written that indicates that the Security
Synchronizer has completed. The value 1 is written when the
synchronization has completed.

NOTE: You must manually set this tag's value to 0 before running the
Security Synchronizer if you want to determine whether the process has
completed.

/T# seconds Supplies an iFIX Login Time-out value to apply to any new iFIX user
accounts created by Security Synchronizer.
If you do not use this parameter, the default value of 0 seconds (no Login
Time-out) is used for all new iFIX user accounts.
The maximum value allowed is 86399 seconds, or 23:59:59.
For more information, refer to the Limiting Login Time section.

/Mmap mode Indicates the security mapping scheme to be used by Security Synchronizer
to perform the synchronization.
In iFIX 4.0, 3.5, and 3.0 only the default mapping scheme is valid. The
mapping scheme refers to how Windows group names are mapped to iFIX
privileges.

NOTE: This parameter is intended for future use only. Do not use this
parameter.

/A Indicates that all messages sent to the security log file should also be sent to
the alarm destinations as text messages. If this parameter is not supplied,
most messages are not sent to the alarm destinations.

Command Line Parameter Example

A fictitious PlantA domain is used in this example. This command line will:

• Retrieve Windows Security groups from the PlantA domain.

• Leave iFIX user accounts intact if they are not using Windows security.
• Write the final error code to the iFIX database on node SCADA1 (tag name SYNCERROR).

The command line required by the PlantA domain in this example is:

SecuritySynchronizer.exe /DPlantA /ESCADA1.SYNCERROR.F_CV

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Configuring Security Features

The following conditions result because the indicated parameters are not used in the previous
command line example:

• iFIX accounts not using Windows security are not removed because the /R parameter is not
used.
• Local Windows security information is ignored because the /L parameter is not used.
• No digital failure value is written to an iFIX database because the /F parameter is not used.
• No completion status value is written to an iFIX database because the /C parameter is not
used.
• A default Login Time-out value of 0 seconds is applied to new iFIX user accounts created by
the Security Synchronizer because the /T parameter is not used. This causes time-out to be
disabled.
• Messages are not written to the alarm destinations because the /A parameter is not used.

NOTE: You must run the command line while a Windows user is currently logged in to the PlantA
domain. Otherwise, the Security Synchronizer fails because it cannot retrieve the Windows security
information.

When to Run the Security Synchronizer

When to Run the Security Synchronizer

You should run the Security Synchronizer:

• Whenever you make changes to the Windows security configuration that affects iFIX users,
such as when you add or remove users from mapped Windows groups.
• After you add, change, or remove iFIX security groups or security area names, as these
changes affect the Windows groups that map to these privileges.

Scheduling Security Synchronizer

You may want to implement a scheduling strategy if you make frequent changes to the Windows
security configuration that will affect the iFIX security configuration.

The Security Synchronizer application does not have a self-scheduling function, but you can use
scheduling software or a third-party scheduling tool to run the application at specified times or
intervals.

iFIX offers a scheduling tool, called the Scheduler, that helps you easily run the Security Synchronizer
at designated times. Refer to the Mastering iFIX manual for details on using this tool.

You may want to consider using the Scheduled Task Wizard located on the Control Panel to schedule
the Security Synchronizer.

Using the Task Scheduler Service

You can use this service to schedule programs at designated times and intervals.

58
 Using iFIX with Windows Security

To use the Windows Task Scheduler:

1. Log in to Windows as a member of the local Administrator group. Only members of this
group can schedule tasks for execution.
2. Ensure that the Task Scheduler service is running by checking the Services dialog box from
Control Panel. The Task Scheduler service displays in the list.
3. Open a command prompt window and type the At command, followed by the appropriate
parameters to indicate the name of the task and the time of execution. Refer to Windows Help
for more information about the At command and command line parameters used by the Task
Scheduler.
4. View the task you scheduled by typing "at" at the command line. Do not supply any
parameters. The list of scheduled tasks displays.

Examples

To schedule the SecuritySynchronizer.exe program to run on a local computer every Monday and
Thursday at 3:00 a.m., you should enter the following command:

at 3:00 /every:M,Th SecuritySynchronizer.exe command line parameters

where <command line parameters> represents the command line parameters to be passed to
SecuritySynchronizer.exe, such as /L and /R. Refer to Using the Command Line for more information
on command line parameters.

To schedule the SecuritySynchronizer.exe program to run on the 25th day of each month at 6:00 p.m.
on a computer named View3, you should enter the following command:

at\\View3 18:00/next:25 SecuritySynchronizer.exe <command line

parameters>

Using an iFIX Database Program Block

You can use an iFIX database Program block to schedule the run time for Security Synchronizer. Due
to the limit on the length of command lines in Program blocks, you must create a Windows command
file that executes from the Program block.

A Windows command file is a text file that contains the command line to run, including the program
name and any command line parameters. The command file must end with the .CMD file extension.

The Windows command file you use must reside in the iFIX root directory (C:\Program
Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX) if no path is specified on the Program block command line, or you must
specify the full path to the file in the Program block command line.

An example of the text of a command file used to run the Security Synchronizer:

SecuritySynchronizer.exe /DPlantA /L /T /R

NOTE: This command file is saved as SecSync.cmd.

An example of a Program block command line that runs the above command file using the Program
block's RUNTASK command if the SecSync.cmd file is in the iFIX base path:

RUNTASK SecSync.cmd

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Configuring Security Features

An example of a Program block command line that runs the above command file using the Program
block's RUNTASK command if the SecSync.cmd file is in the C:\ directory:

RUNTASK C:\SecSync.cmd

Using the Security Synchronizer Automation Interface

The Security Synchronizer program is a background task that you use with command line parameters
to execute the security synchronization process.

You can also program the synchronization process using the SecuritySynchronizer Automation object.
This object provides the properties and methods you need to synchronize iFIX security with your
Windows security configuration. You have the ability to write custom applications or scripts that
automate how and when the security synchronization process executes.

For a description of the SecuritySynchronizer object and the properties and methods available through
it, see the iFIX Automation Interfaces Help file.

Application Feature Name Aliases

You can use the aliases listed in this section to represent the indicated application feature name. These
aliases are provided only for iFIX application feature names that exceed 16 characters. These aliases
allow you to create domain groups without exceeding the 20-character group name limit imposed by
the systems listed above.

The following table lists all application feature name aliases for iFIX.

iFIX Application Feature Name Aliases

iFIX Application Feature Name Windows Group Name Alias or Aliases

Application Validator - Creation of FAF–Application Validator - Creation of

Baselines Baselines
FAF–AppVal Baselines

Application Validator - Run-time Access FAF–Application Validator - Run-time Access

FAF–AppVal Runtime

Background Task Exit FAF–Background Task Exit

FAF–BG Task Exit

Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del FAF–Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del

FAF–Ctrl-Alt-Del

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

iFIX Application Feature Name Aliases

iFIX Application Feature Name Windows Group Name Alias or Aliases

Database Manager FAF–Database Manager

Database Reload FAF–Database Reload

Database Save FAF–Database Save

Database Block Add-Delete FAF–Database Block Add-Delete

FAF–DB Block Add-Del

EDA Feature [1-55] FAF–EDA Feature [1-55]

Electronic Signature – Bypass FAF–Electronic Signature - Bypass

FAF–ESig-Bypass

Electronic Signature – Perform By FAF–Electronic Signature - Perform By

FAF–ESig-Perform By

Electronic Signature – Verify By FAF–Electronic Signature - Verify By

FAF–ESig-Verify By

Fix32 – Alarm Summary Display FAF–Fix32 - Alarm Summary Display

FAF–F32 - Alm Sum

Fix32 – Historical Display Configuration FAF–Fix32 - Historical Display Configuration

FAF–F32 - HTDCFG

Fix32 – Historical Trend Display FAF–Fix32 - Historical Trend Display

FAF–F32 - HTD

Fix32 – Historical Trend Display View Only FAF–Fix32 - Historical Trend Display View Only
FAF–F32 - HTDView

Fix32 – Key Macro Editor FAF–Fix32 - Key Macro Editor

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Configuring Security Features

iFIX Application Feature Name Aliases

iFIX Application Feature Name Windows Group Name Alias or Aliases

Fix32 – Operating System Window FAF–Fix32 - Operating System Window

FAF–F32 - OS Win

Fix32 – Run a Task from View FAF–Fix32 - Run a Task from View
FAF–F32 - RUNTASK

Historical Trend Assign FAF–Historical Trend Assign

FAF–HTA

Historical Trend Collection FAF–Historical Trend Collection

FAF–HTC

Historical Trend Export FAF–Historical Trend Export

FAF–HTD Export

iFIX – System Shutdown FAF–iFIX System Shutdown

FAF–iFIX Shutdown

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 1 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 1

FAF–OEM Reserved 1

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 10 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 10

FAF–OEM Reserved 10

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 11 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 11

FAF–OEM Reserved 11

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 12 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 12

FAF–OEM Reserved 12

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 2 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 2

FAF–OEM Reserved 2

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 3 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 3

FAF–OEM Reserved 3

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

iFIX Application Feature Name Aliases

iFIX Application Feature Name Windows Group Name Alias or Aliases

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 4 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 4

FAF–OEM Reserved 4

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 5 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 5

FAF–OEM Reserved 5

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 6 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 6

FAF–OEM Reserved 6

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 7 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 7

FAF–OEM Reserved 7

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 8 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 8

FAF–OEM Reserved 8

GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 9 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 9

FAF–OEM Reserved 9

Manual Failover FAF–Manual Failover

Project Backup-Restore FAF–Backup-Restore

FAF–Project Backup-Restore

Recipe Save from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Save from Recipe Builder
FAF–RCP Builder Save

Recipe Builder Development Window FAF–Recipe Builder Development Window

FAF–RCP Dev Window

Recipe Download from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Download from Recipe Builder
FAF–RCP Download

Recipe Builder Operations Window FAF–Recipe Builder Operations Window

FAF–RCP Op Window

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Configuring Security Features

iFIX Application Feature Name Aliases

iFIX Application Feature Name Windows Group Name Alias or Aliases

Recipe Text Output from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Text Output from Recipe Builder
FAF–RCP Text Output

Recipe Upload from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Upload from Recipe Builder
FAF–RCP Upload

Recipe Load FAF–Recipe Load

Recipe Save FAF–Recipe Save

Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access FAF–Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access
FAF–Runtime VBE

Security Configuration FAF–Security Configuration

FAF–Security Config

Security Synchronizer FAF–Security Synchronizer

FAF–Security Synch

Startup Profile Manager FAF–Startup Profile Manager

FAF–SU Profile Manager

System User Login FAF–System User Login

FAF–Sys User Login

System User Logout FAF–System User Logout

FAF–Sys User Logout

System Configuration FAF–System Config

FAF–System Configuration

Tag Group Editor FAF–Tag Group Editor

Enable Task Switching FAF–Task Switching

FAF–Enable Task Switching

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

iFIX Application Feature Name Aliases

iFIX Application Feature Name Windows Group Name Alias or Aliases

VisconX Writes FAF–VisiconX Writes

WorkSpace Configure FAF–WS Configure

FAF–WorkSpace Configure

WorkSpace Runtime FAF–WS Runtime

FAF–WorkSpace Runtime

WorkSpace Runtime Exit FAF–WS Runtime Exit

FAF–WorkSpace Runtime Exit

The following table lists all application feature name aliases for Proficy Batch Execution.

Batch Execution Application Feature Name Aliases

Batch Execution Application Feature Application Feature Name Alias

Name

Batch Execution – Abort Batch FAF–BE Abort Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Abort Batch

Batch Execution – Acknowledge Prompts FAF–BE Ack Prompts

FAF–Batch Execution - Acknowledge Prompts

Batch Execution – Acquire and Release FAF–BE Acq-Rel Res

Resources
FAF–Batch Execution - Acquire and Release
Resources

Batch Execution – Acquire Phase for Manual FAF–BE Acquire Phase

Control
FAF–Batch Execution - Acquire Phase for
Manual Control

Batch Execution – Add Batch FAF–BE Add Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Add Batch

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Configuring Security Features

Batch Execution Application Feature Name Aliases

Batch Execution Application Feature Application Feature Name Alias

Name

Batch Execution – Allow Demo Mode FAF–BE Allow Demo

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Demo Mode

Batch Execution – Allow Arbitration View FAF–BE Arbit View

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Arbitration View

Batch Execution – Archiver Startup FAF–BE Arch Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Startup

Batch Execution – Archiver Startup from FAF–BE Arch Start AM

Archiver Manager
FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Startup from
Archiver Manager

Batch Execution – Archiver Shutdown from FAF–BE Arch Stop AM

Archiver Manager
FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Shutdown from
Archiver Manager

Batch Execution – Change to Auto/Manual FAF–BE Change Mode

Mode
FAF–Batch Execution - Change to Auto-Manual
Mode

Batch Execution – Clear All Failures FAF–BE Clear Failure

FAF–Batch Execution - Clear All Failures

Batch Execution – Configure the Client FAF–BE Client Cfg

FAF–Batch Execution - Configure the Client

Batch Execution – Allow Help from Client FAF–BE Client Help

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Help from Client

Batch Execution – Client Startup FAF–BE Client Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Client Startup

Batch Execution – Client Shutdown FAF–BE Client Stop

FAF–Batch Execution - Client Shutdown

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

Batch Execution Application Feature Name Aliases

Batch Execution Application Feature Application Feature Name Alias

Name

Batch Execution – Configuration FAF–BE Config

FAF–Batch Execution - Configuration

Batch Execution – Create Equipment FAF–BE Create Eq Cfg

Configuration
FAF–Batch Execution - Create Equipment
Configuration

Batch Execution – Create Recipes FAF–BE Create Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Create Recipes

Batch Execution – Equipment Editor Startup FAF–BE Eq Edt Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Equipment Editor
Startup

Batch Execution – Go to HMI FAF–BE Go to HMI

FAF–Batch Execution - Go to HMI

Batch Execution – Hold Batch FAF–BE Hold Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Hold Batch

Batch Execution – Misc Item Deletion from FAF–BE Misc Item Del
iFIX WorkSpace
FAF–Batch Execution - Misc Item Deletion from
iFIX WorkSpace

Batch Execution – Create New Project in FAF–BE New Project

iFIX WorkSpace
FAF–Batch Execution - Create New Project in
iFIX WorkSpace

Batch Execution – Allow Phase Control FAF–BE Phase Control

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Phase Control

Batch Execution – Recipe Editor Startup FAF–BE Rcp Edt Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Recipe Editor Startup

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Configuring Security Features

Batch Execution Application Feature Name Aliases

Batch Execution Application Feature Application Feature Name Alias

Name

Batch Execution – Rebind Unit Procedure FAF–BE Rebind UP

FAF–Batch Execution - Rebind Unit Procedure

Batch Execution – Rebuild Recipe Directory FAF–BE Rebuild Dir

FAF–Batch Execution - Rebuild Recipe
Directory

Batch Execution – Release Recipes to FAF–BE Release Rcp

Production
FAF–Batch Execution - Release Recipes to
Production

Batch Execution – Remove Batch FAF–BE Remove Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Remove Batch

Batch Execution – Remove Recipes FAF–BE Remove Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Remove Recipes

Batch Execution – Restart Batch FAF–BE Restart Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Restart Batch

Batch Execution – Save Equipment FAF–BE Save Eq Cfg

Configuration
FAF–Batch Execution - Save Equipment
Configuration

Batch Execution – Save Recipes FAF–BE Save Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Save Recipes

Batch Execution – Server Startup FAF–BE Server Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Server Startup

Batch Execution – Server Shutdown FAF–BE Server Stop

FAF–Batch Execution - Server Shutdown

Batch Execution – Simulator Startup FAF–BE Sim Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Simulator Startup

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 Using iFIX with Windows Security

Batch Execution Application Feature Name Aliases

Batch Execution Application Feature Application Feature Name Alias

Name

Batch Execution – Start Batch FAF–BE Start Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Start Batch

Batch Execution – Start iWorkInstruction FAF–Start iWorkInstruction Editor

Editor

Batch Execution – Start SoftPhase Server FAF–Start SoftPhase Server

Batch Execution – Stop Batch FAF–BE Stop Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Stop Batch

Batch Execution – Stop SoftPhase Server FAF–Batch Execution - Stop SoftPhase Server

Batch Execution – Save from iFIX FAF–BE WS Save

WorkSpace
FAF–Batch Execution - Save from iFIX
WorkSpace

Batch Execution – Proficy iFIX WorkSpace FAF–BE WS Startup

Startup
FAF–Batch Execution - Proficy iFIX WorkSpace
Startup

69
Troubleshooting
The following table explains how to address common problems that can arise when using security.

Handling Common Security Problems

If you... You must...

Are manually copying Enable security on every node and copy the same security
your security files to every configuration to each node. To do this, copy the following files
iFIX node. from the security path of one iFIX node to the security path of your
other nodes:
*.UTL
*.^TL
*.AUT
*.RPT
SANAMES.CFG

Lock yourself out of iFIX. Log in with an administrative user account and create for yourself a
new user account. The initial login name for such an account is
ADMIN and the initial password is ADMIN.

Forget your password. Log in with an administrative user account and enter a new
password for your user account. The initial login name for such an
account is ADMIN and the initial password is ADMIN.

Do not want security to Enter 00:00:00 as the time-out interval for your user accounts.
automatically logoff
operators.

Want to login into iFIX 1. Add a push button to your picture.

from a picture.
2. Name the button Login.
3. Write a script to call the LogIn subroutine.
For more information, refer to the iFIX Automation Interfaces Help
file.

Want to protect the Alt+F4 Start the Security Configuration program, click the Configuration
keystroke. button from the Security toolbox, and click Enabled from the
Configuration dialog box.

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Configuring Security Features

Handling Common Security Problems

If you... You must...

Want to access the Start the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and click the Security
Security Configuration Configuration button from the Application toolbar (Classic view) or
program without starting on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click
the SCU. Security and then click Security Configuration Utility (Ribbon
view).

Understanding Security Configuration Messages

If you see a message that you do not understand when running the Security Configuration program,
refer to the following table for a possible explanation and response. Be sure to click OK to
acknowledge the message before taking the recommended action.

Security Configuration Messages

When you see the Then...

message...

Application user not You entered a full name in the Application User field that security could
found. Reenter. not find. Click the browse (...) button and select a name from the list of
user accounts that appears. If no user account appears with the name you
want, create the account first.

CAUTION: Backup You attempted to change the security configuration of your computer
security path while the security path is unavailable. While you can reconfigure the
currently in use. security system now, you will need to repeat this task when the security
path becomes available.

Configuration has You selected Exit from the File menu without saving your changes. Click
changed. Save new Yes to save the changes or click No to quit without saving your changes.
changes? To continue using the Security Configuration program, click Cancel.

Copy existing You redefined the security path. Click Yes to move the user and group
configuration to new accounts to the new path, click No to leave the files in the current
path? location, or click Cancel to return to the Security Configuration program.

Delete existing You selected Clear from the File menu. Click Yes to delete all user and
security group accounts. Click No to cancel.
configuration?

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 Troubleshooting

Security Configuration Messages

When you see the Then...

message...

Disable security or You have enabled security without creating any user accounts that can
give a user access to access the Security Configuration program. Create at least one user
this program before account that can access the program before you exit.
exiting.

Failure exporting The Security Configuration program could not export its current settings.
security Verify that you have enough free hard disk space. If you do not, back up
configuration. any unnecessary files, delete them, and try exporting the security
configuration again.

Failure reading The Security Configuration program could not import the file you
security specified. Verify the file is not damaged or stored in bad sectors of your
configuration. hard disk.

Failure writing The Security Configuration program could not save its current settings.
security files. Check Verify that you have enough free hard disk space. If you do not, back up
disk space. any unnecessary files, delete them, and try saving the security
configuration again.

Full name must be You entered non-alphanumeric characters (such as punctuation marks) in
alphanumeric. the full name of a user account. Retype the name including only
alphanumeric characters.

Group name needed You attempted to create a group account without naming it. Enter a name
to save a group. of up to 20 alphanumeric characters in the Group Name field and click
OK to create the account.

Invalid path You specified a path in the Backup Path field that does not exist. Either
specified. create the directory or specify a path that exists.

Invalid timeout value Either you specified a non-numeric value for the Login Timeout field, or
entered! you entered a numeric value in a format the Security Configuration
program does not recognize. Type a numeric value in the field using the
format: hh:mm:ss.

Login name must be You entered non-alphanumeric characters (such as punctuation marks) in
alphanumeric. the login name of a user account. Retype the login name in this field
including only alphanumeric characters.

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Configuring Security Features

Security Configuration Messages

When you see the Then...

message...

New path has no You clicked No when the Security Configuration program prompted you
security files. Copy to copy the user and group accounts. Because no account files already
files or CANCEL exist in the specified security path, you must click Yes or Cancel instead.
change.

Ok to DELETE this The Security Configuration program is about to delete the selected group
group? account. Click Yes to delete the account or click No to keep it.

Ok to DELETE this The Security Configuration program is about to delete the selected user
user? account. Click Yes to delete the account or click No to keep it.

Ok to lose current You clicked Cancel on a dialog box. Click Yes to abort the changes you
changes? have made or click No to continue making changes.

Old configuration not The Security Configuration program could not find the back-up of the
found! previous security configuration and saved the current one instead. This
can occur when the files have been renamed or deleted. The backup path
may have also been changed.

Overwrite existing The name of the file you entered already exists. Click Yes to overwrite
export file? the file, click No to enter a new file name, or click Cancel to abort the
process.

Password The password you typed does not match the one you entered for the
confirmation failed. current user account. Click OK and retype the password when prompted.
Save Aborted.

Replace or add to The Security Configuration program is about to import a security

existing configuration. Click Replace to overwrite all the existing group accounts,
configuration? user accounts, and the security areas with the information in the import
file. Click Add to append the new accounts to your existing ones.

Save failed! The Security Configuration program could not save its current settings.
Verify that you have enough free hard disk space. If you do not, back up
any unnecessary files, delete them, and try saving the security
configuration again.

security configuration The Security Configuration program cannot find the security files in the
corrupted. specified security path. Rename the backup security files by changing the
extension of these files from .^TL to .UTL and restart the Security
Configuration program.

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 Troubleshooting

Security Configuration Messages

When you see the Then...

message...

Security Files must The security path you specified does not exist. Consequently, the
be manually copied Security Configuration program cannot copy the user and group accounts
from <old_path>. to the specified path. You must copy the files to this path once it becomes
available. If you do not, the Security Configuration program assumes
someone has tampered with security and will not allow you to restart the
program.

Security path invalid iFIX could not find the security path you specified. Verify it exists and
or unavailable. try again. If the path points to a file server, make sure the server is
Continue? functioning properly.

Should default user You have selected Clear to delete all user and group accounts. To prevent
and group accounts you from accidentally locking yourself out the program, the Security
be created. Configuration program allows you to create sample user and group
accounts. To create these accounts, click Yes. To skip creating these
accounts, click No.

System user not You entered a full name in the System User field that security could not
found. Reenter. find. Click the browse (...) button and select a name from the list of user
accounts that appears. If no user account appears with the name you
want, create the account first.

Unauthorized access You attempted to start the Security Configuration program but your user
to Security account does not provide access to the program or you are not logged in.
Configurator. Log into iFIX, if necessary, and try again. If you are using Windows
security, verify that you entered the password exactly as defined. If the
problem persists, verify that the Windows user account you are using
exists and is configured as described in the section Using the Security
Configuration Program.

Unique login and full You entered a login name or full name already in use by another user
names required for account. Enter a login name or full name not in use by any other account
each user. and click OK.

Warning: imported The Security Configuration program is about to import a security

user accounts may configuration file. Click Yes to continue importing the file or click No to
not have passwords! abort the procedure. To import a file with passwords, edit it with a text
Continue? editor and type the text PASSWORD:password on the line immediately
following the login name. Refer to the section Importing User Account
Passwords for an example of editing an import file.

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Configuring Security Features

Understanding Security Synchronizer Messages

You may encounter the errors listed in this section in the iFIX alarm destinations or the iFIX security
log file while Security Synchronizer is running. Error codes can range from 0, indicating that no errors
have been detected, to 299.

The error code associated with a specific error is written to the analog error tag, if a valid tag is
specified with the /E parameter. If more than one error occurs during the security synchronization
process, then the most severe error code is written to the analog tag. If more than one error of the same
severity is encountered, then the last error generated of that severity is written to the analog tag.

If an error is encountered while the security synchronization is processing, then the digital error tag is
set to 1.

Error messages that contain user names display the Windows user name in the message. Refer to the
following sections for more information about error messages:

• Error Severity Categories

• Application Error Codes (200-299)
• User Account Error Codes (100-199)
• General Error Codes (1-99)
• Command Line Parameter Errors

Error Severity Categories

Errors are categorized into three levels of severity, listed here from highest to lowest:

Application Errors – Security Synchronizer terminates without performing or completing

synchronization. Error codes range from 200-299.

User Account Errors – Errors are encountered for individual user accounts, but the
synchronization process completes. Error codes range from 100-199.

General Errors – Errors such as the inability to write to iFIX database tags are detected, but the
synchronization process completes. Error codes range from 1-99.

You may encounter a fourth type of error caused when an invalid command line parameter is passed to
the Security Synchronizer. This type of error does not cause values to be written to the iFIX database,
but it does cause messages to be written to the security log file and the iFIX alarm destinations.

You can configure error conditions to be reported in the Alarm Summary or other alarm destinations
through the use of iFIX database tags. If the /E parameter is used to specify an analog error tag, you
can configure that tag to alarm on the error value. For example, you can configure an Analog Input
block that receives the error value to generate a HI alarm when the error value exceeds 99 or a HIHI
alarm when the error value exceeds 199.

Application Error Codes (200-299)

The following table lists the application error codes. These errors cause the Security Synchronizer
process to terminate without performing or completing synchronization. These errors have the highest

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 Troubleshooting

severity.

Application Error Codes

Error Error Message

Code

201 Security Synchronizer: Unable to perform security synchronization. FIX system is

not running

202 Security Synchronizer: User has insufficient FIX privileges to run Security
Synchronizer.

203 Security Synchronizer: Attempt to execute synchronization while already running.

Second attempt aborted.

204 Security Synchronizer: Function is not enabled on this node; check license/key.

205 Security Synchronizer: Security Configurator is running. Synchronization aborted.

210 Security Synchronizer: Insufficient memory to complete synchronization process.

Synchronization aborted.

220 Security Synchronizer: Source of Windows security not specified (Domain, Local).
Synchronization aborted.

230 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve security info from Windows Domain.
Synchronization aborted.

240 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve Windows security information from local
PC. Synchronization aborted.

250 Security Synchronizer: No group names found in Windows that map to FIX
privileges. Synchronization aborted.

251 Security Synchronizer: No Windows users belong to groups which map to FIX
privileges. Synchronization aborted.

270 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX security data. Synchronization

aborted.

271 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX security Area data. Synchronization
aborted.

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Configuring Security Features

Application Error Codes

Error Error Message

Code

272 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX Application Feature data.

Synchronization aborted.

273 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX Security Group data.

Synchronization aborted.

280 Security Synchronizer: Security paths unavailable or security has been tampered
with. Synchronization aborted.

User Account Error Codes (100-199)

The following table lists the user account error codes. These errors are encountered for individual user
accounts, but the synchronization process continues. These errors have medium severity. The %s
character used in the following list of user account error message is replaced by the appropriate string
for each instance of the message:

User Account Error Codes

Error Error Message

Code

101 Security Synchronizer: Can't create account for %s. Name already exists.

102 Security Synchronizer: Can't create account for %s. Invalid characters in name.

110 Security Synchronizer: Can't save changes to user %s. Error writing to file.

120 Security Synchronizer: Can't add FIX group %s to user %s (>12).

130 Security Synchronizer: Can't delete FIX user %s. Last user with access to Security
Config.

131 Security Synchronizer: Can't remove security configuration rights from user %s.

140 Security Synchronizer: Can't remove user %. User no longer exists in FIX security.

141 Security Synchronizer: Can't delete user %s. Error occurred writing to disk.

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 Troubleshooting

User Account Error Codes

Error Error Message

Code

150 Security Synchronizer: Error sorting FIX security users. Use FIX Security
Configuration program to save configuration.

160 Security Synchronizer: Unable to restore security data due to disk problems.
Security may be corrupted.

161 Security Synchronizer: Unable to backup security data due to disk problems. No
FIX users were deleted.

162 Security Synchronizer: Unable to save security data due to disk problems. No FIX
users were deleted.

General Error Codes (1-99)

The following table lists the General Error codes. These errors have the lowest severity.

General Error Codes

Error Error Message

Code

20 Security Synchronizer: Can't write to Analog Error tag %s in FIX database.

21 Security Synchronizer: Can't write to Digital Error tag %s in FIX database.

22 Security Synchronizer: Can't write to Completion tag %s in FIX database.

30 Security Synchronizer: Security Area name %s does not exist in FIX security.

31 Security Synchronizer: application feature name %s does not exist in FIX

security.

32 Security Synchronizer: Security Group name %s does not exist in FIX security.

Command Line Parameter Errors

Values are not associated with command line parameter errors since values are not written to the iFIX

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Configuring Security Features

database when these errors occur. These errors terminate the synchronization process before it actually
begins. These errors are detected only when the SecuritySynchronizer.exe program is running, and not
when programming to the Security Synchronizer Automation interface. Refer to the iFIX Automation
Interfaces Help file for more information on the Automation interface.

You may encounter one of these command line errors while running Security Synchronizer:

• Security Synchronizer: Invalid Windows Domain name. Synchronization aborted.

• Security Synchronizer: Invalid Login Timeout value. Value must be between 0 and 86399
seconds. Synchronization aborted.
• Security Synchronizer: Invalid MapMode value. Synchronization aborted. FOR FUTURE
USE.
• Security Synchronizer: Invalid Analog Error Tag syntax (/E). Synchronization aborted.
• Security Synchronizer: Invalid Failure Tag syntax (/F). Synchronization aborted.
• Security Synchronizer: Invalid Completion Tag syntax (/C). Synchronization aborted.

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Security Configuration Dialog Boxes
The Security Configuration application includes the following dialog boxes (listed in alphabetical
order):

• Application Feature Selection Dialog Box

• Automatic Login at Startup Dialog Box
• Automatic Login Node Dialog Box
• Configuration Dialog Box
• Edit Security Area Dialog Box
• Group Accounts Dialog Box
• Group Membership Selection Dialog Box
• Group Profile Dialog Box
• Password Confirmation Dialog Box
• Security Area Naming Dialog Box
• Security Area Selection Dialog Box
• Select User Dialog Box
• User Accounts Dialog Box
• User Profile Dialog Box

Application Feature Selection Dialog Box

The Application Feature Selection dialog box displays the following items:

Authorized
Displays the account privileges accessible to this account.

Available
Displays the account privileges you can assign to the current account.

Add All
Adds all available account privileges to the Authorized list box.

Add
Adds the selected account privilege to the Authorized list box.

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Delete
Removes the selected account privilege from the Authorized list box.

Delete All
Removes all available account privileges from the Authorized list box.

Automatic Login at Startup Dialog Box

The Automatic Login at Startup dialog box displays the following items:

Auto Started Nodes

Alphabetically lists the nodes that have been configured for automatic login and lets you select the
node you want to edit or delete.

Add
Lets you create an automatic login file for a node.

Modify
Lets you modify an existing automatic login file for the selected node.

Delete
Removes the selected node's automatic login file.

Automatic Login Node Dialog Box

The Automatic Login Node dialog box displays the following items:

Node
Displays the name of the node that automatically logs in the specified application user when iFIX
starts. To change the node name, enter the name of a new node.

Application User
Displays the user account that iFIX automatically logs in as the application user. To change the name,
enter it, or click the browse (...) button to select a name from the Select User dialog box.

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 Security Configuration Dialog Boxes

System User
Displays the account that is automatically logged in as the system user the next time iFIX is started.

For more information, refer to the Configure iFIX Security topic in the Configuring Security Features
guide in the iFIX electronic books (Dynamics.chm).

NOTE: Only the Security Synchronizer recognizes the System User. Other iFIX features and programs
do not recognize the system user; therefore, this user cannot be used to provide access to any security
privilege other than running the Security Synchronizer.

Configuration Dialog Box

The Configuration dialog box displays the following items:

User Based Security

Controls whether security is enabled. By default, security is disabled.

Security Path
Defines the path to your security files. By default, iFIX sets the security path to the Local path.

NOTE: If you define a file server directory as your security path, you also need to define a backup
path. The backup path allows operators to log into iFIX while the file server is unavailable. The
backup path and should be a local drive.

Backup Path
Defines a second path to your security files. By default, iFIX sets the backup path to the local path.

NOTE: If you have defined a file server as your security path, you need to define a backup path.

Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles

Enables or disables a global security path.

NOTE: If you disable global security paths and you are using Terminal Services, you must configure
security individually for each iFIX user.

Edit Security Area Dialog Box

The Edit Security Area dialog box displays the following items:

Area
Displays the number of the area you chose to edit.

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Name
Allows you to create or rename the selected security area. The name you specify can be up to 20
alphanumeric characters.

Group Accounts Dialog Box

The Group Accounts dialog box displays the following items:

Current Groups
Displays the existing group accounts and lets you select the account you want to modify or delete.

Add
Lets you add a new group account.

Modify
Lets you modify the selected group account.

Delete
Lets you remove the selected group account.

Group Membership Selection Dialog Box

The Group Membership dialog box displays the following items:

Authorized
Displays the account privileges accessible to this account.

Available
Displays the account privileges you can assign to the current account.

Add All
Adds all available account privileges to the Authorized list box.

Add
Adds the selected account privilege to the Authorized list box.

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Delete
Removes the selected account privilege from the Authorized list box.

Delete All
Removes all available account privileges from the Authorized list box.

Group Profile Dialog Box

The Group Profile dialog box displays the following items:

Group Name
Displays the name of the group account you are defining. You add or modify the text by typing a
name, up to 30 alphanumeric characters in length.

Security Areas
Displays the security areas accessible to this account.

Application Features
Displays the iFIX application features accessible to this account.

Modify
Lets you add and delete the current account's security areas or application features.

NOTE: If you are creating or editing a user account, the Modify button also lets you add and delete
the group accounts.

Password Confirmation Dialog Box

The Password Confirmation dialog box displays the following item:

Retype Password to Confirm Change

Lets you retype a user account password when you disable Windows security for the user account, and
you create or modify the password. After typing the password, select OK to return to the User Profile
dialog box.

NOTE: The password is not displayed in this dialog box. When you retype a password, the dialog box
displays an asterisk (*) for every character you specify.

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Security Area Naming Dialog Box

The Security Area Naming dialog box displays the following items:

Security Areas
Lists the names of each security area. You can name up to 254 areas.

Modify
Allows you to create or rename the selected security area.

Security Area Selection Dialog Box

The Security Area Selection dialog box displays the following items:

Authorized
Displays the account privileges accessible to this account.

Available
Displays the account privileges you can assign to the current account.

Add All
Adds all available account privileges to the Authorized list box.

Add
Adds the selected account privilege to the Authorized list box.

Delete
Removes the selected account privilege from the Authorized list box.

Delete All
Removes all available account privileges from the Authorized list box.

Select User Dialog Box

The Select User dialog box displays the following item:

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 Security Configuration Dialog Boxes

Select User List Box

Allows you to choose the user account that iFIX automatically logs in as an application user.

User Accounts Dialog Box

The User Accounts dialog box displays the following items:

Current Users
Displays the existing user accounts and lets you select the account you want to modify or delete.

Add
Lets you add a new user account.

Modify
Lets you modify the selected user account.

Delete
Lets you remove the selected user account.

User Profile Dialog Box

The User Profile dialog box displays the following items:

Use Windows Security

Enables or disables Windows security for this account. By default, Windows security is disabled and
iFIX security validates each operator's login name and password during login. When you enable
Windows security, Windows authenticates each login name and password, allowing you to take
advantage of features such as case-sensitive passwords and passwords that expire after a number of
days.

Windows Security Enabled

When the Use Windows Security check box is selected, the following items display:

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Configuring Security Features

Item Description

User Name Displays the full name of the operator whose account you are defining. You
can change the text by typing a new name, up to 30 alphanumeric characters
in length.

NOTE: The name you enter must be unique.

Domain Displays the account domain name when Windows security is enabled. The
domain name can be up to 20 alphanumeric characters.

Login Timeout Controls the length of time operators can remain logged in. You can enter
any time interval from 00:00:01 to 23:59:59. A value of 00:00:00 disables
this field. When an operator attempts to access a restricted application
feature or security area after the time interval expires, iFIX logs out the
operator, requiring him or her to log in again. This feature prevents operators
from remaining logged in indefinitely.
CAUTION: This feature does not eliminate the need for operators to
manually log out, particularly if you have strict security requirements. If
you decide to use this feature, consider it a safety mechanism.

Windows Security Disabled

When the Use Windows Security check box is cleared, the following items display:

Item Description

Full Name Displays the full name of the operator whose account you are defining. You
can change the text by typing a new name, up to 20 alphanumeric characters
in length.

NOTE: The name you enter must be unique.

Password Displays the account password when Windows security is disabled. Entering
a password is optional. Each password can be up to 20 alphanumeric
characters.

NOTE: The password is not displayed in this field for security reasons.
When you create or modify a password, the field displays an asterisk
(*) for every character you specify.

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 Security Configuration Dialog Boxes

Item Description

Login Name Contains the login name of the operator. You can change the text by
entering a new name, up to six alphanumeric characters in length. The
operator enters this name when logging in. If you enable Windows security
for this account, the login name must match the login name of the operator's
Windows user account.

NOTE: The login name you enter must be unique.

Login Timeout Controls the length of time operators can remain logged in. You can enter
any time interval from 00:00:01 to 23:59:59. A value of 00:00:00 disables
this field. When an operator attempts to access a restricted application
feature or security area after the time interval expires, iFIX logs out the
operator, requiring him or her to log in again. This feature prevents
operators from remaining logged in indefinitely.
CAUTION: This feature does not eliminate the need for operators to
manually log out, particularly if you have strict security requirements.
If you decide to use this feature, consider it a safety mechanism.

Group
Displays the group accounts accessible to the current user account.

Security
Displays the security areas accessible to this account.

Application
Displays the iFIX application features accessible to this account.

Modify
Allows you to modify the group accounts, security areas, or application features listed for this user.

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For more information on the Security Configuration application, refer to the following sections:

• Configure Security Features

• Manage User Accounts
• Manage Group Accounts
• Configure Security
• Use Electronic Signatures
• Configure for Automatic Login
• Create or Rename Security Areas
• Create Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box
• Configure the iFIX Screen Saver
• Enable Environment Protection

Configure Security Features

To implement security in the Security Configuration application:

1. Create or rename your security areas.

2. Create group and user accounts.
3. If you plan to automatically log operators into iFIX, define each automatic login file.
4. Copy the security files to all of your nodes. If you are using a file server, copy the security
files to the file server.
5. Specify a local security and backup path on each node. If you are using a file server, enter the
path to the file server as the security path and enter a local path as the backup path.
6. Enable security on all nodes and save the security configuration.
7. If you want all iFIX user sessions to share the same security configuration, enable global
security paths on each node. (This step is recommended for terminal server nodes.)
8. If you plan to enable environment protection, start the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and set the
run-time environment preferences you want to use on each iFIX node.

Manage User Accounts

Managing User Accounts

Click any of the following links for more information on managing user accounts:

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Configuring Security Features

• Creating a User Account

• Adding and Deleting Account Privileges
• Creating a Recipe User Account
• Deleting a User Account
• Deleting All Group and User Accounts
• Modifying a User Account
• Saving a User Account

Creating a User Account

To create a user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Account button.

3. Click Add.
4. In the Full Name field, enter a name for the new user account.
5. Depending on the type of security you want to use, do one of the following:
• If you want to use Windows security, select the Use Windows Security check box,
and, in the Full Name and Domain fields, enter the login name and domain name of
the Windows user account you want to use.
• If you want to use iFIX security, enter the login name and password for the account
in the Login Name and Password fields.
6. If you want to limit the time the operator remains logged into iFIX, in the Login Timeout
field, enter a timeout value.
7. Add group accounts.
8. Add security areas.
9. Add application features.
10. Save the account.

Adding and Deleting Account Privileges

Selecting Account Privileges

Click any of the following links for more information on selecting account privileges:

• Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a User Account

• Adding and Deleting Application Features in a User Account
• Adding and Deleting Group Accounts in a User Account

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 How Do I...

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a User Account

To add or delete security areas in a user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. From the Edit menu, select User Accounts.

3. Double-click the user account in which you want to add or delete security areas.
4. On the User Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Security Area list box.
5. To add security areas, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To
add all the security areas to the current account, click Add All.
6. To remove security areas, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list
box. To remove all the security areas from the current account, click Delete All.

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a User Account

To add or delete application features in a user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. From the Edit menu, select User Accounts.

3. Double-click the user account in which you want to add or delete application features.
4. On the User Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Application Features list box.
5. To add application features, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list
box. To add all the application features to the current account, click Add All.
NOTE: Clicking Add All does not add the Electronic Signature – Bypass application feature.
You must add this application feature explicitly.

6. To remove application features, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized
list box. To remove all the application features from the current account, click Delete All.

Adding and Deleting Group Accounts in a User Account

To add or delete group accounts in a user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and

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Configuring Security Features

then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. From the Edit menu, select User Accounts.

3. Double-click the user account in which you want to add or delete group accounts.
4. On the User Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Group Membership list box.
5. To add group accounts, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To
add all the group accounts to the current user account, click Add All.
6. To remove group accounts, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list
box. To remove all the group accounts from the current user account, click Delete All.

Creating a Recipe User Account

To create a Recipe user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.

3. Click Add.
4. Enter RECIPE in the Full Name and Login Name fields. Do not assign a password to this
account.
5. Click Modify from the Security Area list box.
6. Double-click each security area you want to add from the Available list box. To add all the
security areas to the current account, click Add All.
7. Click OK to save the user account in memory.
8. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.
9. On the File menu, click Save.

Creating a Public Account

To create a public account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.

3. Click Add.
4. Enter PUBLIC in the Full Name field.
5. Enter PUBLIC in the Login Name field.

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 How Do I...

6. Click OK to save the user account in memory.

7. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.
8. Click the Autologin button on the Security toolbox.
9. Click Add.
10. Enter the public account's node name in the Node field.
11. Enter PUBLIC in the Application User field.
12. On the File menu, click Save to save your security configuration.

Deleting a User Account

To delete a user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.

3. Select the user account you want to remove and click Delete. The following text appears:
OK to delete this user?

4. Click Yes to delete the user account.

5. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.
6. On the File menu, click Save to permanently remove the account.

Deleting All Group and User Accounts

To delete all of your accounts and disable security:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the File menu, click Clear. The following text appears:

Delete existing security configuration?

3. Click Yes to delete all of your accounts. The following text appears:
Should default user and group accounts be created?

4. Click Yes to create sample group and user accounts or click No to omit this step.

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Configuring Security Features

Modifying a User Account

To modify a user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.

3. Double-click the user account you want to modify.
4. Modify the following user account information as needed:
• The account and login names.
• The password (iFIX security only) or the domain name (Windows security only).
• The login timeout value.
• Any group accounts.
• The security areas.
• The application features.
5. Save the user account.

Saving a User Account

To save a user account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. Create or modify a user account.

3. On the User Profile dialog box, click OK. If you disabled Windows security for the account,
and entered or changed a password, the following text appears in the Password Confirmation
dialog box:
Retype password to confirm changes

4. Enter the password for this account in the field provided, and click OK. If the two passwords
match, security saves the user account in memory. If the passwords do not match, the
following message appears:
Password confirmation failed. Save aborted.

5. Click OK to acknowledge the message and repeat steps 3 and 4.

6. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.
7. On the File menu, click Save.

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 How Do I...

Manage Group Accounts

Managing Group Accounts

Click any of the following links for more information on managing group accounts:

• Creating a Group Account

• Adding and Deleting Account Privileges
• Deleting a Group Account
• Deleting All Group and User Accounts
• Modifying a Group Account
• Creating Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box

Creating a Group Account

To create a group account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. Click the Group Account button on the Security toolbox.

3. Click Add.
4. In the Group Name field, enter a name for the group account that you want to create.
5. Add security areas.
6. Add application features.
7. Click OK to save the group account in memory.
8. Click OK again to close the Group Accounts dialog box.
9. On the File menu, click Save.

Adding and Deleting Account Privileges

Adding and Deleting Account Privileges

Click any of the following links for more information on adding and deleting account privileges:

• Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a Group Account

• Adding and Deleting Application Features in a Group Account

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Configuring Security Features

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a Group Account

To add or delete security areas in a group account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Account button.

3. Double-click the group account in which you want to add or delete security areas.
4. On the Group Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Security Area list box.
5. To add security areas, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To
add all the security areas to the current account, click Add All.
6. To remove security areas, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list
box. To remove all the security areas from the current account, click Delete All.

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a Group Account

To add or delete application features in a group account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Account button.

3. Double-click the group account in which you want to add or delete application features.
4. On the Group Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Application Features list box.
5. To add application features, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list
box. To add all the application features to the current account, click Add All.
NOTE: Clicking Add All does not add the Electronic Signature – Bypass application feature.
You must add this application feature explicitly.

6. To remove application features, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized
list box. To remove all the application features from the current account, click Delete All.

Deleting a Group Account

To delete a group account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and

98
 How Do I...

then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Accounts button.

3. Select the group account you want to remove and click Delete. The following text appears:
OK to delete this group?

4. Click Yes to delete the group account.

5. Click OK to close the Group Accounts dialog box.
6. On the File menu, click Save to permanently remove the account.
NOTE: Be careful which group accounts you delete. Group members lose their account
privileges when you delete a group account.

Deleting All Group and User Accounts

To delete all of your accounts and disable security:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the File menu, click Clear. The following text appears:

Delete existing security configuration?

3. Click Yes to delete all of your accounts. The following text appears:
Should default user and group accounts be created?

4. Click Yes to create sample group and user accounts or click No to omit this step.

Modifying a Group Account

To modify a group account:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Accounts button.

3. Double-click the group account you want to modify.
4. Modify the following group account information as needed:
• The account name.
• The security areas.
• The application features.

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Configuring Security Features

5. Click OK to save the group account in memory.

6. Click OK again to close the Group Accounts dialog box.
7. On the File menu, click Save.

Configure Security

Configuring Security
Click any of the following links for more information on configuring security:

• Defining the Security Path

• Enabling or Disabling Security
• Enabling or Disabling Global Security Paths
• Exporting the Security Configuration
• Importing the Security Configuration

Completing the Configuration Dialog Box

Completing the Configuration Dialog Box is a three-step process:

1. Enable security.
2. Specify a security and backup path. If you are using a file server, enter the path to the file
server as the security path and enter a local path as the backup path.
3. Specify if you want to use global security paths. If you are using terminal services, it is
recommended that you enable this option.
NOTE: With the global security paths option enabled, all iFIX user sessions on this computer
share the same security configuration. This is required in order for security to work properly
for multiple users in a Terminal Services environment, especially when the default SCU is
enabled in the Startup Profile Manager. If you do not enable global security paths, you will
need to individually configure security within each Terminal Services user session.

Defining the Security Path

To define the security and backup paths:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Configuration button.

3. Double-click the Security Path field and enter the path you want to use.
4. Click OK. The following text appears:

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 How Do I...

Copy existing configuration to new path?

5. Click Yes to move the security files to the specified path.

6. Double-click the Backup Path field and enter the path you want to use.

Enabling or Disabling Security

To enable or disable security:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Configuration button.

3. Select Enabled to enable security or Disabled to disable security.

Enabling or Disabling Global Security Paths

To enable or disable global security paths:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Configuration button.

3. Select the Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles check box to enable this option, or clear
the check box to disable it.
4. If you cleared the check box to disable this feature, a dialog box appears. Click OK to
continue.
IMPORTANT: For global security paths to work correctly, the Base and Language paths in
the SCU's Path Configuration dialog box must be the same for all users. Project paths can
differ, however. To open the SCU, click the Start button and point to Proficy HMI SCADA -
iFIX and then System Configuration. Click the Path Configuration button to open the Path
Configuration dialog box. The default Base path is C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX,
while the default Language path is C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\NLS.

Exporting the Security Configuration

To export the security configuration:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

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Configuring Security Features

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the File menu, click Export.

3. In the File Name field, enter the name of the security configuration file you want to create.
4. Click Save. If the name you entered already exists, the following text appears:
filename already exists. Do you want to replace it?

5. Click Yes to overwrite the existing file or click No to re-enter a name for the configuration
file and repeat step 3.

Importing the Security Configuration

To import a security configuration:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the File menu, click Import.

IMPORTANT: Be aware that you cannot import a security file exported from another
language.

3. Double-click the file you want to import. The following text appears:
Warning: Imported user accounts may not have passwords! Continue?

4. Click Yes to continue. The following text appears:

Replace or add to existing configuration?

5. Click Replace to copy the security configuration defined by the import file to the local node,
or click Add to merge the two configurations together. Any account with a user name or a
login name that matches an existing account is ignored.

Use Electronic Signatures

Using Electronic Signatures

Click any of the following links for more information on electronic signatures:

• Entering an Electronic Signature

• Verifying an Action with an Electronic Signature
• Configuring a Tag to Require Electronic Signatures

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 How Do I...

Entering an Electronic Signature

The Electronic Signature dialog box appears when you change the value of a database tag or
acknowledge an alarm for which electronic signature is required. This dialog box can display only in
the iFIX WorkSpace in the run-time environment; it does not display in configure mode.

The Description Area at the top of the Electronic Signature dialog box contains the details about the
action. The Performed By section fields are active.

To enter an Electronic Signature:

1. In the Electronic Signature dialog box, in the user name field, enter your user name. If your
user account is connected to a Windows user account, enter your Windows user name.
Otherwise, enter your iFIX login name.
TIP: If you are in continuous use mode, the user name field is filled in with the continuous
user name. You can edit this name.

2. In the password field, enter your password.

3. Optionally, complete the following fields:
a. In the Predefined Comments list box, select a predefined comment.
b. In the Comment field, enter a free-form comment.
4. Click OK. If verification is required, the Verified By section activates and the Performed By
section dims.
5. In the Verified By area, complete the fields, if active.
NOTE: A user other than the one who completed the Performed By section must complete the
Verified By section.

6. Click OK. The electronic signature is validated, the Electronic Signature dialog box closes,
the new value is written to the tag, and a message detailing your action is written to the
Electronic Signature Audit Trail.
NOTE: If your iFIX user account is connected to a Windows user account and you
unsuccessfully attempt to enter your user name or password, your account may be disabled
after a certain number of tries. This number is determined by your Windows security settings.

Verifying an Action with an Electronic Signature

Once you complete the Performed By section of the Electronic Signature dialog box, the Verified By
section activates. If you have completed the Perform By section, someone else must complete the
Verify By section.

To verify an action that requires an Electronic Signature:

1. In the Electronic Signature dialog box,, in the user name field, enter your user name. If your
user account is connected to a Windows user account, enter your Windows user name.
Otherwise, enter your iFIX login name.
2. In the password field, enter your password.
3. Optionally, complete the following fields:
a. Select a predefined comment from the Predefined Comments list box.

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Configuring Security Features

b. Enter a free-form comment in the Comment field.

4. Click OK. The electronic signature is validated, the Electronic Signature dialog box closes,
the new value is written to the tag, and a message detailing your action is written to the
Electronic Signature Audit Trail.
NOTE: If your iFIX user account is connected to a Windows user account and you
unsuccessfully attempt to enter your user name or password, your account may be disabled
after a certain number of tries. This number is determined by your Windows security settings.

Configuring a Tab to Require Electronic Signatures

Follow these instructions to configure a tag for electronic signature. To ensure a secure signing
environment, you should not edit a current process database with an older-version node.

To configure a tag to require Electronic Signatures:

1. In the iFIX Database Manager, navigate to the Advanced tab of the tag's dialog box.
2. Select the type of electronic signature that you want for this tag:
• None – Do not require Electronic Signatures for this tag at run time. This is the
default option.
• Perform Only – Require a Performed By signature for any changes or alarm
acknowledgements to this tag at run time.
• Perform and Verify – Require both a Performed By and a Verified By signature for
any changes or alarm acknowledgements to this tag at run time.
3. Select the options that you want for this tag:
• Allow Continuous Use – Select to allow the operator to repeatedly sign for
successive actions by supplying only a password. Continuous use applies only to the
person performing an action and does not affect the person verifying an action. This
is selected by default.
• Exempt Alarm Acknowledgement – Select to allow operators to acknowledge
alarms without entering a signature, even when this tag requires electronic signature
for data entry.
4. Select how you want the tag to handle unsigned writes. Your options are as follows:
• Accept – Accept the unsigned write.
• Log – When an unsigned write is accepted, send a message indicating that the tag
accepted an unsigned write. This option is only available when the tag is configured
to accept unsigned writes.
• Reject – Reject the unsigned write and do not update the database. A message is sent
indicating that the tag rejected an unsigned write. (default)
NOTE: You must purchase the Electronic Signature option for these parameters to take effect
at run time.

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 How Do I...

Configure for Automatic Login

Configuring for Automatic Login

Click any of the following links for more information on configuring for automatic login:

• Creating or Modifying an Automatic Login File

• Deleting an Automatic Login File

Creating or Modifying an Automatic Login File

To add or modify an automatic login file:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Autologin button.

3. Click Add or double-click the name of the node you want to modify.
4. In the Node field, enter the name of the node you want to configure.
5. In the Application User field, enter the name of the operator you want to log in automatically.
TIP: Click the browse (...) button to select a user from the Select User dialog box.

6. Click OK to save your changes in memory.

7. Click OK again to save the configuration to a file.

Deleting an Automatic Login File

To delete an automatic login file:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Autologin button.

3. Select the name of the node you want to remove, and click Delete. The Security Configuration
program deletes the automatic login file for the selected node.

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Configuring Security Features

Create or Rename Security Areas

To create or rename a security area:

1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and
then click Security Configuration Utility.

2. On the Security toolbox, click the Security Area button.

3. Double-click the security area you want to create or rename.
4. In the Name field, enter a name and click OK.
5. Click OK again to accept your changes.

Create Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups

Dialog Box

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups dialog box:

1. Log in to Windows as a member of the Administrators or Account Operators group on either

the local computer or the Windows domain.
2. Double-click CreateWindowsGroups.exe in the Proficy iFIX folder. By default, this folder is:
C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX.
The Create Windows Groups dialog box opens, displaying a list of Windows group names.
The CreateWindowsGroups.exe derives the Windows group names from the current iFIX
security configuration.

NOTE: Windows group names display in the list box only if you establish all group and
security area names in the Security Configuration before using the CreateWindowsGroups
tool.

3. Select the appropriate filters and prefix style for the Windows groups that you want to create.
To create Windows groups on a Windows NT domain v4.0 or on a Windows 2000 domain
controller with pre-Windows 2000 access support, you must select the Show NT v4.0 Names
filter.
4. Select the groups you want to create from the list. The list may include multiple group names
that represent some of the same iFIX security privileges due to the alias names.
5. Press the CTRL key and click to select multiple group names in the list box. Press the SHIFT
key and click to select a range of group names in the list box.
6. If you are creating Windows groups on the local computer as local groups, click the Create
Local Groups button to create the groups currently selected in the list box.
7. If you are creating Windows groups on the Windows domain as global groups, click the
Create Domain Groups... button. The Specify Domain for Group Creation dialog box appears.
Specify a domain name in which to create the groups currently selected in the list.

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Once you create Windows groups, you can use the Windows User Manager or a similar
Windows security configuration tool to grant individual membership in the groups to
Windows user accounts.

Configure the iFIX Screen Saver

Configure the iFIX Screen Saver using the Display option in the Windows Control Panel.

To configure the iFIX Screen Saver:

1. Open the display settings:

• In all versions of Windows except Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, in the
Windows Control Panel, double-click the Display option. The Display Properties
dialog box appears.
• In the Windows Vista Control Panel, click the Appearance and Personalization
category, and then the Change Screen Saver link. The Screen Saver Settings dialog
box appears.
• In the Windows Server 2008 Control Panel, click the Personalization category, and
then the Change Screen Saver link. The Screen Saver Settings dialog box appears.
2. Select the Screen Saver tab.
3. Select iFIXScreenSaver from the Screen Saver drop-down list.
4. Click the Settings button. The iFIX Screen Saver Settings dialog box appears.
5. Enable or clear the Blank out the screen check box.
6. Set the iFIX Security Options:
a. Select the Log out of iFIX check box to ensure that the current user is logged out of iFIX
when the iFIX screen saver activates.
b. Select one of the following options to specify how a user will log in to iFIX after the
screen saver activates:
• After logging out, prompt for login – Select this option to cause a login dialog
box to appear after the screen saver activates. The operator must supply a user
name and password.
• After logging out, log in this user – Select this option to log in a user
automatically after the screen saver activates. To specify that user, you must
supply the user's name and password in the Username and Password fields
below this option.
NOTE: These options work only if iFIX is running and security has been enabled.

7. Set the Additional iFIX Options:

• Reset Electronic Signature Continuous User – Resets the continuous user when
the screen saver activates. This option works only if iFIX is running.
• Change Picture – Enables you to specify the iFIX picture to open when the screen
saver activates. Specify the new picture in the Open this picture text box field. This
option works only if the WorkSpace is started and is in Run mode.
8. Click OK to close the dialog box.

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Configuring Security Features

IMPORTANT: Do not enable the Password Protected option in the Display Properties
dialog box in addition to selecting the iFIX Screen Saver.

The Windows Password Protected option relies on the operator's ability to press
Ctrl+Alt+Del to log into the workstation after the screen saver activates. If you configure
your Environment Protection settings so that operators cannot use the Ctrl+Alt+Del key
combination, they will not be able to dismiss the iFIX Screen Saver if the Password
Protection option is enabled.

To require a password for dismissing the iFIX Screen Saver, use the options in the iFIX
Screen Saver Settings dialog box.

Enable Environment Protection

To enable environment protection:

1. In Classic view, on the WorkSpace menu, click User Preferences.

-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Home tab in the WorkSpace group, click Settings, and then click User
Preferences.

2. Click the Environment Protection tab.

3. Select the Enable Environment Protection check box.
4. Select the options you want to enable.

108
Index
application features
A
adding ...........................................................28
account disabled message, configuring ............ 42
described ........................................................ 4
account lockout
listed .............................................................14
setting ........................................................... 42
special assignments.......................................18
account lockout................................................. 42
application features ...........................................98
adding
application users
application features ....................................... 28
described .......................................................29
group accounts .............................................. 28
application users ...............................................29
security areas ................................................ 28
assigning
adding ............................................................... 28
privileges with group accounts .....................11
adding application features to a group
account.......................................................... 98
security areas ................................................27
adding application features to a user account ... 93
Windows groups ...........................................53
adding group accounts to user accounts ........... 93
assigning ...........................................................53
adding security areas to a group account .......... 98
audit trail
adding security areas to a user account............. 93
Security Synchronizer messages ...................54
alarms
see log file.....................................................38
generated on unsuccessful attempts to log
audit trail ...........................................................38
in ............................................................... 37
Autologin option
alarms ............................................................... 37
See Also System Autologin option ...............45
aliases
Autologin option ...............................................45
iFIX application name feature ...................... 60
automatic login configuration
using for iFIX application features ............... 48
creating .........................................................29
aliases ............................................................... 48
deleting .........................................................30
application error codes in Security
Synchronizer ................................................. 76
described .......................................................29

109
Configuring Security Features

automatic login configuration ........................... 29 command line parameters in Security

Synchronizer .................................................44
automatic login file ......................................... 105
configuring
B
account disabled message .............................42
backup path
account for automatic login ..........................29
defining for security ..................................... 32
iFIX Screen Saver .........................................22
described.........................................................8
run-time environment ...................................33
backup path.........................................................8
security settings for iFIX Screen Saver ........22
C
configuring .......................................................22
changing the default screen saver bitmap
image ............................................................ 22 configuring iFIX

character limitations application features for Security

Synchronizer .............................................48
on global group names for Windows NT ..... 48
security for Security Synchronizer ...............53
on iFIX security groups for NT .................... 48
configuring iFIX ...............................................53
on user-defined iFIX security area names .... 48
constraints using and running Security
character limitations ......................................... 48 Synchronizer .................................................45

COM Automation CreateWindowsGroups tool..............................51

using to program the synchronization creating

process ...................................................... 60
group accounts ..............................................28
COM Automation ............................................. 60
iFIX security user accounts ..........................46
command line
public account ...............................................30
using with Security Synchronizer ................. 56
public accounts .............................................30
command line ................................................... 56
recipe user accounts ......................................13
command line in Security Synchronizer ........... 56
user accounts.................................................12
command line parameters in Security
Synchronizer Windows domain groups ..............................60

errors............................................................. 79 Windows global groups ................................60

example ........................................................ 56 Windows groups ...........................................48

overview ....................................................... 44 Windows users ..............................................48

using /R to delete users ................................. 44 creating .............................................................48

110
 Index

creating a public account .................................. 94 user accounts.................................................29

creating a recipe user account ........................... 94 deleting .............................................................29

creating an automatic login file ...................... 105 deleting a group account ...................................98

creating an export file ..................................... 101 deleting a user account .....................................95

creating group accounts .................................... 97 deleting all group and user accounts ...........95, 99

creating security areas .................................... 106 deleting an automatic login file ......................105

creating user accounts....................................... 92 deleting application features from a group

account ..........................................................98
D
deleting application features from a user
database blocks account ..........................................................93

assigning security areas to ............................ 28 deleting group accounts from user accounts .....93

database blocks ................................................. 28 deleting security areas from a group account ...98

database write access deleting security areas from a user account ......93

disabling ....................................................... 21 developing

restricting ...................................................... 13 security strategy ............................................. 7

database write access ........................................ 13 developing ......................................................... 7

defining disabled accounts

backup path................................................... 32 described .......................................................42

security areas ................................................ 27 disabled accounts ..............................................42

security path ................................................. 31 disabling

source of Windows security for Security database write access for unauthorized
Synchronizer ............................................. 47 nodes .........................................................21

defining............................................................. 47 security .........................................................27

defining the security path ............................... 100 disabling ...........................................................27

deleting disabling global paths .....................................101

all group and user accounts .......................... 29 disabling security ........................................95, 99

automatic login configuration ....................... 30 E

group accounts .............................................. 29 electronic signatures

iFIX user accounts ........................................ 46 audit trail .......................................................38

111
Configuring Security Features

configuring ................................................. 104 scheduling Security Synchronizer ................58

described.........................................................4 examples ...........................................................58

disabled accounts .......................................... 42 exiting

performed by .............................................. 103 Security Configuration program ...................26

restricting access from remote nodes ............ 21 exiting ...............................................................26

tracking unsuccessful attempts to access exporting

iFIX .......................................................... 38
security configuration ...................................30
verifying ..................................................... 103
exporting ...........................................................30
electronic signatures ....................................... 103
exporting the security configuration ...............101
enabling
F
environment protection ................................. 33
file server
enabling ............................................................ 33
creating automatic logins ..............................29
enabling global security paths ........................ 101
using with security system ............................. 8
enabling security............................................. 100
file server ........................................................... 8
environment protection
G
described.........................................................4
global security paths .........................................32
enabling ........................................................ 33
group accounts
required application feature .......................... 18
adding to a user account ...............................28
environment protection ..................................... 18
assigning account privileges .......................... 7
error codes
assigning extra privileges .............................11
(100-199) in Security Synchronizer.............. 78
assigning rights with .....................................11
(1-99) in Security Synchronizer ................... 79
assigning security areas ................................27
(200-299) in Security Synchronizer.............. 76
creating .........................................................28
error codes ........................................................ 76
deleting .........................................................29
error severity categories in Security
Synchronizer ................................................. 76 deleting all ....................................................29

examples described ........................................................ 4

command line parameter in Security example.......................................................... 4

Synchronizer ............................................. 56
modifying .....................................................29

112
 Index

sample ........................................................... 25 importing ..........................................................31

sharing with other computers ....................... 31 importing the security configuration...............102

group accounts .................................................. 31 L

I local path

iFIX creating automatic logins ..............................29

application feature aliases ............................. 60 defining a security path .................................31

deleting user accounts................................... 56 local path ..........................................................31

Environment Protection option ..................... 22 log file

logging in ...................................................... 37 description ....................................................38

logging out .................................................... 38 log file ...............................................................38

shutting down ............................................... 18 login

using database program block ...................... 58 automatic ......................................................29

iFIX .................................................................. 58 manual ..........................................................37

iFIX Screen Saver unsuccessful ..................................................38

configuring ................................................... 22 unsuccessful attempts ...................................37

configuring security settings ......................... 22 login ..................................................................37

default bitmap image .................................... 22 logout

iFIX Screen Saver ............................................ 22 automatic ......................................................28

iFIX security manual ..........................................................38

concurrency with Security Synchronizer ...... 54 logout ................................................................38

configuring for Security Synchronizer ......... 53 M

iFIX security ..................................................... 53 messages

implementing account disabled ...........................................42

security strategy ............................................ 25 security configuration (list) ...........................72

implementing .................................................... 25 messages ...........................................................72

importing modifying

security configuration ................................... 30 group accounts ..............................................29

user account passwords ................................ 31 iFIX security accounts to match Windows

113
Configuring Security Features

security accounts ...................................... 46 passwords .........................................................28

user accounts ................................................ 29 pictures

modifying ......................................................... 29 assigning security areas to ............................28

modifying a group account ............................... 99 security areas ................................................19

modifying a user account.................................. 96 pictures .............................................................19

modifying an automatic login file .................. 105 preparing to run Security Synchronizer ............47

N programming the synchronization process .......60

naming conventions programs

security areas ................................................ 27 scheduling with Task Scheduler service .......58

naming conventions .......................................... 27 programs ...........................................................58

node-based security .......................................... 53 public account

nodes automatic login to iFIX .................................30

disabling write access ................................... 21 creating .........................................................30

nodes................................................................. 21 described .......................................................30

O public account ...................................................30

objects R

Security Synchronizer .................................. 60 recipes

objects............................................................... 60 creating a user account..................................13

P recipes ...............................................................94

parameter errors in Security Synchronizer remote access

command line ............................................... 79 restricting from remote nodes .......................21

parameter errors in Security Synchronizer ....... 79 remote access ....................................................21

passwords remote nodes

changing ....................................................... 38 restricting access from ..................................21

expiration ...................................................... 37 securing.......................................................... 8

importing ...................................................... 31 remote nodes ...................................................... 8

setting expiration .......................................... 41 removing

setting in iFIX ............................................... 28 iFIX user accounts ........................................56

114
 Index

removing........................................................... 56 service ...........................................................58

renaming scheduling Security Synchronizer

security areas ................................................ 27 examples .......................................................58

renaming ........................................................... 27 strategy .........................................................58

renaming security areas .................................. 106 using command-line parameters ...................44

restricting access using iFIX database program block ..............58

database write ............................................... 13 using scheduling convention.........................44

from remote nodes ........................................ 21 scheduling Security Synchronizer ....................44

run-time environment ................................... 33 screen saver

restricting access............................................... 33 electronic signatures ...................................107

restricting database write access ....................... 21 iFIX...............................................................22

running Security Synchronizer ......................... 54 screen saver ....................................................107

run-time environment scripts

configuring ................................................... 33 securing the Visual Basic Editor...................19

restricting access ........................................... 33 security access and information ....................24

securing ........................................................ 18 scripts................................................................24

run-time environment ....................................... 18 securing

S pictures .........................................................19

sample accounts ................................................ 25 run-time environment ...................................33

saving schedules.......................................................19

user accounts ................................................ 28 Visual Basic Editor .......................................19

saving ............................................................... 28 securing.............................................................19

saving user accounts ......................................... 96 security

schedules disabling .......................................................27

assigning security areas to ............................ 28 enabling ........................................................27

security areas ................................................ 19 iFIX Screen Saver .......................................107

schedules .......................................................... 19 implementing a strategy ................................25

scheduling programs with Task Scheduler implementing with a file server ..................... 8

115
Configuring Security Features

implementing without a file server .................8 automatic login to iFIX .................................29

log file for Security Synchronizer................. 54 described ........................................................ 3

restricting access from remote nodes ............ 21 error messages ..............................................72

sharing files ....................................................8 exiting ...........................................................26

special users in Security Synchronizer ......... 45 exporting your security configuration ...........30

status ...............................................................5 importing your security configuration ..........30

strategy ...........................................................7 starting ..........................................................26

troubleshooting ............................................. 71 using Windows NT security .........................43

using Windows user name and password ..... 43 Security Configuration program .......................43

security ........................................................... 107 security log file

security area described .......................................................38

example ..........................................................4 location .........................................................38

security area ........................................................4 record of unsuccessful attempts to log in ......38

security areas security log file .................................................38

adding ........................................................... 28 security path

assigning ....................................................... 28 creating automatic logins ..............................29

defining......................................................... 27 defined ........................................................... 8

described .........................................................4 defining .........................................................31

naming .......................................................... 27 security path....................................................100

understanding ............................................... 13 security strategy ................................................91

security areas .................................................... 98 Security Synchronizer

security configuration file application error codes (200-299) .................76

described....................................................... 30 audit trail messages .......................................54

exporting ....................................................... 30 automation interface .....................................60

importing ...................................................... 30 command line ...............................................56

importing data............................................... 30 command line options ...................................56

security configuration file................................. 30 command line parameter errors ....................79

Security Configuration program command line parameter example ................56

116
 Index

command line parameter overview ............... 44 security system

command line parameters ............................. 44 access options ................................................ 3

configuration strategy ................................... 48 benefits .......................................................... 3

configuring iFIX security ............................. 53 determining status .......................................... 5

constraints using and running ....................... 45 tracking database changes.............................. 3

creating iFIX user accounts .......................... 46 security system .................................................. 3

definition ...................................................... 44 Security toolbox

deleting iFIX user accounts .......................... 46 creating group accounts ................................28

error severity categories................................ 76 creating user accounts ...................................28

features ......................................................... 44 defining a backup path ..................................32

general error codes (1-99)............................. 79 defining a security path .................................31

how it works ................................................. 46 deleting automatic login configuration .........30

modifying iFIX accounts to match modifying group accounts ............................29

Windows accounts .................................... 46
modifying user accounts ...............................29
object ............................................................ 60
Security toolbox................................................27
preparing to run ............................................ 47
special application features
running.......................................................... 54
assignment ....................................................18
scheduling ..................................................... 44
special application features ...............................18
scheduling examples ..................................... 58
special security users in Security
scheduling using iFIX database program Synchronizer .................................................45
block ......................................................... 58
starting
security storage configurations ..................... 44
Security Configuration program ...................26
special users .................................................. 45
starting ..............................................................26
success/failure indicators .............................. 46
strategy for developing security......................... 7
user account error codes (100-199) .............. 78
synchronizing iFIX security with Windows
using ............................................................. 44 security .........................................................46

using with Windows NT 4.0 ......................... 48 System Autologin User option..........................45

when to run ................................................... 58 system shutdown application feature ................18

Security Synchronizer ...................................... 58

117
Configuring Security Features

T described ........................................................ 3

Task Scheduler service user-based security ............................................ 3

using to schedule programs .......................... 58 using

Task Scheduler service ..................................... 58 Autologin option ...........................................45

tracking CreateWindowsGroup tool ...........................51

database changes ............................................3 iFIX database program block ........................58

unsuccessful login attempts .......................... 38 Security Synchronizer automation

interface ....................................................60
tracking ............................................................. 38
Task Scheduler service .................................58
troubleshooting
using .................................................................56
security problems.......................................... 71
V
troubleshooting ................................................. 71
VBA
U
Security Synchronizer and ............................60
user accounts
writing scripts for information ......................24
assigning security areas ................................ 27
writing scripts for security access .................24
creating ......................................................... 28
VBA..................................................................24
creating a recipe ............................................ 13
Visual Basic Editor
creating identical .......................................... 12
securing scripts .............................................19
deleting ......................................................... 29
Visual Basic Editor ...........................................19
deleting all .................................................... 29
W
described.........................................................4
Windows
error codes in Security Synchronizer ............ 78
creating domain groups.................................60
importing passwords ..................................... 31
creating global groups...................................60
modifying ..................................................... 29
using security features ..................................43
sample ........................................................... 25
Windows ...........................................................43
saving ........................................................... 28
Windows Event Log
sharing with other computers ....................... 31
screen saver messages...................................22
user accounts .................................................... 93
Windows Event Log .........................................22
user-based security

118
 Index

Windows group names names ........................................................48

abbreviations ................................................ 48 character limitations on iFIX security

groups .......................................................48
prefix string .................................................. 48
Windows NT ....................................................48
Windows group names ..................................... 48
Windows security
Windows groups
creating users ................................................48
assigning ....................................................... 53
deciding source for Security Synchronizer ...47
creating ......................................................... 48
Windows security .............................................47
names ............................................................ 48
Windows user accounts
Windows groups ............................................... 48
synchronizing with iFIX security users ........46
Windows NT
Windows user accounts ....................................46
character limitations on global group

119