Create a Role

To create a new role, click the Create New Role button from the System or Project Administration User Roles page.

• To create a system role, select Administration | System | User Roles from the FootPrints Toolbar. Once a system role is created, it can be linked to from the Project User Role page.
• To create a Project role, select Administration | Project | User Roles from the FootPrints Toolbar. Once a role is created, one or more users can be assigned to that role on the Add/Edit Agent or Customer pages.

This topic discusses the following:

• Create a New Role from Scratch—Create a new custom role type to apply to one or more Agents or Customers.
• Copy an Existing Role—Copy the properties of an existing role (custom or built-in) to use as the template for a new custom role.
• Link to a System Default Role—Use a system role in the current Project (not available on the System Administration User Roles page).

Create a New Role from Scratch

1. Select Administration | System | User Roles or Administration | Project | User Roles from the FootPrints Toolbar.
2. Enter the name for the role in the Name of role field.  This is the name displayed on the Add Agent or Add User pages when selecting a role for a user.
3. Select the role type (Agent or Customer) by clicking the appropriate radio button. The role created can be applied to either Agents or Customers. An Agent is anyone with a full-strength license (fixed or concurrent). These users can potentially create, update, and close Issues, get assigned to and change the status of Issues, add to the Knowledge Base, etc.  A Customer is a user of the Customer Self-service interface, i.e., someone who has a problem or question that needs attention. These users can potentially submit and track their own Issues and search the Knowledge Base.  Refer to User Types for more information.
4. Enter your administrator password and then click GO.  The User Role Properties page is displayed, pre-filled with the options from the originating role or with the default values.
5. Select the permission options desired for the role. The options available are different for Agents and Customers.

Details for setting Agent permission options can be found in Agent Permission Options.  Details for setting Customer permission options can be found in Customer Permission Options.

7. When you are finished selecting permission options, enter your password and click GO.  All users who are assigned the role inherit the permissions selected for that role.

Copy an Existing Role

The properties of an existing role (custom or built-in) can be used as a template for a new custom role. This is useful if you want to make a new role that is similar to an existing role, with only a few changes.

To copy a role:

1. Select Administration | System | User Roles or Administration | Project | User Roles from the FootPrints Toolbar.
2. Select a role from the Role to copy drop-down list in the Copy an Existing Role section of the page.  All roles, including system roles, those from the current Project, and those from other Projects are listed.
3. Enter the name for the role in the Name of New Role field.  This is the name displayed on the Add Agent or Add User pages when selecting a role for a user.  The name entered must be different from the originating role.
4. Enter your administrator password and then click GO.  The User Role Properties page is displayed, pre-filled with the options from the originating role or with the default values.
5. Modify the permissions for the new role as needed.  Modifying the permissions for this role does not affect the originating role; it is used as a template only.

Details for setting Agent permission options can be found in Agent Permission Options.  Details for setting Customer permission options can be found in Customer Permission Options.

6. When you are finished, enter your password and click GO.  All users who are assigned the role inherit the permissions selected for that role.

Note

The new role and the original role used as a template are not linked in any way. Changes made to one do not affect the other. The exception to this is linking to system default roles.

Link to a System Default Role

Note

This option is not available on the System Administration User Roles page.

The System Administrator can define system roles that remain constant throughout all Projects. For example, a standard "Director" role can be created for the system that gives the same level of permission to users assigned to that role no matter which Project they are in.

While system roles are created by the System Administrator, they are not put into use until a Project Administrator links to one from his or her Project.

 To link to a system role:

1. Select Administration | System | User Roles or Administration | Project | User Roles from the FootPrints Toolbar.
2. In the Link to a System Default Role section, select a system role from the drop-down list.  All system roles that are not yet linked to from the current Project are listed.
3. Enter your administrator password and then click GO.  The role is now available in the Project and can be selected when creating or editing a user.

Editing a Linked System Default Role

To keep a system role constant throughout all projects, it should only be edited by the System Administrator on the system User Roles page. A linked role can be edited by the Project Administrator from the Project User Roles page, but this unlinks the role from the system.  Refer to Edit Roles for more information.