Access Control and States

Innovator access controls are a way of controlling more than one user modifying models at the same time. This means that consolidation time is also saved.

Innovator has its own access control which prevents multiple users from editing the same element (model element, diagram, table, text etc.) at the same time and, in doing so, overwriting changes.

All data of a repository is managed from a central location: the repository server. All Innovator applications receive their information from the repository server and present it to the user. Only data which is relevant for the current window is exchanged between your user interface and the server. Changes to this data are immediately conveyed to the repository server. There is no local copy which means that each user always works with the most current data.

The same diagram can be displayed on various workstations at the same time. However, only one user can exclusively edit the diagram.

Exclusively Editing

Provided a user has access rights, they need to lock the particular element before exclusively modifying it.

Users are coordinated using explicit access controls allowing you to switch between Edit Mode and Read-Only Mode for models and between Edit Exclusively and Release for model elements.

If you want to alter model data, you need to use exclusive editing to ensure that no other user is modifying the same data at the same time, otherwise discrepancies and inconsistencies could occur. This requirement is realized in Innovator by two mechanisms:

Reserve the element which you want to alter and lock it for other users. This reservation is managed by the repository server. It ensures that no other user with varying access can make changes in the model while it is locked. Only you or the administrator can remove the lock.

Note:
Unlike with diagrams or tables, any number of graphic depictions from a model element can exist in the model. If you want to change a model element, you can lock it using any of your displays. This also the locks the model in all other occurrences.
An element which is affected by changes made to another element cannot be exclusively locked by another user at the same time as the changes are being made.

Recognizing an Element's Access State

You can tell a model element's access control state by expanding its icon and by looking in the Access Control group for a model element selected in the active display.Info about which user has locked the element can also be seen in the Lock node.

Access Control Icon Key
Icon Key	State	Meaning
(None)	Released	No user has currently exclusively locked the element. You can lock it to edit it or exclusively edit it (as long as you have access rights).
	Exclusively Editing	You have exclusively locked the element yourself. You can edit it without causing clashes with other users.
	No Access Right	You do not have access rights to the element in your current role and cannot edit it. Which users have access rights to the element is shown dynamically for the selected element in the Properties window and using the Start>Edit>Info command in the Info tool window.
	Locked by Another User	Another user is exclusively editing the element. You cannot edit the element.
	Access Conflict	You have locked the element with temporary administrator rights to exclusively edit the element and then logged-out as model administrator. You cannot edit or release the element. You require temporary administrator rights again to release the element.