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.

Access Concept

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 from a repository and its models is managed from a central location: the model server. All Innovator applications receive their information from the model 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 model 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.

User coordination takes place via an explicit access control that switches as follows:

For documents (diagrams, tables and specifications), between:
- Edit Mode and
- Read-Only Mode
For model elements between:
- Edit Exclusively or Edit Section Exclusively and
- Release

The Edit Section Exclusively command requires the Use Bulk Commands privilege.

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 model server. It ensures that no other user can make changes in the model while it is locked. Only you or the administrator (by logging-out the user in the user administration) 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 then 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 Review>Access Control submenu 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.

Click on [F5] to refresh the view.

Table: Access Control Icon Key
Icon Key	State	Meaning
(None)	Release	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).
	Edit Exclusively	You have exclusively locked the element yourself. You can edit it without causing clashes with other users. You have opened an attachment and not imported it.
	No Access Right	You do not have access rights to the element and cannot edit it. Which roles have access rights to the element is shown dynamically for the selected element in the Properties window and using the 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	The element is locked for exclusive access and you cannot access it. This only appears in unusual circumstances. You can release the element.
	Read only	The element is only available for reading. You cannot edit the element. For example, specification texts of other relevant elements are also shown for certain elements using this icon key.