Hi Peter,

I don't know if this is the system not behaving as expected, or me not understanding how it's supposed to work in regards to file locking, which I have not used before with this product.

DNN 6.1.5 site, DMX 6.0.4 running in trial activation mode to demonstrate its functions to a customer.

A folder structure is created in the master module, and an instance that points to one of the top-level folders is created on a separate page.

The top-level folder has view, edit, add, approve permission for the DNN Administrators group and a group I am calling 'DMX Admin'. View, Edit, Add is set for another group called 'File Editors' and View only for 'Registered users'. The default lock timeout is set to one month under main options.

I have two users in the 'File Editors' group, and a number of files uploaded to the folder. User1 comes along, downloads a file and locks it. The lock icon appears. He logs out. User2 logs in. The lock icon shows but he is immediately able to unlock the file, or upload a new version over the top that results in an unlock of the file. This is not what I expected to happen - I thought only the locking user or an administrator would be able to unlock the file. And it definitely isn't what I need to have happen for the system to do what I need it to for this customer!

Have I just set the permissions up wrong, or is this unexpected behaviour? I can't find any explicit documentation on file locking in the help files but believe that my interpretation would be the way one would intuitively expect this to work.

Regards,
Graham

Hi Graham,

You are right in your assumptions. User 2 should not be able to unlock unless user 2 is in a Doc Admin role (In DMX 6 the "Admin" became "Doc Admin" so that you could designate more users with superpowers in DMX). I'll try to replicate this. It should not happen.

Peter

Thanks Peter - I'm glad I am not going insane!

I'm noticing other odd things as well - despite the fact that I have 'permissions only by admins' ticked in the main options, user1 and user2 are also able to change permissions on the documents, and have an 'approve' check box showing despite not having approve permission. It looks rather like ALL users are being assigned admin rights in DMX on this site.

I am also intrigued by your mention of a 'Doc Admin' function. I see no sign of this in my installation. Where should it show - it sounds like it should be another column on the permissions matrix on the attributes page, and if so it isn't appearing? This is the first time I've used DMX 6 rather than 5 so excuse my unfamiliarity with it.

If I get time today I will build a parallel installation running on DNN 5.6.8 to see if that makes a difference and which will help narrow down the issue.

Regards,
Graham

Hi Peter,

Inspired by your response I have drilled into the tables and have resolved the problem. But there is still a bit of a mystery:

In the DMX_ApplicationPermisions table there was an entry that gave PermissionID 1 (i.e. Docadmin) to RoleID 1 (registered users). I am reasonably sure I didn't put that there although cannot be 100% sure, but in any event (the mysterious part) it didn't show up in the permissions grid on the main options. I deleted the row from the table and all was well. I can't recreate this: if I turn the administrator application permission setting on and off for registered users the table entry is created and deleted as one would expect, so I am baffled as to what caused this in the first place.

Sorry I didn't take dumps or screenshots to document this I was just so pleased to find the entry that I deleted it on the spot without thinking.

I fear this may just have to go into the 'very odd' basket.

Regards,
Graham

OK, that explains it all. "Doc Admin" is a so-called "Application Permission" (i.e. a permission at DMX/portal wide level) for a particular function. If you set Doc Admin rights to Registered Users than all registered users become DMX power users. I can't explain how it got selected but I'll keep this in mind in case I see/hear of it again.

Peter