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Preventing 'normal' users accessing Maximo during configuration changes and testing

Technical Blog Post


Abstract

Preventing 'normal' users accessing Maximo during configuration changes and testing

Body

 

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Sometimes an admin needs to make some changes or maybe even to test some changes in their Maximo system and needs to prevent the 'normal' users from accessing the system, potentially corrupting the data during the config or testing and generally making a nuisance of themselves ( or working , as they like to call it ). 

There is a function called Admin Mode available in Maximo and this can be set up to allow one or more Administrative users to access the system locally while preventing 'normal' users from logging in.  It will also log out any normal users already logged in.

Logging them out sounds a little harsh, so to be nice , they are sent a message first letting them know it will happen and giving them the opportunity to log out gracefully. 

 

Other implications of turning on Admin Mode

Crontasks will not run.

Remote connectivity to the Maximo system is disabled.

Integration event listeners are disabled.

Only users who have admin login security set are able to access Maximo.  

 

So, who are these Admin users ?  

When considering Admin Mode, an Admin user is somebody who has the authority set to allow login during Admin Mode.

The authority is set within Security groups, so if a group has it set and the user is a member of that group, then they will have access. 

e.g.

GoTo > Security  >  Security Groups

Open a security group

Click on the 'Applications' tab

filter within the list for 'start'

expand 'Start Center'

expand 'Options for Start Center' 

Look at 'Can Log In During Admin Mode'

If grant access is ticked, then members of that security group can login during Admin Mode (unless the maximum allowed admin logins is already reached.

 

Note -    You could also  do the following to check an individual user....

GoTo > Security > Users

Select and open a user record

Select the 'Security Profile' tab

Expand 'Start Center' 

Look to see if 'Can Log In During Admin Mode' is listed in the Start Center section.

 

Turning ON Admin mode

Go To > Database Configuration > System Configuration > Platform Configuration > Database Configuration

From the 'Select Action' dropdown, choose 'Manage Admin Mode'   (Or from 'More Actions' if using the left side bar)

On the 'Manage Admin Mode screen you can optionally update the number of Admin users who will be allowed to login and/or the number of minutes that users will have to log out before being forced off the system.   If you change them on this screen they will override the defaults.

Next, Click the 'Turn Admin Mode ON' button

You will have to electronically sign now (in the popup box that appears to say who you are and why admin mode is being used)

Users will now be sent a message informing them to log out of the system and then after the number of minutes set, they will be forced off of the system and Admin mode will turn on.    You can use the Refresh button to monitor progress.

 

OK, now only Admin users will be able to login and only the number of logins specified when turning Admin Mode on.

You can now do some serious stuff now on the system from a configuration point of view without being bothered by the users (unless they know your phone number of course)

 

Turning OFF Admin Mode

Follow the instructions above to get to the Manage Admin Mode screen.  If Admin mode is ON, you will see a button 'Turn Admin Mode OFF'..........click it  ;-)

 

Turning Admin Mode OFF if Admins cannot log in to the system to access the 'Manage Admin Mode' screen

Open a command prompt on the machine that Maximo is installed.

Go to “…\IBM\SMP\maximo\tools\maximo\internal”.

Run the command “SetAdminMode -mOFF"

 

Message

Lastly,   the message that the users receive is BMXAA4037W

If you want to customise the message, you can do this in the Database Configuration Application.   There will be an action available of 'messages'.

When the messages screen opens, just search for the message, expand it and change the text.

 

 

 

 

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ibm11132641