Add and manage user accounts

Before users can start working with your developer portal, they need to be added to the system. By default, any user can register to the developer portal. The user's account is then automatically authenticated. However, you can customize your developer portal such that only users with admin privilege can add user accounts. In that case, an administrator needs to add user accounts manually. An administrator might also need to add user accounts manually for internal developers or for developers on behalf of a customer.

After a user account is added, an administrator can assign a role to the user account, which associates the privileges for that role to the account. In addition, an administrator can manage an existing user account, including editing the user profile for the account, deleting the account, blocking or unblocking the account, or assigning a new role to the account. Furthermore, an administrator can specify what happens to the user account and its associated content  (for example, blog entries and forum posts) when the account is cancelled.

Controlling who can register accounts

To control who can register accounts

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select Configuration in the Drupal administration menu.
   The Configuration page opens.
3. Select Account settings in the Configuration page.
   The Account settings page opens.
4. Click the appropriate registration option under "Who Can Register Accounts" in the Registration and cancellation section. The choices are:
   • Administrators only. Only administrators can register user accounts.
   • Visitors. Anyone can register. This is the default.
   • Visitors, but administrator approval is required. Anyone can register, but an administrator needs to authorize the account.
5. Click Save configuration.

Controlling what happens when an account is cancelled

To control what happens when an account is cancelled

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select Configuration in the Drupal administration menu.
   The Configuration page opens.
3. Select Account settings.
   The Account settings page opens.
4. Click the appropriate cancellation option under "When cancelling a user account" in the Registration and cancellation section. The choices are:
   • Disable the account and keep its content. The user account and its related content are retained. However, the user account is blocked from accessing API resources. This is the default. An administrator can subsequently unblock the user account.
   • Disable the account and unpublish its content. The user account is retained. However, content associated with the user account is removed. The user account is blocked from accessing API resources. An administrator can subsequently unblock the user account.
   • Delete the account, but make its content belong to the Anonymous user. The user account is deleted. Content associated with the user account is retained, but is associated with the "Anonymous" user account, that is, an account that has not authenticated. The user account cannot be reenabled. The user needs to reregister and the user's account needs to be authenticated before accessing API resources.
   • Delete the account and its content. The user account and its related content are deleted. The user account cannot be reenabled. The user needs to reregister and the user's account needs to be authenticated before accessing API resources.
5. Click Save configuration.

Adding a user account

To add a user account

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select People > Add User in the Drupal administration menu.
3. Enter content for the user in the First Name, Last Name, Username, Email address, and Password fields, and indicate acceptance of the user agreement.
4. Click Create Account.

When the new account is created, the user is sent an automated welcome email.

Managing a user account

To edit the user profile for a user account:

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select People in the Drupal administration menu.
3. Click Edit in the Username row for the user account. This opens an editable view of the user's profile.
4. Change the user profile data as appropriate.
5. Click Save.

To delete a user account:

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select People in the Drupal administration menu.
3. Click Edit in the Username row for the user account. This opens an editable view of the user's profile.
4. Click Delete.

You can also delete a user account from the Update options menu on the People page. The options additionally enable you to block or unblock a user account, assign a new role to an account, or remove an existing role.

To request any action from the Update options menu:

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select People in the Drupal administration menu.
3. Select the appropriate option from the Update options menu, for example, Block the selected users.
4. Check the checkboxes for the users (you can check multiple checkboxes) to which you want the action applied.
5. Click Update.

Filtering the user list

The "Show only users where" section of the People page allows you to filter the display of users based on a specific role, permission, or status. By default, "any" is selected for these filters, in which case, all users are listed on the page. Make an appropriate selection in the Role, Permission, and Status drop-down menus to filter the display of users.

Configuring email notifications

You can configure various user email notifications that are sent in response to particular activities such as registering, deleting, blocking, and unblocking user accounts.

To configure email notifications

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select Configuration > People > Account settings in the Drupal administration menu. This opens the Account settings page.
3. Select a type of email notification in the E-Mails section of the Accounts setting page. For example, you can select "Welcome (no approval required)", which sends an email when the user account is automatically approved during the user registration process.

   

4. Edit the Subject and Body of the email notification.
5. Click Save configuration.

You can also change the "From" name and address in an email notification.

To change the "From" name and address

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select Configuration > System > SMTP Authentication support in the Drupal administration menu. This opens the SMTP Authentication Support page.
3. Specify a "From" email address in the E-Mail From Address field.
4. Specify a "From" name in the E-Mail From Name field.
5. Click Save configuration.

To enable the "From" address change:

1. Select Configuration > System > Site information.
2. Specify the email address in the E-Mail Address field.
3. Click Save configuration.

Notice that the SMTP Authentication Support page displays SMTP server and authentication settings. You can change these settings to those for your SMTP server. In that case, your SMTP server processes the email notifications.

Roles and permissions

A role defines a specific set of permissions to perform certain activities. You give a user or group of users certain privileges by assigning a role that comprises the necessary permissions. You can use the developer portal to manage roles. You can also set permissions for roles.

To add new roles or edit existing user roles and permissions:

1. Log in to your portal as a user with admin or content creation privileges.
2. Select People > Permissions > Roles in the Drupal administration menu.
   The People page opens with the Permissions tab selected by default.

To add a new role:

1. Enter a new role name in the text box above the Add role button on the People page.
2. Click Add role.

To edit a role:

1. Click edit role in the row of the pertinent role on the People page.
   The Edit role page opens.
2. Change the role name, as appropriate.
3. Click Save.

To delete a role:

1. Click edit role in the row of the pertinent role on the People page.
   The Edit role page opens.
2. Click Delete role.

To change the permissions for a role:

1. Click the Permission tab on the People page.
   A table of roles and permissions is displayed. Checkmarks in the table indicate which permissions are assigned to which roles.
2. Check or uncheck a checkbox to grant or revoke the associated permission to that role, respectively.
3. Click Save permissions.