Managed Reporting Overview

WebFOCUS® enables application developers and web designers to create powerful decision-support applications and Enterprise Information Systems that deliver easy access to the information that users need, regardless of hardware platforms, data source structures, or application programs. Administrators grant authorized users access to the information they need, while restricting unauthorized users from sensitive or confidential data. Developers can create sophisticated web pages that enable end users to view static reports, run dynamic reports, and create parameterized queries for individual requests.

Users of Managed Reporting can create and save reports that meet their individual business needs without knowing the details and complexities of the underlying data source or of the WebFOCUS reporting language. Managed Reporting ensures that users can access the information they require, while protecting sensitive or confidential data.

Managed Reporting has many features that enable security integration with your business at the enterprise level. Managed Reporting utilizes the WebFOCUS Repository, which is a relational (SQL) database repository configured during the TIBCO WebFOCUS® Client installation. For more information, see the TIBCO WebFOCUS® Security and Administration manual.

The first step in an enterprise Managed Reporting deployment is to identify roles and responsibilities. It is possible in a large enterprise that there are different people charged with the following roles:

• WebFOCUS Administrator. This role has access to the Administration Console and can configure global settings, including Managed Reporting security, multi-language support, and data server access. You can access the TIBCO WebFOCUS® Reporting Server browser interface from the Administration Console.
• WebFOCUS® Reporting Server Administrator. This role has access to the Reporting Server browser interface and has rights to configure adapter settings and global settings, such as server security. They can also identify and set access rights for other individuals who can use the Reporting Server browser interface.
• Reporting Server Application Administrator. This role has access to the Reporting Server browser interface and has rights to create metadata and application resources. To create a report that accesses a data source, you must first create and access the metadata for that data source. Metadata is information about the structure of the data, which may include the fields in the data sources, the format of the data, and the location of the data sources. You can enhance metadata with additional descriptive information, for example, the business context of a particular field.

  For a complete description of metadata and other Reporting Server privilege levels, see the Describing Data With TIBCO WebFOCUS® Language manual and the TIBCO WebFOCUS® Reporting Server Administration manual.

• Managed Reporting Administrator. This role is authorized to access the WebFOCUS Security Center to implement security at a granular level for every resource in the WebFOCUS Repository, if needed. User actions can be permitted or not permitted for individual combinations of resources. Access can be granted or specifically denied on a group or individual level, and it can be inherited from higher folders. Administrators can create and manage users, groups, workspaces, roles, and rules, and define which reports are available to each different group of users. Administrators can also delegate limited administrative capabilities.

  Note: If you are upgrading from WebFOCUS 7.x or earlier, see the TIBCO WebFOCUS® Security and Administration manual for legacy roles, which replicate the different user roles and privileges provided with earlier releases of Managed Reporting. This allows administrators to easily map user types and their privileges to the current WebFOCUS 8 security model.

• Managed Reporting Group Administrator. This role can add and remove users from the groups to which they are granted administration rights, and can create users with some limitations.
• Managed Reporting Developer. This role can use the Business Intelligence Portal and TIBCO WebFOCUS® App Studio interfaces to create report content for Managed Reporting workspaces. This includes Reporting Objects, which enable end users to create their own ad hoc reports. If granted access, these users can create metadata on the server.
• Managed Reporting Users. This role can run reports they have been authorized to access and may also be authorized to create ad hoc reports and access other features, such as Report Library reports.

After you have identified roles and responsibilities, the WebFOCUS Administrator should decide how users will be authenticated and authorized to use Managed Reporting. To configure this security option, use the Administration Console. For more information, see the TIBCO WebFOCUS® Security and Administration manual.

WebFOCUS® Client Repository and Authorization Security Model. Uses the Universal Object Access layer, an implementation of Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), to enforce security across all resources in the repository. The flexibility of the model enables an administrator to implement security at a granular level for every resource in the WebFOCUS Repository, if needed. User actions can be permitted or not permitted for individual combinations of users and resources. Access can be granted or specifically denied on a group or individual level, and it can be inherited from higher folders.

Highlights of the model include:

• Relational database storage for all content, including ReportCaster.
• Component integration with Single Sign-On (SSO).
• Blended user capabilities, which do not require the creation of new roles.
• Integration with software service vendors, such as IBM Tivoli® Access Manager and CA SiteMinder®, as well as a security plug-in that provides built-in support for Active Directory, LDAP, Reporting Server, and relational database systems.
• Granular authorization to assets and the delegation of administrative functions.

As an administrator, you can create a comprehensive security model for your WebFOCUS implementation. For more information on the security model, see the TIBCO WebFOCUS® Security and Administration manual.