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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation: Users, Passwords, and Security > Users & Passwords Overview |
Every database has one or more users that are allowed to log in. The Login window takes the user name and password provided, and checks it against the selected database to see if that user is allowed to log in at all. If the database accepts the settings, everything from that point forward is controlled by the user's Security Group settings.
IMPORTANT: If you lose your password, there is no way to retrieve it. Passwords are encrypted, and there is no way for anyone (not even Myrro International) to determine what password you used. Make the password something you can remember, and keep it somewhere safe! In the event that you do lose a password, the mtadmin user can log in and give you a new password. If the mtadmin password is also lost, you will need our help to reset it.
See Working with Users for details about creating and managing user accounts.
MemberTies has two types of users:
•Administrator User
| The administrator user is a special user known to the system as "mtadmin". This is the most powerful user, and it is created automatically by the system when you create a new database. By default, the password for this user on all new or converted databases is simply, "password." You should change the password to something more secure as soon as possible. This user has rights to do special things to the database, such as to create or modify other users, display currently active users (and stop their sessions if desired) and more. |
| This is the only user with the authority to add new users to the system. This helps prevent someone from simply creating a new name and using your database. It is also worth mentioning that you should not leave user names assigned to a database if they aren't going to be used. Leaving active user accounts in the system leaves a security hole in your system, allowing somebody to access data using a name and password you thought was out of service. When users leave your organization, you should have the administrator inactivate the account. |
| The administrator user is also able to: |
•Update Security Groups and assign them to users
•Change passwords for other users
•Activate and Deactivate other users
•Display all currently active users
| Though this is a powerful account, it can be used for normal day to day activities, however you may want to create another user in your own name to use for normal work. This is because if the day comes that a new person takes over as the administrator, things they do as mtadmin will look exactly like things you did as mtadmin because that user name doesn't change. But if the user changes from Tisha to Maeve, the difference will be clear. |
•Normal User
| A "normal" user is someone who just uses MemberTies to work with the data, who doesn't need to do any of the things the administrator can do. You will normally want to log in as a non-administrative user and reserve the administrator accounts for those times when you actually need to do something that only the administrator can do. |
The MemberTies uses passwords to help ensure that all of the confidential personal information contained within your database is safe from casual snoopers. It isn't foolproof, but it goes a long way toward preventing the pool boy from finding out the names and addresses of all your single female members. The more secure a password you create, and the better you protect it, the more secure your data will be.
Note: Passwords are case-sensitive! The word "password" is not the same as the word "paSSwoRD" (and of course, neither of these are very secure choices for a password).