Permission mapping overview for BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround
Knowledge permissions are defined differently in your BMC application and BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround. The mapping process bridges these structural differences. As a result, users continue to have access to articles in BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround based on their knowledge permissions as defined in your BMC application.
How knowledge permissions are defined
The following table describes how knowledge permissions are defined in the applications:
Application | Knowledge permissions |
|---|---|
BMC Helix ITSM | The knowledge permissions are defined by support groups and the users' Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) roles. Support groups are set by assignment groups and one or more additional visibility groups, if necessary. |
BMC Helix Business Workflows | The knowledge permissions are defined by support groups and the users' KCS roles. Support groups are assigned to knowledge sets. Then, knowledge sets are assigned to articles. For more information about associations between knowledge sets, companies, lines of business, and support groups, see Creating knowledge sets and knowledge templates. |
BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced | The knowledge permissions are defined by the users' KCS roles. |
BMC Helix Virtual Agent | |
BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround | The knowledge permissions are defined by the user groups assigned to the portal or folders. A user can be assigned to more than one user group, but each user group has a single KCS role. Important: Only 64 user groups can be created in BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround. |
How user roles are defined
To grant the role to a user in your BMC application, administrators assign KCS roles by using the fields under Application Permissions and IS Persona tabs on the CTM:People form. Therefore, a user can have multiple KCS roles selected on the CTM:People form. Learn how to add People data in Creating and modifying People data.
(Version 23.3.02 and later) BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround determines the highest-level KCS role selected for a user under Application Permission and IS Personas tabs on the CTM:People form. Then, this KCS role is assigned to the user in BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround. For more information about KCS roles in BMC Helix ITSM, see Knowledge-Centered Service overview. For BMC Helix Business Workflows users, BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround also accounts for assigned functional roles. To understand how BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround determines the user's highest-level KCS role based on functional roles, see How KCS roles are defined for BMC Helix Business Workflows users.
How knowledge permissions are mapped
The mapping of knowledge permissions is based on the mapping of support groups from BMC Helix ITSM or BMC Helix Business Workflows to BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround user groups (and its link with portals or folders).
After support groups are mapped with user groups, knowledge permissions assigned to articles in BMC Helix ITSM or BMC Helix Business Workflows are mapped to BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround folders to which user groups are assigned. The synchronization of knowledge articles is based on the original permission settings in BMC Helix ITSM or BMC Helix Business Workflows. Learn more about the synchronization process in Synchronizing-BMC-applications-with-BMC-Helix-Knowledge-Management-by-ComAround.
BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced or BMC Helix Virtual Agent users are not assigned to any support groups. Therefore, you cannot map specific support groups from BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced or BMC Helix Virtual Agent to BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround. However, you can map companies to which these users belong in BMC Helix Digital Workplace Advanced or BMC Helix Virtual Agent to BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround user groups.
(Version 23.3.02 and later) While mapping companies or support groups to user groups, you must consider the KCS roles of the users. Select the user group that corresponds to the highest-level KCS role assigned to the user on the CTM:People form. Learn how BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround determines the user's KCS role in How knowledge permissions are defined. When you complete the mapping, users can view published knowledge articles based on their highest-level KCS roles.
How unrestricted access works in BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround
Some users require access to all companies. For example, someone working in Global Support or a Help Desk manager may require access to multiple companies despite belonging to a single company only. In such cases, the BMC Helix ITSM administrator can provide users with unrestricted access to all companies. This permission is granted on the CTM: People form located in the Application Administration Console. To learn how to enable this level of access, see the section To grant a person unrestricted access to all companies in Granting people access to companies.
After the companies that a user has unrestricted access to and their support groups are mapped to user groups in BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround, the user is assigned to all user groups from both the company level and the support group level in BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround.