Multiuser client/server operation with different permissions

[logo78]

Hi,
i researched the communicty, as well the help file without finding a real answer.

I have a picture library (55k pictures) on a windows server, where I want to gain access to my family members, but with different permissions.
Me and my better half should a write permission to the database/metadata, where my kids should have only "viewing" permissions.

How can i realize this? Just with NTFS rights?
Install imatch on the server, share the directory with the corresponding user rights, install on the clients and open the shared IM-database - thats it?
Especially the webfrontend doesnt ask for any username/pw.. how to avoid writing permissions, respectively avoiding my kids to damage anything on the IM database?

btw:
I came here from a similar/competetive product, with quite good user role management (including AD) - unfortunately much more expensive than iMatch.
So, IM got a try

[Mario]

Hi,

welcome to the community.

IMatch is licensed per user. If you have one license, only one named user is allowed to use it. If you want to give multiple users access to an IMatch database, you need to purchase one license for each user. Please be fair.

IMatch databases can be shared between multiple users in read-only mode. See "Sharing Databases" in the IMatch help file for details. Access restrictions are implemented using file system privileges in this context.

But for me it sounds that you really need IMatch Anywhere™, which does multi-user, server, has per-user access rights management and more.

Please see https://www.photools.com/imatch-anywhere/ for overview videos and details.

[logo78]

Hey,
thank you for the warm welcome. I am just still evaluating the 30 day trial period and still had no oppurtinities till yet, how I can abuse your licensing system 
Jokes apart, I believe, i would go for the Plus Pro Plus Edition, respectively the Team edition - if it fits my needs.
And by the way - I am not a commercial user, just want a DAM for my family 

May i list my specs?

• 1)a efficient and configurable DAM, preferably running on a server, for tagging my photos in together with Lightroom
• 2)the pictures and the DAM-DB are accessable/writable from the family-network and at least two computers (server+1client) can tag/organise the pictures
• 3)a DAM which is offering a webservice, so that my family members, my workstations, TVs has at least viewing oppurtinities
• 3a)the database, especially for viewing is offering possibilities for restricting users, so that not everyone (my 8years old son) can see everypicture (alcohol abuse)

I just played around with the webservices controller, the user permissions, the ACLs and the regular expressions. Great!
Everything looks good till now, expect 2). Can the database only accessed by read-only rights from another computer?

The database is getting looked, if the webservice is started? I am confused. So, if need to categorize or editing the metadata, i have stop the webservice on the server?
Thats really sad 

[Mario]

IMatch Anywhere is currently an add-on for IMatch.
At this time it has no features to remotely update the database. This is a 1.0 version, if you will.

The goal was to enable users at home or in businesses to easily browse IMatch databases remotely, from any device and platform with a web browser.
This goal has been reached. Users browse IMatch databases on their tablet, from their Mac, on their smart TV or even directly from the Internet. Awesome!
Corporations can now deploy a capable DAM in their entire company and all that is needed are one or two "maintainers" which manage the central DAM with IMatch. All other users can access the DAM from whatever device they use. This was available with other products before, but for very high cost. IMatch Anywhere made this affordable.

This was Phase I on my road map.


Phase II.

For the upcoming IMatch 2017 version I have replaced the aging BASIC scripting system with an integrated IMatch WebService. This means that we can now program IMatch apps using JavaScript and HTML - and with all other programming languages which can utilize  web services.

In order to make all this happen, I have extended IMatch WebServices with features which allow updating the database. I will gather some experience over the months after IMatch 2017 has been released and then enhance IMatch WebViewer with features to update IMatch databases remotely, e.g., editing metadata.

The database is getting looked, if the webservice is started? I am confused. So, if need to categorize or editing the metadata, i have stop the webservice on the server?

IMWS requires exclusive access to the database. If you have the database open in IMWS, you cannot open it in IMatch (and vice versa).
The typical workflow is a "publishing" workflow. You edit your IMatch database as usual. And you publish a copy of that database with IMWS. This allows you to change your IMatch database any time, and it gives you full control over when and which version of the database you publish. See also the corresponding scenarios in the IMatch Anywhere help for more info.

The publishing can even be automated with a small command script: Shut-down IMWS, copy over database, restart IMWS.

Phase III.

At some point, IMatch Anywhere will have all features required to create and maintain databases and one or more client apps which enable users to remotely change database contents. At that point, IMA and IMatch will be completely separate products, catering for different audiences.

[logo78]

Hi,
thank you again for the competent and detailed feedback. I appreciate also your introduction in your further planing/phases.

As i understood, a concurrent working (not only in readonly) on a database is foreseen in Phase III.
Actually, this is not such a small downer. Let me see, if I can rearrange my workflow with my family members, to handle with that.

The copying of the database for IMWS is something, where I can live with it.

OT; is the release scheduled for iMatch 2017? If if prefer now to purchase a license, will I benefit in the next 6months from the free upgrade policy?

Thx..

[Mario]

I never give precise dates about releases because something can go wrong all the time and I loose a week or two...

Anyway, IMatch 2017 will not take another six months from what I can tell. I'm already in the test phase, updating documentation, writing samples and the like.
Usually IMatch updates are shipped every six to eight weeks. A massive upgrade like IMatch 2017  takes several months of concentrated work, and all the new technology included in the IMatch 2017 platform makes this extra complex. But we can do so much cool stuff with the new Chromium browser and the IMWS embedded in IMatch, it's well worth the effort.