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Hierarchy Member Permissions (Master Data Services)

Hierarchy member permissions are optional and should be used only when you want a user to have limited access to specific members. If you do not assign permissions on the Hierarchy Members tab, then the user's permissions are based solely on the permissions assigned on the Models tab.

Hierarchy member permissions are assigned in the Master Data Manager user interface (UI), in the User and Group Permissions functional area on the Hierarchy Members tab. These permissions determine which members a user can access in the Explorer functional area of the UI.

On the Hierarchy Members tab, each hierarchy is represented as a tree structure. When you assign permission to a node in the tree, all children inherit that permission unless permission is explicitly assigned at a lower level.

Note

When you assign permission to a node in a hierarchy, all members in other nodes at the same level or higher are implicitly denied.

In Explorer, the member permissions are applied everywhere the member is displayed. For example, a member with Read-only permission is read-only in any entities, hierarchies, and collections to which it belongs.

Hierarchy member permissions apply to the model version you assign them to, and to any future copies of the version. They do not apply to versions earlier than the one you assign them to.

Permission

Description

Read-only

The members are displayed but the user cannot change them. The user also cannot move the members in any explicit hierarchies or collections that the members belong to.

Note

If you assign Read-only permission to Root, the members under Root are read-only; however, in explicit hierarchies and collections, the user can move members to Root and can add new members to Root.

Update

The members are displayed and the user can change them. The user can also move the members in any explicit hierarchies or collections the members belong to.

Deny

The members are not displayed.

On the Hierarchy Members tab, the permissions you assign do not take effect immediately. The frequency that the permissions are applied depends on the Member security processing interval setting in the System Settings table in the Master Data Services database. You can apply member permissions immediately by following the steps in Immediately Apply Member Permissions (Master Data Services).

Note

You cannot assign hierarchy member permissions to recursive hierarchies, derived hierarchies with explicit caps, and derived hierarchies with hidden levels.

Note

In SQL Server 2012, when a user has no permissions for a leaf member of a derived hierarchy, the user will not be able to see leaf members under the invisible leaf member in the Hierarchy Explorer, even when they have Update or Read-only permissions for those members. This occurs when the user does not have explicit permissions on the Root. However, the user can see the leaf member in the Attribute Explorer or by searching for it in the search box of the Hierarchy Explorer. In SQL Server 2008 R2, the leaf under the invisible leaf will be displayed, and leaves at the same level as that leaf will be shown as duplicates.

Possible Overlapping Permissions

When assigning permission to members, you may have to resolve overlapping permissions.

When a member belongs to multiple hierarchies

Two or more hierarchies can contain the same member.

  • If one hierarchy node is assigned Update permission and another is assigned Read-only, then the members in the node are Read-only.

  • If one hierarchy node is assigned Update or Read-only permission and another node is assigned Deny, then the members in the node are not displayed.

See Also

Tasks

Assign Hierarchy Member Permissions (Master Data Services)

Immediately Apply Member Permissions (Master Data Services)

Concepts

How Permissions Are Determined (Master Data Services)

Members (Master Data Services)

Hierarchies (Master Data Services)