Security in IBM Planning Analytics Workspace

Problem:

Currently IBM PAW has a vide security access. Consumers and Analysts have access to both tiles - Application and Plans and Reports and Analysis, therefore they are able to see the list of all plans (Application and Plans tile), books (reports) and folders in shared folder (Reports and Analysis tile).

The Set permission option allows an administrator to set permission to View only, Edit only and Full control – there is no option None. The security is mostly based on TM1 server, which means, for example, every time a user with no access to a particular cube, tries to enter the report with data from this cube, an error occurs. This cause raising an error and reporting that system does not work. 

Therefore, big companies are not willing to grant access to the greater amount of users, as it may be considered a security breach and potential data leaks. As well as it raise a lot of questions from end users to administrators about errors that occurs.

Solution:

1. Often big companies separates roles of Consumer and Analyst. Usually, the Consumer role should have access only to the tile of Application and Plans, when the Analyst should have access only to the tile of Reports and Analysis. Consumers and Analyst should not see each other’s tiles.

2. Option None should be added to Set permission option. By default, all Consumers should have None access to all Plans, and accordingly all Analysts should have None access to all books and folders in shared folder. Option None implicates not only lack of possibility to open, e.x. the book – an Analyst who has None access to the book, should not have possibility to see this book in shared folder.

Profits:

1. Strengthening the security in IBM PAW -> granting the access to the greater amount of end users -> purchase of more licenses.

2. Less questions from end users to administrators.

3. Creating intuitive and flexible security in IBM PAW.