GE iFIX

Configuring Security Features

 

Version 5.8, SP2

December 2016
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Table of Contents

Configuring Security Features 1

Reference Documents 1

Introduction 2

Protecting Your Process 2

iFIX Security Concepts 2

Understanding Security Status 4

Understanding iFIX Security 5

Security Files 5

Using Security with a File Server 6

Using Security Without a File Server 6

User Accounts 6

Group Accounts 7

Assigning Privileges 8

Identical User Accounts 9

To create identical user accounts: 9

Security Areas 10

Creating a Recipe User Account 10

Do Not Use "RECIPE" as a Domain User Account 11

Assigning Special Application Features 13

Run-time Environment Protection 14

Securing Scripts and the Visual Basic Editor 15

Securing Pictures and Schedules 15

Electronic Signatures 16

Protecting SCADA Nodes 17

Restricting Database Write Access on a Node-by-Node Basis 17

The iFIX Screen Saver 18

Working with Visual Basic for Applications 20

Defining and Assigning Security Privileges 21

To implement an iFIX security strategy: 21

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. i

 The Security Configuration Program 21

Exiting from the Security Configuration Program 22

Working with the Security Toolbox 22

Enabling and Disabling Security 23

Defining Security Areas 23

Assigning Security Areas 23

Creating Group and User Accounts 24

Limiting Login Time 24

Modifying Group and User Accounts 24

Deleting Group and User Accounts 25

iFIX Automatic Login 25

Automatic Login and the Security Path 25

Automatic Login and Application Users 25

Creating a Public Account 26

Deleting an Automatic Login Configuration 26

Importing and Exporting the Security Configuration 26

Importing User Account Passwords 26

Defining the Security Path 27

Defining the Backup Path 28

Configuring Global Security Paths 28

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment 29

Locking Down the Windows Taskbar 30

To ensure that the Windows taskbar does not display on top of the WorkSpace in Full Screen
mode: 30

Important Task Switching Information 30

Working with Touch Screens 31

Example: Securing the Run-time Environment 31

Using iFIX Security 32

Logging in to iFIX Manually 32

To log into iFIX: 32

Password Expiration Considerations 32

Changing the Account Password 33

ii © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 To change the account password: 33

Logging out of iFIX Manually 33

To log out of iFIX: 33

Understanding the Security Log File 33

Using iFIX with Windows Security 34

Configuring Windows User Accounts 34

Setting Passwords to Expire 35

To configure the local password expiration policy: 35

Limiting the Number of Invalid Login Attempts 35

To set the account lockout threshold: 35

Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX 35

To configure the account disabled message: 35

User Accounts that Log in to Windows 36

To add the Act as Part of the Operating System right: 36

Domain Users Logging Into Windows 36

Using the Security Configuration Program 37

To connect your Windows and iFIX user accounts: 37

Using Security Synchronizer 37

Operational Overview 37

Administrative Considerations 38

How the Security Synchronizer Works 39

Preparing to Run the Security Synchronizer 40

Decide the Source of Windows Security Information 41

Create Windows Users 41

Create Windows Groups 41

Configuration Strategy 42

Limitations on Global Group Names 43

Global Group Nesting Not Supported 43

The CreateWindowsGroups Tool 44

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups tool: 45

Assign Users to Windows Groups and Grant Privileges 45

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. iii

 Configure iFIX Security 45

Node-based Security 45

To specify the system user: 45

User-based Security 46

Running the Security Synchronizer Application 46

Using the Command Line 48

Command Line Parameter Example 50

When to Run the Security Synchronizer 50

Scheduling Security Synchronizer 50

Using the Task Scheduler Service 51

To use the Windows Task Scheduler: 51

Examples 51

Using an iFIX Database Program Block 51

Using the Security Synchronizer Automation Interface 52

Application Feature Name Aliases 52

Troubleshooting 58

Understanding Security Configuration Messages 58

Understanding Security Synchronizer Messages 61

Error Severity Categories 61

Application Error Codes (200-299) 62

User Account Error Codes (100-199) 63

General Error Codes (1-99) 63

Command Line Parameter Errors 64

Security Configuration Dialog Boxes 64

Application Feature Selection Dialog Box 65

Authorized 65

Available 65

Add All 65

Add 65

Delete 65

Delete All 65

iv © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Automatic Login at Startup Dialog Box 65

Auto Started Nodes 66

Add 66

Modify 66

Delete 66

Automatic Login Node Dialog Box 66

Node 66

Application User 66

System User 66

Configuration Dialog Box 66

User Based Security 66

Security Path 67

Backup Path 67

Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles 67

Edit Security Area Dialog Box 67

Area 67

Name 67

Group Accounts Dialog Box 67

Current Groups 67

Add 67

Modify 68

Delete 68

Group Membership Selection Dialog Box 68

Authorized 68

Available 68

Add All 68

Add 68

Delete 68

Delete All 68

Group Profile Dialog Box 68

Group Name 68

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. v

 Security Areas 69

Application Features 69

Modify 69

Password Confirmation Dialog Box 69

Retype Password to Confirm Change 69

Security Area Naming Dialog Box 69

Security Areas 69

Modify 69

Security Area Selection Dialog Box 69

Authorized 70

Available 70

Add All 70

Add 70

Delete 70

Delete All 70

Select User Dialog Box 70

Select User List Box 70

User Accounts Dialog Box 70

Current Users 70

Add 70

Modify 70

Delete 71

User Profile Dialog Box 71

Use Windows Security 71

Windows Security Enabled 71

Windows Security Disabled 71

Group 72

Security 72

Application 72

Modify 72

How Do I... 72

vi © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Configuring Security Features 73

To implement security in the Security Configuration application: 73

Managing User Accounts 73

Creating a User Account 74

To create a user account: 74

Selecting Account Privileges 74

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a User Account 74

To add or delete security areas in a user account: 74

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a User Account 75

To add or delete application features in a user account: 75

Adding and Deleting Group Accounts in a User Account 75

To add or delete group accounts in a user account: 75

Creating a Recipe User Account 76

To create a Recipe user account: 76

reating a Public Account 76

To create a public account: 76

Deleting a User Account 77

To delete a user account: 77

Deleting All Group and User Accounts 77

To delete all of your accounts and disable security: 77

Modifying a User Account 77

To modify a user account: 78

Saving a User Account 78

To save a user account: 78

Managing Group Accounts 78

Creating a Group Account 79

To create a group account: 79

Adding and Deleting Account Privileges 79

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a Group Account 79

To add or delete security areas in a group account: 80

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a Group Account 80

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. vii

 To add or delete application features in a group account: 80

Deleting a Group Account 80

To delete a group account: 80

Deleting All Group and User Accounts 81

To delete all of your accounts and disable security: 81

Modifying a Group Account 81

To modify a group account: 81

Configuring Security 82

Completing the Configuration Dialog Box 82

Defining the Security Path 82

To define the security and backup paths: 82

Enabling or Disabling Security 83

To enable or disable security: 83

Enabling or Disabling Global Security Paths 83

To enable or disable global security paths: 83

Exporting the Security Configuration 83

To export the security configuration: 83

Importing the Security Configuration 84

To import a security configuration: 84

Using Electronic Signatures 84

Entering an Electronic Signature 84

To enter an Electronic Signature: 85

Verifying an Action with an Electronic Signature 85

To verify an action that requires an Electronic Signature: 85

Configuring a Tab to Require Electronic Signatures 86

To configure a tag to require Electronic Signatures: 86

Configuring for Automatic Login 86

Creating or Modifying an Automatic Login File 87

To add or modify an automatic login file: 87

Deleting an Automatic Login File 87

To delete an automatic login file: 87

viii © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Creating or Renaming Security Areas 87

To create or rename a security area: 87

Creating Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box 88

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups dialog box: 88

Configuring the iFIX Screen Saver 88

To configure the iFIX Screen Saver: 89

Enabling Environment Protection 90

To enable environment protection: 90

Index 91

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. ix

 Configuring Security Features

Configuring Security Features is intended for system administrators who must configure and maintain
security for iFIX® systems. The manual explains the concepts of iFIX security and steps you through the
process of configuring iFIX security.

Reference Documents
For related information about iFIX, refer to the following manuals:

 l Understanding iFIX
 l Writing Scripts
 l Creating Recipes
 l Using Electronic Signatures
 l Setting Up the Environment

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 1

 Introduction

As iFIX monitors your process, it creates data files, such as alarm files; iFIX also modifies and updates
other data, such as the process database. In some companies, access to iFIX applications and data files is
available to everyone. In such an environment, changes to the data files and access to iFIX files and applic-
ations are not critical to the process. However, in other companies these applications and data are only
available to authorized personnel because they are critical to the process.

iFIX provides an integrated security program to assist you in protecting your process. Refer to the fol-
lowing sections for more details:

 l Protecting Your Process

 l iFIX Security Concepts
 l Understanding Security Status
 

Protecting Your Process

There are different levels of security that you can implement to protect your process. On one level, you can
control the physical security of your machines and buildings. On another level, you can implement security
for your operating system and your network using firewalls, passwords, and filters.

You can also restrict access to your iFIX applications and files, and protect your data files from unau-
thorized changes, by enabling iFIX security. This manual focuses on iFIX security. iFIX security is optional
and is disabled by default. When you enable iFIX security, you can restrict:

 l Access to iFIX programs, operator displays, schedules, and recipes.

 l Access to critical program functions (for example, reloading the process database).
 l Write access to the process database.
 l Data entry and alarm acknowledgement, by requiring electronic signatures and verification. This
can assist you in becoming compliant with the 21 CFR Part 11 regulation.

Enabling security also allows you to track all the changes to the process database and forces operators to
log in to iFIX. Logging in requires a login name and an optional password. Depending on your con-
figuration, this data can be the same or separate from your Windows® login name and password. Refer to
the Using iFIX with Windows Security chapter for more information.

iFIX security is user-based, meaning operators cannot access iFIX applications, files, or database blocks
unless you assign access to them. Assigning program, file, or database access to an operator is commonly
referred to as assigning a privilege to that operator.

You can enable security using the Security Configuration program. This program is a flexible and easy-to-
use application that lets you assign operator rights, login names, and passwords. Refer to the Defining and
Assigning Security Privileges chapter for more information

iFIX Security Concepts

2 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Before you restrict access to iFIX applications and files, you need to understand how security works. The
security concepts described in the following list are described in more detail in the Understanding iFIX
Security chapter. For information on using the concepts, see the Defining and Assigning Security Privileges
chapter.

User Account – defines the privileges assigned to one person. iFIX identifies each user account with a
login name and an optional password. User accounts can belong to one or more groups. When a user
account belongs to a group, it inherits all the privileges associated with the group. The user account
can have privileges in addition to the group privileges.

Group Account – assigns access to the most commonly-used privileges that two or more people must
share. Allows you to bundle a set of privileges and assign them in one step to a user account.

Application Feature – a privilege that allows an operator to access specific application functions. For
example, the WorkSpace Runtime application feature provides access to the WorkSpace run-time
environment. To help simplify explanations, this manual collectively refers to applications and specific
application functions as application features.

Security Area – a physical or functional division of a plant. For example, security areas can be process
hardware (such as pumps or ovens), utilities (such as fuel, water, or steam), or maintenance functions.

The following figure shows how user accounts, group accounts, application features, and security areas
interrelate. Each user account has privileges that are directly assigned and inherits any privileges
assigned to the groups to which the user account belongs.

Security Concepts

Electronic Signature – uniquely identifies operators performing or verifying changes to your process. You
can require operators to enter a user name and password before acknowledging an alarm or entering
data. This functionality can assist you in becoming compliant with the 21 CFR Part 11 United States FDA
government regulation.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 3

 Run-time Environment Protection – restricts the things that operators can do during Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace Run Mode. For example, you can prevent operators from switching to other applications or
exiting the WorkSpace when you have Run-Time Environment Protection enabled.

Understanding Security Status

When you initially start the iFIX Security Configuration program, iFIX security is disabled. The Security Con-
figuration program indicates this status by displaying an open lock on the screen. While security is dis-
abled, anyone can use iFIX programs or modify iFIX configuration files without restriction. Electronic
signature capability is also disabled when security is disabled.

When you enable security, the lock closes and operators must log into iFIX with their user accounts to gain
access. For instructions on enabling and disabling security, refer to the section Enabling and Disabling
Security.

4 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Understanding iFIX Security

Your main design goal when developing an iFIX security strategy is to create group and user accounts.
Using groups minimizes the amount of work needed to create the accounts while providing you with flex-
ibility and power. For example, instead of creating five operator accounts that all assign the same security
areas and application features, you can create one group account with these privileges and then assign
the group account to the five operators.

To achieve this goal, assess your operators' needs and identify the common privileges they require. Once
you identify these common privileges, you can create group accounts that provide them.

For example, John, Dave, Tim, and George are all iFIX operators. Their needs are summarized in the fol-
lowing table:

User name Application features Security areas

John WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3
Dave WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3
Tim WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3
George WorkSpace Runtime Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3

Since each operator requires access to the same application features and security areas, it is possible to
create a group account called Operators that provides these privileges. Once you create the group
account, you can assign it to each operator's user account, as the following figure shows.

Assigning Account Privileges with a Group Account

Security Files

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 5

 You can share iFIX security files among all your iFIX nodes. However, you cannot share these files with
FIX32 nodes. If you have a network with nodes of both types, use one set of security files for your iFIX and
another set for your FIX32 nodes.

When you... You...

Do not share security Must copy the security files to each iFIX node.
files.
Share security files. Can make system-wide changes quickly and avoid the need for copy-
ing files.

Using Security with a File Server

Using a file server, you can eliminate the need to copy security files to multiple computers. The simplest
way to share your security files is to enter your file server path as the security path. To learn how to
change the security path, refer to the section, Defining the Security Path.

Using Security Without a File Server

You can set up security without a file server by storing all the security files and the Security Configuration
program on each local computer. The security files reside in a path called the security path, which the
Security Configuration program defines.

Security also keeps another copy of the security files in a path called the backup path. Security uses this
path when it cannot find the security path, for example, if the security path becomes unavailable.

Once you set up security and enable it on one computer, you must duplicate the security configuration on
every node. The simplest way to do this is to copy your security files to every computer on your network.
For a list of files to copy, refer to the Troubleshooting chapter.

Also, make sure you enable security on every node. Otherwise, security may not function properly.

User Accounts

A user account defines the privileges assigned to one person. iFIX identifies each user account with a login
name and an optional password. User accounts can belong to one or more groups. When a user account
belongs to a group, it inherits all the privileges associated with the group. The user account can have priv-
ileges in addition to the group privileges

When designing a user account, always include the user's full name, login name, and password in your
security plan. If you plan to use Windows security, you should also include the domain name if you plan to
store the user accounts on a domain controller.

Including the user's full name is especially important when you are using electronic signatures, because
the full name is recorded in messages sent to the audit trail for electronic signatures.

6 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Including the password is particularly important because iFIX security does not display user account pass-
words. Consequently, including user passwords ensures that you provide the correct password to your
operators.

Group Accounts

Whenever possible, use group accounts to assign the majority of account privileges. You greatly simplify
creating a security configuration if you take the time and effort to assess your operators' needs. If the
security requirements at your site do not warrant such an effort, use the sample group accounts provided.
These accounts provide you with a simpler approach to Configuring Security Features. For example, the
sample group accounts define functional roles in a manufacturing facility. You could easily create other
group accounts, such as those listed in the following table.

To create a Assign the following application features...

group
account
for...
Database Database Block Add-Delete, Database Manager, Database Reload, and Database
Designers Save.
Operator WorkSpace Configure, WorkSpace Runtime, WorkSpace Runtime Exit, Enable Task
Display Switching, Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access, Database Manager, Database Save,
Designers Database Reload, and Database Block Add/Delete.
Recipe Recipe Builder Development Window, Recipe Download from the Recipe Builder,
Developers Recipe Save from the Recipe Builder, Recipe Upload from the Recipe Builder, and
Recipe Text Output from the Recipe Builder.
Supervisors WorkSpace Runtime, WorkSpace Runtime Exit, and Enable Task Switching.

Typically, when assigning privileges to an operator, you select the necessary group accounts first. This
assigns common privileges needed by two or more operators doing similar tasks. Then, you can add any
specific privileges an operator may require. Configuring your group and user accounts in this way provides
a modular approach that is easy to maintain.

For example, in the following figure, the group account Operators defines access to the Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace run-time environment and specific security areas. These privileges define the common secur-
ity rights shared by all operators. If an individual operator needs additional rights, for example, to enter
electronic signatures, you can assign those rights in his or her own user account.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 7

 Sample Accounts

Assigning Privileges

After you create your group accounts, you can assign any remaining privileges to individual user accounts.
These remaining rights should be unique privileges assigned to one person. If, however, you find that two
or more operators require the same privileges, consider creating additional group accounts.

For example, consider the operator accounts for John, Dave, Tim, and George. Assume that George and
Dave need additional privileges to perform electronic signatures and access another security area, while
Tim needs access to the functional security area Ovens. Since Tim is the only operator who requires
access to this security area, you can assign it directly to his user account. However, because both George
and Dave require an extra application feature and security area, you might want to create a second group
account to provide these privileges. This is illustrated in the following figure.

8 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Assigning Extra Rights with Group Accounts

Identical User Accounts

While the best way to maintain flexibility in your security strategy is to define common privileges with
group accounts, you may find it easier not to use them. In general, this happens when you only have to cre-
ate a small number of identical user accounts. If you decide not to include group accounts in your security
plan, you can save time creating identical user accounts as described in the following steps.
To create identical user accounts:

 1. Create one user account.

 2. Export your security configuration.
 3. Open the export file in a text editor.
 4. Copy and paste the user account as many times as needed.
 5. Change the user name, login name, and password of each user account.
 6. Save the file and import it back into the Security Configuration program.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 9

 For more information on using this method, refer to the section Importing and Exporting the Security Con-
figuration.

Security Areas

You should keep a separate list of security areas as you plan each group and user account. When you fin-
ish, the resulting list contains the names of the security areas you require, allowing you to define your
security areas in one session instead of multiple sessions.

Security areas restrict access to database blocks, operator displays, schedules, and recipes. The following
table summarizes the access restrictions provided by security areas.

When you assign a security You restrict...

area to a...
Database block Write access. Read access to blocks is available from any
operator display.
Operator display, schedule, or Read access to the file.
recipe

If someone attempts to change a block's value illegally, security generates a message containing the login
name of the person who attempted the change. iFIX sends this message to the security audit trail and
every enabled alarm destination except the Alarm Summary. To learn more about these messages, refer
to the Implementing Alarms and Messages manual. To learn about the security audit trail, refer to the
Understanding the Security Log File section.

Creating a Recipe User Account

Using the GE Intelligent Platforms recipe package, you can download recipes to a process database. Typ-
ically, when security is enabled, you can protect the blocks in each process database by assigning them to
security areas. As a result, recipe downloads can fail because the current operator may not have rights to
change the blocks to which the recipe writes.

You can eliminate this problem by creating a recipe user account. This account defines the security areas
to which your recipes can download. When a download begins, iFIX examines the security areas assigned
to the Recipe user account instead of the currently logged in operator.

You can create a Recipe user account by:

 l Naming it RECIPE.
 l Defining the required security areas.

Once you create the account, copy it to the security path of every SCADA server.  
IMPORTANT: Security loads the Recipe user account into memory the first time a recipe downloads. If you modify
this account, the local computer continues to use the version in memory. To force the computer to re-read the new
version, log out the current user, log in with the Recipe user account, and log out again.

10 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Do Not Use "RECIPE" as a Domain User Account

Be aware that using "RECIPE" as a domain user account is not supported in the Proficy iFIX product.  If you
do attempt to use RECIPE as a domain user name, you will be able to download a recipe on a SCADA node,
but not on a View node.

You should familiarize yourself with the available application features before you design any group or user
account. Very often it is possible to assign an application feature for a specific application function, such as
the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace run-time environment, without providing access to the entire application. The
following table lists the available application features.

Application Feature Descriptions 

Application Allows the user to...
Feature
Application Generate baseline files in the Application Validator.
Validator -
Creation of
Baselines
Application Run the Application Validator and generate reports.
Validator -
Run-time
Access
Background Stop any background task such as SAC, Session Monitor, or Historical Collect.
Task Exit
Batch Exe- Perform a specified action in the Proficy Batch Execution product.
cution -
[Action
Name]
Change Man- Use Change Management version control features in iFIX.
agement
Database Add a block to, delete a block from, or modify a block in a database.
Block Add-
NOTE: In FIX32, this application feature only allows add and delete functionality.
Delete
Database Configure individual blocks in a database and import, export, save, print, query, sort, and
Manager summarize the contents of a database.
Database Reload the database in memory or load a different database.
Reload
Database Save the database in memory to disk.
Save
EDA Feature Access an Easy Database Access (EDA) application feature. You can provide access for up
#1-54 to 54 EDA application features.
Electronic Sig- Bypass the Electronic Signature option, and test an application without the need to
nature - repeatedly enter signatures.
Bypass
NOTE: Selecting Add All when you are adding application features to a user or group
account will not add this application feature. You must select it explicitly.
Electronic Sig- Perform signed actions.
nature - Per-

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 11

 form By
Electronic Sig- Verify signed actions.
nature -
Verify By
Enable Ctrl- Log off, shut down the computer, access the Windows Task Manager, or change the com-
Alt-Del puter's password by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del.

The logged-in user needs this if iFIX is running as a service and they log off the machine.
Enable Task Switch between tasks.
Switching
FIX32 - Perform a specified action in a FIX Desktop application. Be aware that FIX Desktop is no
[Action] longer supported, as of iFIX 5.8.
GE Intelligent Access an application feature defined by an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). You
Platforms can provide access for up to 12 OEM application features.
OEM
Reserved #1-
12
Historical Configure the Classic Historical Assign program.
Trend Assign
Historical Stop the Classic Historian HTC program.
Trend Col-
lection
Historical Legacy application feature that is not used in iFIX.
Trend Export
iFIX - System Shut down iFIX.
Shutdown
Manual Fail- Allows you to manually initiate a connection or SCADA failover.
over
Project Back up and restore the iFIX files on the local node.
Backup-
Restore
Recipe Create master and control recipes, enable and disable the audit trail, assign tag groups to
Builder Devel- recipes, and scale a batch.
opment Win-
dow
Recipe Modify control recipes and override recipe items within specific limits.
Builder Oper-
ations Win-
dow
Recipe Down- Download recipes from the Recipe Builder.
load from
Recipe
Builder
Recipe Load Legacy application feature that is not used in iFIX.
Recipe Save Legacy application feature that is not used in iFIX.
Recipe Save Save recipes.

12 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 from Recipe
Builder
Recipe Text Create recipe reports, master text recipes, and control text recipes.
Output from
Recipe
Builder
Recipe Upload recipes from the Recipe Builder.
Upload from
Recipe
Builder
Runtime Open the Visual Basic Editor from the run-time environment.
Visual Basic
Editor Access
Security Con- Configure the security system, create and delete user and group accounts, and name
figuration security areas.
Security Syn- Run the Security Synchronizer.
chronizer
Startup Pro- Run the Startup Profile Manager application.
file Manager
System Con- Configure node connections, system paths, alarm services, and the SCADA configuration
figuration for a node.
System User Log in as the system user.
Login
System User Log out as the system user.
Logout
Tag Group Create, edit, and save tag groups.
Editor
NOTE: When you assign the Tag Group Editor application feature to a user, you must also
assign the WorkSpace Configure application feature to that same user. If both these
application features are not assigned, the user is considered unauthorized for the Tag
Group Editor application.
Tag Status View tag staus information.
VisiconX Allow VisconX to do writes.
Writes
WorkSpace Switch to the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace configuration environment.
Configure
WorkSpace Switch to the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace run-time environment.
Runtime
WorkSpace Quit the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace from the run-time environment.
Runtime Exit

NOTE: Refer to the Proficy Batch Execution documentation for more information about the application features
specific to Proficy Batch Execution.

Assigning Special Application Features

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 13

 Regardless of how you set up your group accounts, you should provide the following application features
on an individual basis:

 l Security Configuration
 l iFIX - System Shutdown
 l Background Task Exit
 l Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del

The Security Configuration application feature should be assigned to your system administrator or the per-
son in your organization responsible for creating and maintaining iFIX security. In fact, iFIX security
requires you to assign the application feature to at least one user account; providing access to the pro-
gram with a group account does not fulfill this requirement.

The iFIX - System Shutdown and Background Task Exit application features should be assigned to anyone
responsible for shutting down iFIX. If no one is assigned these features, it will be impossible to shut down
iFIX programs in an orderly fashion.

The Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del application feature should be assigned to at least one user if you are planning to
enable Environment Protection. Also, it should be assigned to the user that is logged in when iFIX is con-
figured to run as a service under Windows.

Run-time Environment Protection

The Proficy iFIX WorkSpace provides a run-time environment. While an operator is in this environment,
you may not want them to:

 l Start other applications.

 l Switch to other applications.
 l Exit from the WorkSpace.
 l Restart the computer using Ctrl+Alt+Del.
 l Open unauthorized pictures.
 l Close the current picture.
 l Use the WorkSpace menu.
 l Switch to the configuration environment.
 l Access the system tree.
 l Access the pull down menus.
 l View the titlebar.

By enabling environment protection, you restrict operators from performing these actions and provide a
secure run-time environment. For more information on setting up a secured environment, refer to the sec-
tion Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment.

After you configure a secure environment, the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace uses your settings as defaults for
the run-time environment. You can set up a user account to override one or more of these settings by

14 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 assigning certain application features to it. The rights of the logged in user will override the Environment
Protection settings in the iFIX WorkSpace User Preferences.
IMPORTANT: If you plan to use environment protection when iFIX is running as a service, and you are running on
an operating system earlier than Microsoft Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012, be sure to add TSFE.EXE to your
Windows Startup program group. TSFE.exe is an iFIX application (located in your iFIX install folder) that enables
task switching and keyboard filtering when a new user logs into Windows. By adding TFSE.exe to your startup
group, you are ensuring that users can log into Windows with environment protection enabled and then operate
iFIX in an appropriate, secured environment.  Operating systems such as Microsoft Windows 8 or Windows Server
2012 do not require TFSE.exe in your startup group, since they work differently.

TIP: Be aware that you if you disable the WorkSpace title bar, menu bar, and pull-down menus, it may not be obvi-
ous how to shut down the WorkSpace window in run mode. This is a security feature. If the shut down ability is
desired, configure your security appropriately and inform your users of the Alt+F4 keyboard shortcut to close the
WorkSpace, or add a VBA script to shut down the WorkSpace. Refer to the Shut Down the iFIX WorkSpace with a
VBA Script section for more details on how to add this script to your picture.

Securing Scripts and the Visual Basic Editor

One of the options you have when you enable environment protection is to restrict access to the Visual
Basic Editor. If access is not restricted, the editor appears when a compilation error or a run-time error
occurs, allowing you to correct the error.

However, when you restrict access, the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace suppresses the Visual Basic Editor even if
an error occurs. Consequently, if you plan to enable this option, your scripts must have error-handling
routines. Otherwise, an error message appears and the script terminates.

Securing Pictures and Schedules

In addition to securing scripts, you can also secure pictures and schedules by using the Security Area prop-
erty. You can set this property on a picture or schedule using the Property window. For more information
on properties, refer to the Controlling Object Properties chapter in the Creating Pictures manual. This prop-
erty restricts access to a picture or schedule at run-time so that only users with rights to the specified area
can access the pictures and schedules assigned to the security area, as the following figure shows.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 15

 Securing Pictures and Schedules

In the Securing Pictures and Schedules figure, notice that John can access the pictures and schedules in
the security area Line 1 because he has rights to it. However, Frank cannot access the area Line 1 because
Frank has rights to Line 5 only. If Frank attempts to open a picture or schedule in Line 1, a message box
appears alerting him of the security violation. The violation is also recorded in the security audit trail and
every enabled alarm destination except the Alarm Summary.

Pictures and schedules that you configure to preload at run-time are also restricted by the security area.
Consequently, if you assign the operator display OVERVIEW.GRF to the security area Line 4 and configure
the WorkSpace to load the picture automatically on startup, the picture will not load when John logs in
because he does not have rights to Line 4. Preloading schedules works the same way: the logged-in user
must have rights to the security area of the schedule, or the schedule does not run.

Electronic Signatures

Use electronic signatures to create a more secure environment by requiring that operators electronically
sign for all process changes and alarm acknowledgements. Electronic signatures uniquely identify the
operator making the change, and can require the electronic signature of another person to verify the
change.

Detailed permanent records of operator actions are written to and stored in a relational database. You
can query and report on these records, and then use this data to provide a comprehensive audit trail detail-
ing the history of your process.

The following application features give user or group accounts electronic signature privileges:

 l Electronic Signature – Perform By

 l Electronic Signature – Verify By

Refer to the Using Electronic Signatures manual for detailed information on using electronic signatures.

16 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

Protecting SCADA Nodes

Application developers can allow certain operators the ability to write to specific SCADA nodes only. This
prevents the possibility of access from unknown or unauthorized nodes. This is an important feature to
ensure that operators are positioned physically close to the equipment they are manipulating.

By default, iFIX nodes accept connections from any remote node over TCP/IP. You can restrict access from
unknown or unauthorized nodes using the accept_unknown_host parameter in the NETWORK.INI file. The
configuration shown in the following figure illustrates one method to restrict access to a SCADA server.

In this example, the accept_unknown_host parameter restricts access to the main SCADA server,
SCADA01. Access is restricted to iClients iClient01 and iClient10, and to a second SCADA server,
SCADA02. SCADA02 duplicates the information on SCADA01 so that the Terminal Server, TServer, can
provide the data to remote nodes. However, direct access from the Internet to SCADA01 is not provided.
This feature keeps SCADA01 secure from unauthorized nodes.

Restricting Access from Unauthorized Nodes

For more information about restricting access from remote nodes, refer to the section Disabling Con-
nections from Unauthorized Nodes in the Setting up the Environment manual.

Restricting Database Write Access on a Node-by-Node Basis

You can also restrict database write access on a node-by-node basis using the accept_unauthorized_
writes parameter in the NETWORK.INI file. When you use this parameter with security areas, database
writes are first restricted by security area and then by node. The following figure illustrates how security
areas interact with the accept_unauthorized_writes parameter.                 

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 17

 In this example, John and Frank cannot modify SCADA01's database from iClient10. John cannot modify
the database because the NETWORK.INI file authorizes writes from iClient01 only. Frank cannot change
the database because he does not have rights to Line 1.

However, when John logs into iClient01, he can modify the database because the NETWORK.INI file grants
access. Conversely, when Frank logs into iClient01, he cannot modify the database because he does not
have rights to Line 1. Consequently, the SCADA server rejects his request even though he is logged into an
authorized node.

Restricting Database Write Access

For more information about restricting database write access on a node-by-node basis, refer to the sec-
tion Disabling Database Write Access for Unauthorized Nodes in the Setting up the Environment manual.

The iFIX Screen Saver

A customized screen saver is integrated into the iFIX software. As part of your strategy to secure inactive
computers, you can use the iFIX Screen Saver. This screen saver activates in the same way that other Win-
dows screen savers do, but it also has some features specific to iFIX.

The moment when a screen saver appears is typically referred to as the activation of the screen saver. A
screen saver deactivates once the operator moves the mouse or presses a key on the keyboard.

You can configure the iFIX Screen Saver to perform these tasks when it activates:

18 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  l Terminate the continuous use period. Refer to Allow Continuous Use in the Using Electronic Sig-
natures manual for more details on continuous use.
 l Blank out the screen.
 l Log out the current iFIX user.
 l Prompt for login.
 l Log in a specified user.
 l Open a specified picture.
NOTE: The screen saver sends all errors to the Windows Event Log. For example, if you have the screen saver con-
figured to open a specific picture and that picture is unavailable, this error is sent to the Event Log. To see these
errors, start the Window Event Viewer and open the Application log. Screen saver errors have VB Runtime as their
source.

You configure the iFIX Screen Saver using the Display option in the Windows Control Panel.

When the iFIX Screen Saver activates, it displays a bitmap image. You can substitute the default bitmap
image, iFIXScreenSaver.bmp, with a different bitmap file, such as one containing a company logo, as long
as the name remains the same. The iFIX Screen Saver is located in the C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy
iFIX\local directory. You cannot relocate this file.
IMPORTANT: You should disable screen saver password protection if the iFIX Environment Protection option is
enabled. Password protection requires the entry of Ctrl+Alt+Del; these keys may be disabled if Environment Pro-
tection is enabled, or if security is enabled. Instead, you should use the iFIX Screen Saver Security options to log
out of iFIX when the screen saver activates.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 19

 iFIX Screen Saver Settings

You use the iFIX Screen Saver Settings dialog box, shown in the previous figure, to configure iFIX security
settings.
NOTE: Because Microsoft disabled screen savers for Terminal Server sessions for Windows® Server 2003, the iFIX
Screen Saver does not work on Terminal Server clients for Windows Server 2003.

Working with Visual Basic for Applications

Using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), you can write scripts that provide security access and inform-
ation. For example, you can use a script to determine the currently logged in operator and his or her secur-
ity rights. You can also write scripts that let operators log into and out of iFIX. Such scripts let you
customize the login process to your needs.

To learn how to write a script with iFIX security, refer to the Writing Scripts e-book. To learn about specific
VBA methods that access the security system, refer to the iFIX Automation Reference file.

20 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Defining and Assigning Security Privileges

Before you enable the security system, you should create all required group and user accounts. Group
accounts define the security areas and application features available to group members. Likewise, user
accounts define the security areas, application features, and group accounts available to individuals.

By default, iFIX provides sample group and user accounts that you can examine to learn how to create
your own accounts. You can also use the sample accounts to log into iFIX. The following table lists the login
name and password for the sample user accounts. For instructions on logging into iFIX, refer to the Log-
ging in to iFIX Manually section.

Sample User Accounts

Login Pass-
Account
Name word
Guest Guest Guest
System Administrator Admin Admin
NOTE: Do not enable Windows security for the sample user accounts. If you have the Guest account enabled on
an iFIX machine, login validation for iFIX security will not work properly.

To implement an iFIX security strategy:

 1. Name your security areas. See Defining Security Areas.
 2. Create group and user accounts. See Creating Group and User Accounts.
 3. If you plan to automatically log any operator into iFIX, define each automatic login configuration.
See iFIX Automatic Login.
 4. Specify a local security and backup path on each node. If you are using a file server, enter the path
to the file server as the security path and enter a local path as the backup path. See Defining the
Security Path.
 5. Enable security on all nodes and save the security configuration. See Importing and Exporting the
Security Configuration.
 6. If you plan to enable environment protection, start the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and set the run-time
environment preferences you want to use on each iClient. You can also configure the iFIX Screen
Saver to secure inactive computers.
 7. If you plan to use electronic signatures to protect and track data entry and alarm acknowledgement
actions, set them up as recommended in Using Electronic Signatures. See the Overview: Using Elec-
tronic Signatures section in that book.

When you finish, you can verify your security configuration by logging into iFIX and accessing the applic-
ation features and security areas available to each user account. Also, try to access application features
and security areas that are unavailable to ensure that security denies access.

The Security Configuration Program

In Classic view, start the Security Configuration program by clicking the Security Configuration button on
the Application toolbar, as shown in the following figure.
 

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 21

 In Ribbon view, to start the Security Configuration program, on the Applications tab, in the System & Secur-
ity group, click Security Configuration Utility.

Once the program starts, the Security Configuration window appears.

The Security Configuration Window

Exiting from the Security Configuration Program

You can close the Security Configuration program by selecting Exit from the File menu in the Security Con-
figuration window.

Working with the Security Toolbox

The Security Configuration program provides a set of tools for:

 l Creating group and user accounts.

 l Naming security areas.

22 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  l Setting up a node to log in automatically.
 l Enabling and disabling security.
 l Setting security paths.

These tools are available from the Security toolbox, as the following figure shows:

Security Toolbox

Enabling and Disabling Security

After you have configured your security areas, group accounts, and user accounts, you can restrict access
to applications and files on a node and force operators to log into iFIX by enabling security. Once you
enable security, the lock displayed by the Security Configuration program closes to indicate the computer
is protected.
NOTE: If you enable security and set the security path to a folder other than the default, which is the C:\Program
Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\Local folder, when you change the node name, security is disabled. You will need to con-
figure iFIX security again and enable it.

If you want to provide complete access to the files on a computer, you can disable security. Typically, you
disable security when you want to create a public node. Once security is disabled, the lock displayed by the
Security Configuration program opens to indicate the computer is unprotected.

Defining Security Areas

Once you complete your security strategy, the next step is to define your security areas and specify a
name for each area. You can define up to 254 security areas, and each name can be up to 20 characters.
iFIX names the first 16 security areas A through P by default. However, you can rename these areas or cre-
ate a new area by clicking the Security Area button on the Security toolbox. After you define a security
area, you can assign it to a group or user account.

Assigning Security Areas

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 23

 Once you define the security areas you need, you can use one of the following methods to assign a secur-
ity area to a database block, picture, schedule, or recipe:

 l To assign a security area to a database block, open the Database Manager and double-click the
block you want to modify. When the block's dialog box appears, locate the Security Areas list box.
Typically, the list box resides on the Advanced tab. Once you locate the list box, select a line of text
from it and enter the security area you want to assign.
 l To assign a security area to a picture or a schedule, open the picture or schedule in the Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace and select Property Window from the View menu (Classic view) or click Property Win-
dow in the Window group on the View tab (Ribbon view). When the Properties window appears,
enter the security area you want to assign to the Security Area property.
 l To assign a security area to a recipe, refer to the Creating Recipes manual.
 

Creating Group and User Accounts

You can create group and user accounts by clicking the Group Accounts button or the User Accounts but-
ton on the Security toolbox and clicking Add, then completing either the Group Profile dialog box or the
User Profile dialog box. In these dialog boxes, you can modify the security areas and application features
assigned to this account. In the User Profile dialog box, you can also modify the group accounts assigned
to this user account, and set the password for this user account.

For a list of application features refer to the Application Features section. For a description of security
areas, refer to the Security Areas section.

Limiting Login Time

The Security Configuration program allows you to enter a login time-out interval when creating a user
account. This interval limits the length of time an operator can remain logged into iFIX. When an operator
attempts to access a restricted application feature or security area after the time interval expires, iFIX logs
out the operator.

With this feature, you can configure iFIX to automatically log out operators who forget to do so at the end
of their shift. For example, assume you want operators logged in for up to eight hours. By entering a time-
out interval of 8:00:00, you instruct iFIX to log out your operators eight hours after they log in. If an oper-
ator exits from all iFIX applications a few minutes early, but does not log out, iFIX logs out the operator
when someone from the next shift runs a program. This forces the current operator to log in with their
own account, and prevents unauthorized access to applications and security areas that were available on
the previous shift.

This feature does not eliminate the need to manually log out when an operator finishes using iFIX, par-
ticularly if you have strict security requirements. If you decide to use this feature, consider it as a safety
mechanism that prevents operators from remaining logged in indefinitely.

Modifying Group and User Accounts

As group and user responsibilities change, you may find it necessary to modify accounts.

24 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 NOTE: Once operators log in, their group and user accounts reside in memory. As a result, changes to group or
user accounts do not take effect until users log out and log in again. By logging in again, the operator forces iFIX
to re-read the account information.

Deleting Group and User Accounts

You can delete group and user accounts that you no longer need. Deleting a user account that auto-
matically logs into iFIX also removes the associated autologin configuration file as well. Refer to the sec-
tion iFIX Automatic Login to learn more about setting up a user account to automatically log in.

You can delete every currently-defined account by selecting the Clear command from the File menu.
When you select this command, the security system:

 l Disables itself.
 l Deletes all group and user accounts.
 l Deletes all automatic login configurations.
 l Renames the first 16 security areas A through P and deletes any other named security areas.
 l Prompts you to create sample accounts. This prevents you from accidentally locking yourself out of
the Security Configuration program. To be safe, you should always create sample accounts.
If you do not create sample accounts and re-enable security, you cannot exit from the Security Con-
figuration program until you create at least one user account. This feature also helps to prevent you
from accidentally locking yourself out of the Security Configuration program.
NOTE: iFIX does not modify the security and backup paths when you select the Clear command.

iFIX Automatic Login

Using the Security Configuration program, you can set up iFIX to log in an operator automatically when it
starts up by creating an automatic login configuration. You can create this configuration by specifying the
name of the:

 l Node you want to automatically log in.

 l User you want logged in.
NOTE: The user that is automatically logged in must be an iFIX user that is not connected to Windows security.

Automatic Login and the Security Path

You can create automatic login configurations for multiple computers. When the security path is local, you
can specify an automatic login configuration for each node by configuring it locally. However, by defining a
file server path as the security path, you can specify an automatic login configuration for any computer
from any node on the network.

Automatic Login and Application Users

Automatic login configurations require you to specify an application user. An application user is the name
of the operator you want logged in automatically. This name must be the full name defined in a user

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 25

 account. Once logged in, operators have access to the privileges assigned to the specified user account.

Creating a Public Account

Depending on your security requirements, you may want to create a public account that is available to
everyone in non-critical areas of your process. This account would have no password and would auto-
matically log in when you start iFIX. This account would also provide access to the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace
run-time environment.

By default, the Guest account is installed with iFIX. This account has no password, but is not automatically
logged on.

Deleting an Automatic Login Configuration

You can delete any automatic login configuration that you no longer need by selecting the name of the
node you want to remove.

Importing and Exporting the Security Configuration

The Security Configuration program allows you to import and export your security configuration. Exporting
the configuration creates a security configuration file, SECURITY.RPT, by default, in the security path. This
file contains the following information:

 l Whether security is enabled or disabled.

 l Security area names.
 l Defined group and user accounts.

After you create a security configuration file, you can copy it to another computer and import the data.
Importing a configuration file does one of the following:

 l Replaces the existing security configuration with the one defined in the configuration file; or
 l Adds any new group and user accounts from the configuration file to the existing security con-
figuration. Any account with a full name or a login name that matches an existing account is
ignored. Also adds any new security areas from the configuration file in the existing security con-
figuration.

By exporting and importing a security configuration, you can cut your development time creating user and
group accounts particularly when you want to create many similar accounts on multiple nodes. For
example, suppose you want to create the same user account on five nodes. Instead of creating same
account five times, you can:

 1. Create one user account.

 2. Export the user account.
 3. Import the user account into the remaining 4 nodes.

Importing User Account Passwords

26 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Exported security configuration files do not include user account passwords in order to protect them. Sim-
ilarly, when you import a configuration file, the Security Configuration program creates user accounts
without passwords.

You can avoid this situation by adding a password to each account in the configuration file. When you
import the edited configuration file, the Security Configuration program assigns a password for each user
account you modified.

The following figure shows what part of the configuration file to edit.
 

Adding Passwords to a Security Configuration File

NOTE: You do not need to add passwords to user accounts that use Windows security. However, in order to protect
your passwords, if you add passwords to a security configuration file prior to importing it, delete the file when you
finish importing the data. If you need a text copy of the security configuration, export the configuration again.

Defining the Security Path

The security files that you create reside in a path called the security path. The Security Configuration pro-
gram sets this path to the iFIX Local path by default, but you can change it to any other local or network
path.

Determining the path to specify as the security path depends on your needs. If you want a node to have its
own set of accounts, define a local path. However, if you want to share user and group accounts with
other computers, specify a file server (network) path as the security path.
IMPORTANT: Be aware that when you enter a security path you must have read-write access to the path you des-
ignate. After you enter a path, the Security Configuration program creates lock files (SECLOCK.LCK and
SECLOK2.LCK) allowing you to use the program with read-only access to the security path.

Before you define the path, verify that it exists. If it does, the Security Configuration program prompts you
to copy the files to the new path. If the path does not exist, the following text appears:
Security path invalid or unavailable. Continue?

Click Cancel or the No button to abort the process and create the path you want to use. If you plan to cre-
ate the path later, click the Yes button. The following text appears:
Security Files must be manually copied from oldpath

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 27

 Click OK to acknowledge the message and copy the security files to the path you specified. If you do not
create the new path or copy the security files to it, you will be unable to restart the Security Configuration
program.

Defining the Backup Path

In addition to the security path, you can define a backup path that contains a copy of the files in the security
path. These files are updated whenever you save a modified security configuration. The configuration is
saved to the security path, as well as the backup path of the machine where you perform the save. If there
are other nodes that share the security path and have the backup path pointing to the local hard drive, the
backup is not performed on those machines.

iFIX uses the files in the backup path when the security path is unavailable. For example, if you define a file
server path as your security path, and the file server becomes inaccessible, iFIX uses the backup path to
allow operators to log in.

Like the security path, iFIX sets the backup path, by default, to the iFIX Local path, but you can change it to
any other local or network path. If you plan on using a network path as your security path, use a local path
for the backup path.

The backup path you specify must exist. Otherwise, the following text appears:
Invalid path specified

Click OK to acknowledge the message and create the path you want to use.

Configuring Global Security Paths

When you enable the global security paths option in the Configuration dialog box (of the Security Con-
figuration application), all iFIX user sessions on a computer share the same security configuration. If you
use iFIX startup profiles created in the Startup Profile Manager, you most likely want to enable this option.
To enable global security paths, select the Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles check box in the Con-
figuration dialog box. The following figure shows an example of the Configuration dialog box with the
global security paths check box highlighted.

Configuration Dialog Box, Global Security Paths Enabled

28 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 For example, in a Terminal Server environment, enable this option if the default SCU is enabled in the Star-
tup Profile Manager. If you do not enable global security paths, you will need to individually configure secur-
ity within each Terminal Services user session.
IMPORTANT: For global security paths to work correctly, the Base and Language paths in the SCU's Path Con-
figuration dialog box must be the same for all users. Project paths can differ, however. To open the SCU, click the
Start button, point to Programs, Proficy HMI SCADA - iFIX, and then select System Configuration. Click the Path Con-
figuration button to open the Path Configuration dialog box. The default Base path is C:\Program Files\Profi-
cy\Proficy iFIX, while the default Language path is C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\NLS.

For more information on working with Terminal Services, refer to the Using Terminal Server manual. For
more information on the Startup Profile Manager, refer to the Using the Startup Profile Manager chapter in
the Setting up the Environment manual.

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment

You can secure the run-time environment by enabling environment protection from the Proficy iFIX
WorkSpace. Refer to the Run-time Environment Protection section. Once you enable environment pro-
tection, you can choose the specific actions you want to restrict. For example, if you want to restrict all
operators from starting other applications using the system tree, select the Disable Title Bar and Menu
Bar, and Disable Task Switching check boxes.
NOTES:
 l Some computer keyboards have special buttons that allow users to directly launch e-mail, searches, or
internet browsers. Because these special buttons could circumvent iFIX environment protection, you may
want to uninstall the software that operates the special buttons.
 l For Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, the only on-screen keyboard for use with iFIX and
touch screens is the tabtip keyboard (tabtip.exe). This on-screen keyboard will launch automatically if no
physical keyboard is detected, and if the screen focus is on an edit field in the WorkSpace (when the I-Bar
cursor is displayed in the edit field).  

IMPORTANT: To launch the keyboard automatically from iFIX on Windows Server 2012 systems, there is additional
configuration. In the Server Manager, you must install the Desktop Experience feature included in the User Inter-
face and Infrastructure features. (By default, this feature is already enabled in Windows 8). After enabling the fea-
ture and restarting Windows, the on-screen keyboard, tiptap.exe, will be available and will display automatically
when focus is on an edit field in iFIX.

The following table provides other common tasks you may want to restrict operators from, and the options
to do so.

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment 

To restrict an oper- Select the check box(es)...
ator from...
Switching to Disable Task Switching.
another application
NOTE: The Shift + F10 key macro does not work if you select this option.
that may be run-
ning. IMPORTANT: Task switching is disabled when security is enabled and either the
logged-in user does not have task switching rights or there is no user logged-in.  The
task switching right can be assigned by adding the Enable Task Switching application
feature to the user profile in the iFIX Security Configuration application.
Exiting from the Disable Title Bar and Menu Bar.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 29

 Proficy iFIX IMPORTANT: In Windows 8 and Server 2012, all users who have iFIX WorkSpace
WorkSpace. runtime exit privileges should also be assigned task switching rights or the
WorkSpace runtime shutdown will be blocked.
Restarting the com- Disable Ctrl+Alt+Del.
puter using
Ctrl+Alt+Del or log-
ging out of Win-
dows.
Closing the current Disable Title Bar and Menu Bar. Also select the Full Screen in Run mode check box
picture. from the General tab and clear the Title bar and Resizeable check boxes from the Pic-
ture Preferences tab.
Using the Disable "WorkSpace" Menu Pulldown.
WorkSpace menu
or switching to the
configuration envir-
onment.
Accessing the Disable VBE Access.
Visual Basic Editor.
Locking Down the Windows Taskbar
You can control the accessibility of the Windows taskbar in Full Screen mode only, with the "Disable Task
Switching" option located on the Environment Protection tab of iFIX WorkSpace User Preferences dialog
box.  If the "Disable Task Switching" option is selected, the Windows taskbar will not be accessible when
the iFIX WorkSpace is running (in Full Screen mode only). If you are not in Full Screen mode or if the "Dis-
able Task Switching" option is cleared, the Windows taskbar will be accessible by pressing the Windows
key on the keyboard.
NOTE: The Enable Task Switching security application feature can be used to override the "Disable Task Switch-
ing" option for Environment Protection, but only when a user with this privilege is logged in. This override has no
effect on the Window taskbar. However, if a user with this override privilege is logged in, this user can use Alt+Tab
and the Windows keys to see what tasks are running and to switch to other tasks.
To ensure that the Windows taskbar does not display on top of the WorkSpace in Full Screen mode:

 1. Right-click the Start button or taskbar and select Properties. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties
dialog box opens.
 2. Select the Taskbar tab.
 3. Clear the Keep the taskbar on top of other windows option.

Important Task Switching Information

Task switching is disabled when security is enabled and either the logged-in user does not have task
switching rights or there is no user logged-in.  The task switching right can be assigned by adding the
Enable Task Switching application feature to the user profile in the iFIX Security Configuration application.

Be aware of the following when using task switching in Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012:

 l When you disable task switching on Windows 8 and Server 2012 systems, iFIX disables the Win-
dows shell which includes the task bar, the start menu, the desktop, file and folder access, the

30 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Charms bar, and hot corners that allow access to the Start screen.
 l When security is enabled and iFIX is running, a user with task switching rights must be logged in for
the shell to run and the desktop to be accessible. (When security is enabled, the rights of the logged
in user will always take precedence over the environment protection settings configured in the iFIX
WorkSpace User Preferences.) If there is no user logged in, task switching will be disabled, the shell
will be disabled, and the system will become inaccessible.
 l The Windows shell may be disabled when switching from run to configure mode in iFIX.  To avoid
this issue, make sure the logged-in user has both task switching rights and WorkSpace configure
access, so that the desktop is always available in configure mode.  The task switching right can be
assigned by adding the Enable Task Switching application feature to the user profile in the iFIX
Security Configuration application. The WorkSpace configure access can be assigned by adding the
WorkSpace Configure application feature to the user profile.
 l If the iFIX WorkSpace is not configured as a startup task in the SCU, you must configure a user to be
logged in automatically who has task switching rights or the desktop will not be available and the
system will become inaccessible when iFIX starts up.
 l All users who have iFIX WorkSpace runtime exit privileges must also be assigned task switching
rights or the iFIX WorkSpace runtime shutdown will be blocked.

Working with Touch Screens

Be aware that for Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012:

 l When iFIX is configured to run as a service and to start automatically, Fix.exe should always be star-
ted before launching WorkSpace.exe to enable the on-screen keyboard functionality. If
WorkSpace.exe is launched without starting iFIX in the user session on a system without a physical
keyboard, the on-screen keyboard will not automatically display when the cursor is in an edit con-
trol or in edit mode.
 l For Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, the only supported on-screen keyboard for
use with iFIX and touch screens is the tabtip keyboard (tabtip.exe).
 l To launch the keyboard automatically from iFIX on Windows Server 2012 systems, there is addi-
tional configuration. In the Server Manager, you must install the Desktop Experience feature
included in the User Interface and Infrastructure features. (By default, this feature is already
enabled in Windows 8). After enabling the feature and restarting Windows, the on-screen key-
board, tiptap.exe, will be available and will display automatically when focus is on an edit field in
iFIX.

Example: Securing the Run-time Environment

Let's assume you enable environment protection in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and you want to provide
John with rights to run Recipe Builder, download control recipes, and task switch between the run-time
environment and the Recipe Builder. To do this, you must assign the following application features to
John's user account:

 l Task Switching.
 l Recipe Builder Operations Window.
 l Recipe Download from Recipe Builder.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 31

 These application features override the run-time environment settings and enable John to perform the
specific actions you want.

Using iFIX Security

Operators can log into iFIX manually or automatically. By logging in, operators identify themselves as iFIX
users and gain access to pictures, recipes, and applications that they are authorized to use. Refer to the fol-
lowing sections for more details:

 l Logging in to iFIX Manually

 l Logging out of iFIX Manually
 l Understanding the Security Log File
 

Logging in to iFIX Manually

Operators can log into iFIX manually using the Login program. When the Login program starts, it allows
operators to enter their login name and password.

The Login program gives operators three attempts to enter their login name and password correctly. After
the third unsuccessful attempt, the Login program exits. Operators can try to log in again by restarting the
Login program.

If Windows security is authenticating the login name and password, operators can change their password
after they log in. Windows passwords are case-sensitive.
NOTE: Each time an unsuccessful attempt is made to access the iFIX system, a message is sent to the alarm sys-
tem. If you have configured the Alarm ODBC Service and your relational database, these messages are also writ-
ten to your relational database, and can be included in the audit trail of your process.

To log into iFIX:

 1. In Classic view, in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace, in the Application toolbar, click the Login button.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Login.
 2. Enter your login name and password.
 3. Click Login.

Password Expiration Considerations

When iFIX security is synchronized with Windows security, passwords can expire. If the Windows pass-
word has expired, the user is notified and prompted to change the password. If the Windows password is
about to expire, a notification message displays, reminding the user to change the password.

32 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 For more information about synchronizing iFIX security with Windows security, refer to the Using iFIX with
Windows Security chapter.

Changing the Account Password

The steps that follow describe how to change a Windows account password for the logged in user. Secur-
ity must be enabled to perform these steps.
To change the account password:

 1. In Classic view, in the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace, in the Application toolbar, click the Login button.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Login.
 2. Click Change Password. The Change Windows Password dialog box appears.
NOTE:  The Change Password button is only available for Windows user accounts.

 3. In the Old Password field, enter your current password.

 4. In the New Password field, enter your new password.
 5. To confirm the change to your password, in the Confirm New Password field, enter your new pass-
word again.
 

Logging out of iFIX Manually

Operators can log out of iFIX by exiting all protected iFIX applications, starting the Login program, and click-
ing Logout.

To log out of iFIX:

 1. On the Application toolbar, click Login.

 2. Click the Logout button.

Understanding the Security Log File

iFIX security generates an audit trail of security-related actions taken by iFIX users. The security audit trail
log file resides in the default iFIX alarm path and has the name format YYMMDD.LOG. For example, the file
031023.LOG contains the audit trail for October 23, 2003. If you have configured the Alarm ODBC Service
and your relational database, iFIX writes these messages to your relational database.

By reviewing the audit trail log file you can learn:

 l Who logged in and out.

 l Each time there is an unsuccessful attempt to access iFIX.
 l When an operator failed to complete the login process three times.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 33

  l When someone attempted to access a security area or application feature for which they had no
privilege.
 l When someone successfully or unsuccessfully signed for a data entry or alarm acknowledgement
action.
 l When an operator exceeded the length of time he or she can remain logged in.

Refer to the Setting up the Environment manual for more information about the iFIX Alarm path.

Using iFIX with Windows Security

You can connect iFIX user accounts to Windows user accounts. This allows you to use your existing Win-
dows user accounts for password validation. Both local and domain Windows accounts are supported.

You also gain the following advantages of Windows security:

 l Case-sensitive passwords.
 l Passwords that expire.
 l Online password changes.
 l Ability to specify minimum password requirements.
 l Account lockout.

An operator can log into iFIX by entering his or her Windows user name and password. iFIX sends this
information to Windows for authentication. If the operator's account specifies a Windows domain name,
the user name and password are sent to a Windows domain controller for authentication. If Windows veri-
fies the user name and password, iFIX completes the login process. Otherwise, it logs an error. Refer to
the chapter Using iFIX Security for more information about logging into iFIX.

For information on setting up Windows user accounts for use in iFIX, refer to the section Configuring Win-
dows User Accounts.

There are two basic ways that you can configure iFIX to use your Windows security accounts:

 l Configure each account using the iFIX Security Configuration program. Refer to the section Using
the Security Configuration Program.
 l Use the Security Synchronizer program to update all your accounts at once. Refer to the section
Using Security Synchronizer.

Configuring Windows User Accounts

When you are setting up Windows user accounts for use with iFIX security, you should configure the pass-
words, set account lockout thresholds, and configure the account disabled message. Refer to the following
sections for more details:

 l Setting Passwords to Expire

 l Limiting the Number of Invalid Login Attempts

34 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  l Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX
 l User Accounts that Log in to Windows

Setting Passwords to Expire

One of the benefits of using iFIX with Windows security is that you can set Windows passwords to expire.
To configure the local password expiration policy:

 1. In the Control Panel, from the Administrative Tools folder, select the Local Security Policy.
 2. From the Local Security Settings window, select Account Policies.
 3. From the Account Polices folder, select Password Policy.
 4. On the right-side of the window, double-click the Maximum password age.
 5. Set the number of days after which passwords expire.
 6. Click OK.

Limiting the Number of Invalid Login Attempts

When an iFIX user account is connected to a Windows user account, the application developer can set an
account lockout threshold, which prevents a user from accessing the account after he enters the incorrect
user name or password beyond the number of acceptable times. Once the account lockout threshold has
been reached, the account is disabled. For more information on the message displayed for a disabled
account, refer to Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX.
To set the account lockout threshold:

 1. From the Administrative Tools folder, select Local Security Policy.
 2. Select the Security Settings folder from the folder list in the Local Security Settings dialog box.
 3. Select the Account Policies folder.
 4. Select the Account Lockout Policies folder.
 5. Select Account Lockout Threshold.
 6. Select the number of invalid login attempts before the account is disabled.

Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX

At run time, when a user logs in or enters an electronic signature, he receives an error if the account has
been disabled. The application developer can configure the message to display, such as a telephone num-
ber or the name of a contact person; otherwise, a general message displays.
To configure the account disabled message:

 1. In Classic view, on the WorkSpace menu, click User Preferences.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 35

 -Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Home tab, in the WorkSpace group, click Settings, and then click User Prefer-
ences.
 2. Select the General tab.
 3. In the User Account Disabled Message field, enter a descriptive message indicating an action the
user might take to correct the problem, such as:
Account is Disabled. Contact Security Services.

You can enter up to 100 characters in this field.

User Accounts that Log in to Windows

When you use Windows security in iFIX on computers that do not run Windows Vista or Windows Server
2008, user accounts that need to log in to a machine must have the "Act as Part of the Operating System"
right enabled in the local security policy. On Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, you do not need to
enable the "Act as Part of the Operating System" right.
NOTE: User accounts that are not used to log in to Windows should not have this right.

To add the Act as Part of the Operating System right:

 1. In the Control Panel, from the Administrative Tools folder, select Local Security Policy.
 2. In the Local Security Settings dialog box's folder list, select the Local Policies folder.
 3. Select the User Rights Assignment folder.
 4. In the Rights list, double-click Act as Part of the Operating System.
 5. Add the users you want to have this right to the list.
 6. Log out of Windows and log in again for your changes to take effect.

Domain Users Logging Into Windows

If you are using Windows user names and passwords within iFIX Security, be aware that Windows user
accounts must have the policy "Access this computer from the network" applied under "Local Security Set-
tings". By default, this policy is assigned to the groups "Users" and "Everyone" on the local machine. If the
domain policy overrides the local policy settings by removing these groups, then the Windows user names
and passwords will fail with insufficient rights when trying to log in from iFIX. If domain administrators
wish to restrict this right, then they must do one of the following tasks in order to continue to use Window
user names and passwords within iFIX:

 l Create a Domain Group that contains all the Domain Users that will be used within iFIX Security,
add this group to the domain policy "Access this computer from the network", and deploy this policy
to all machines running iFIX.
 l Add the Domain Users group to the domain policy "Access this computer from the network", and
then deploy this policy to all machines running iFIX.

36 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  l Add Authenticated Users to the domain policy "Access this computer from the network", and then
deploy this policy to all machines running iFIX. Be aware that this group requires  each user to log
on to the domain at least once to be considered an authenticated user.
 l Leave at least the Users group in the domain policy "Access this computer from the network". If you
choose this option, be aware that the Anonymous user and the Guest user are not part of the Users
group.

Using the Security Configuration Program

To connect your Windows and iFIX user accounts using the iFIX Security Configuration program, follow the
steps below.

To connect your Windows and iFIX user accounts:

 1. Create your Windows user accounts locally or on a domain controller. To ensure a secure envir-
onment, do not create any local accounts if you are using domain accounts. For more information
on using a domain controller with Windows, refer to your Windows operating system doc-
umentation.
 2. If a user account needs to log in to Windows in addition to iFIX, configure that Windows account
with necessary rights, as described in the section User Accounts that Log in to Windows.
 3. Run the iFIX Security Configuration program. In the User Profile dialog box for each iFIX user
account, select Use Windows Security, and enter the Windows user name. If the account is local,
leave the domain field blank; otherwise enter the name of the domain controller.
The user and domain names you enter must match the names used by a Windows user account.
Although iFIX login names can only be six characters for standard iFIX users, iFIX users who have
Windows security enabled can have login names of up to twenty characters.
For information on accessing the Security Configuration program, refer to the section The Security
Configuration Program. For information on creating and modifying iFIX user accounts, refer to the
sections Creating Group and User Accounts and Modifying Group and User Accounts.

Using Security Synchronizer

The Security Synchronizer is an application that allows you to assign iFIX security privileges to iFIX user
accounts based on a Windows security configuration. This model enables you to use Windows security as
a central source of configuration for both Windows and iFIX user accounts. This centralized security envir-
onment, consequently, assists you in compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11.
NOTE: Current iFIX software must be installed and running on the machine using the Security Synchronizer.

Operational Overview
First you create Windows groups for each iFIX privilege you want to assign. This includes iFIX security
areas, application features, and groups. Then you assign Windows users to these Windows groups. The
Synchronizer accesses this Windows account information, and then adds, modifies, and deletes iFIX secur-
ity user accounts based on this information. The Synchronizer modifies only those iFIX security user

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 37

 accounts configured to use Windows security. However, you can configure the Synchronizer to delete non-
Windows users from iFIX. Refer to the /R parameter in the Using the Command Line section for more
information about deleting users.

You can periodically run the Synchronizer as a background task or you can manually run the Synchronizer.
Refer to Scheduling Security Synchronizer for more details.
NOTE: You must assign the Security Synchronizer application feature to the iFIX user that runs or schedules the
Security Synchronizer.

You run the Synchronizer in these security storage configurations:

 l Windows user and group accounts configured on the local computer.

 l Windows user and group accounts configured on a domain controller.
 l A combination of these two configurations.
TIP: If you run the Security Synchronizer and you have Proficy Change Management enabled, be aware that the
security files may be under someone else's source control and you cannot modify them. Refer to the Check Out
section for more information on Change Management rules. Check the alarm log file for Security Synchronizer res-
ults. If you installed iFIX to the default location, you can find this .log file in the C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy
iFIX\ALM folder.

In addition to being able to run the Synchronizer in a number of configurations, Security Synchronizer also
provides these features:

 l Ability to run regardless of whether a user is logged into iFIX, or whether a logged-in user has suf-
ficient iFIX security privileges.
NOTES:
 l This feature depends on the system user having Automatic login privileges and the Security Syn-
chronizer application feature assigned.
 l If Proficy Change Management is enabled and you want to use the Security Synchronizer: there
must be an iFIX logged-in user, and that logged in user must have sufficient security privileges to
use Proficy Change Management.

 l An audit trail that lists all changes made to the iFIX security configuration through the security log
and optionally through alarm messages.
 l Added security that prevents you from accidentally running the Synchronizer. This is accomplished
by requiring command line parameters for the program to run, and by requiring the system user to
have the Security Synchronizer application feature assigned.
 l A robust set of parameters you can use to customize the command line that runs the Synchronizer.
For example, you can supply a time-out value to any new iFIX user accounts created by the Syn-
chronizer, and you can remove all iFIX user accounts not configured to use Windows security. Refer
to Using the Command Line for more information on command line parameters.
 

Administrative Considerations

Before running the Synchronizer, you should be aware of the following considerations and potential con-
straints:

38 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  l You may schedule the Synchronizer to run at routine intervals. Because you cannot always determ-
ine which user may be logged-in when the Synchronizer runs, you may want to consider creating a
"special" security user that has the appropriate rights and permissions to the Synchronizer. iFIX
Security's System Autologin User option can be used to "impersonate" a certain user when the Syn-
chronizer runs. Refer to the Node-based Security section for information about using the Autologin
feature with Security Synchronizer.
 l To ensure that the correct information is accessed when you use domain security, you may want to
consider locating all Windows users in the same domain. If you use domain security in your con-
figuration, the current Windows user must log in to Windows and the appropriate domain for the
Synchronizer to retrieve the necessary user account information. Inability to access the domain can
result in incomplete configuration information.
NOTE: You do not need access to the domain if you use local security.

 l The Security Synchronizer application is not intended to run as a service.

 l iFIX security file structure prevents iFIX security users from being members of more than 12 iFIX
security groups at the same time.
 l You can assign no more than 20 characters when naming global groups on domain controllers that
are configured to support access by users on systems earlier than Windows 2000.
This restriction affects users who use domain-based Windows security when synchronizing iFIX
security privileges. Because several iFIX security privilege names exceed 20 characters, shorter ali-
ases are provided for these application features. Refer to the section Application Feature Name Ali-
ases for a complete list of aliases.
 l When iFIX security is enabled, you must ensure that at least one iFIX user has access to the iFIX
Security Configuration application feature. The system will not delete the last remaining account
with Security Configuration privileges; a message is logged to the audit trail indicating this situ-
ation.
 l The Security Synchronizer uses the Windows security configuration as the master or source of the
security data when it runs. Manual changes to a user's security privileges through the iFIX Security
Configuration utility are overwritten when Security Synchronizer runs if those changes do not
match the Windows security configuration for that user.
Security Synchronizer does not change the domain name or Login Time-out values for existing user
accounts in iFIX security; it does change the security privileges for security areas, application fea-
tures, and iFIX groups assigned to the account.
NOTE: The Synchronizer may replace an existing iFIX account from one domain with a new account from
another domain if the Windows user account has moved. In this case, the Synchronizer treats this as a
new account, and not as a modification of an existing account. The Synchronizer deletes the original iFIX
account and creates a new iFIX account with the appropriate domain and login time-out values.

How the Security Synchronizer Works

The Security Synchronizer maps Windows group names to iFIX security privileges. You assign iFIX security
privileges to users who are members of the Windows groups that represent these privileges. iFIX security
privileges are revoked from users who are not members of Windows groups that represent these priv-
ileges.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 39

 The Security Synchronizer performs the following steps to synchronize iFIX security users with their Win-
dows user accounts, based on Windows group memberships:

 1. Reads the current iFIX security configuration to determine the currently-available security areas,
application features, and iFIX group names. These names are used to determine the Windows
group names that represent each iFIX privilege.
 2. Determines which Windows users belong to each of the Windows group names.
 3. Modifies the user account of the same name in iFIX security for each Windows user account that
belongs to any of the valid group names.
Only iFIX user accounts configured to "Use Windows Security" are modified. The Security Syn-
chronizer makes modifications by assigning the user those privileges that map to the Windows
groups for which they are a member, and deleting privileges that map to Windows groups for
which they are not a member.
 4. Creates a new iFIX security user account if the Windows user account name does not match an
existing iFIX security user account. The appropriate iFIX security privileges are applied to the new
account.
 5. Removes any iFIX user from the security configuration who is not a member of at least one of the
mapped Windows groups that represent an iFIX privilege.
iFIX users not configured to "Use Windows Security" are removed in this manner only if the /R para-
meter is used in the Security Synchronizer command line. Refer to the Using the Command Line
section for more information on the Security Synchronizer command line.
NOTE: The Autologin user accounts are never removed from the security configuration, regardless of
whether they use Windows security or belong to any Windows groups. If security is enabled, the last user
account to have the Security Configuration application feature assigned to it will not be deleted. Also, if a
user account is currently logged in to iFIX it will not be deleted.

 6. Writes an audit trail message to the iFIX security log. The log message includes a record for each
added and deleted iFIX user account, other account modifications, and errors encountered during
processing.
NOTE: These messages can also be sent to the iFIX alarm destinations as text messages. Refer to the Using
the Command Line section for more information.

 7. Writes analog and digital values to the iFIX database to indicate the success or failure of the syn-
chronization. Writes are performed in this manner only if one or more of the Node.Tag.Field para-
meters are used in the command line. Refer to the Using the Command Line section for more
information on the Security Synchronizer command line.

Preparing to Run the Security Synchronizer

You must follow each of these steps to prepare the Security Synchronizer to run. Details for each step fol-
low these summarized steps:

 1. Decide the Source of Windows Security Information – Decide whether you want to use domain
security, local node security, or both.
 2. Create Windows Users - Create Windows users on the domain or local computer, as decided in the
first step.

40 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  3. Create Windows Groups – Create Windows groups on the domain or local computer, as decided in
the first step. You can use The CreateWindowsGroups Tool for this step.
 4. Assign Users to Windows Groups and Grant Privileges – Assign the Windows groups created in the
previous step to the appropriate Windows user accounts.
 5. Configure iFIX Security – Create at least one iFIX account with the appropriate privileges to run the
Security Synchronizer. Ensure that one of these users is logged in when the Security Synchronizer
application is running.
NOTE: You must perform this step only if you run Security Synchronizer while security is enabled.

Decide the Source of Windows Security Information

The first step you must take in preparing to run the Security Synchronizer is to decide the source of Win-
dows security information. You can create Windows groups in the local computer's security configuration
or on a domain controller. You must determine if the security information should come from a Windows
domain, the local computer, or both. One factor to consider when making this decision is the network con-
figuration at the site where the Security Synchronizer is used.
NOTE: It is important to understand that the source of Windows security information determines where Windows
groups are to be located, not where the Windows user accounts are to be found. Depending on whether local or
domain security groups are used, the members of these Windows groups can be local user accounts, domain user
accounts, or both. Domain groups may only contain domain user accounts, while a local group can contain both
local and domain user accounts.

Create Windows Users

Create your Windows user accounts locally or on a domain controller. To ensure a secure environment, do
not create any local accounts if you are using domain accounts. For more information on using a domain
controller with Windows, refer to your Windows operating system documentation.

If a user account needs to log in to Windows in addition to iFIX, configure that Windows account with
necessary rights, as described in the section User Accounts that Log in to Windows.

Create Windows Groups

Before using the Security Synchronizer, you must create Windows groups for all iFIX application features,
security areas, and security groups to be assigned to iFIX users. You can use the CreateWindowsGroup
tool to create these groups. Refer to The CreateWindowsGroups Tool for more information on using this
tool.

Once you create Windows groups, you can use the Windows User Manager or a similar Windows security
configuration tool to grant individual membership in the groups to Windows user accounts.

The following subjects are discussed in this topic:

 l Configuration Strategy
 l Limitations on Global Group Names

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 41

  l Global Group Nesting Not Supported
Configuration Strategy

You can reduce the number of Windows groups that must be created by grouping iFIX application features
into iFIX security groups. Each iFIX security group can represent a set of application features that apply to
a certain level of user, such as operators or supervisors.

You can then assign Windows users to the Windows group that represents the iFIX security group that rep-
resent their user level, such as "iFIX Security Group - Operators." Assigning users to groups in this manner:

 l Eases the configuration process by grouping similar application features into a single security
group.
 l Helps you avoid assigning Windows users to every application feature privilege that they are to be
granted.

Because iFIX security prevents an iFIX user from belonging to more than 12 security groups, you may still
need to assign some application feature privileges individually. You should always assign security area
privileges individually, since typically there are more application feature privileges than security areas.

Each Windows group name represents a single iFIX security privilege. An iFIX security privilege can be any
of the following:

iFIX Application Feature Name – predefined in the iFIX security system.

Security Area Name – user-defined in the iFIX Security Configuration program. These names have default
letter values of A through P when iFIX is installed.

Security Group Name – user-defined in the iFIX Security Configuration program.

Windows group names that represent each iFIX privilege are created by combining a prefix string indic-
ating the type of iFIX privilege with the name of the iFIX privilege. There are long and short forms of the
prefix string. The following table shows each type of iFIX privilege and its long and short prefix strings.

Windows Group Names

iFIX Privilege Long Prefix String Short pre-
fix string
Application Features FIX Application Feature - FAF -
Security Areas FIX Security Area - FSA -
Security Groups FIX Security Group - FSG -
NOTE: You must use the correct syntax in prefix strings. Spaces before and after the dash are required in the long
prefix string. Spaces before and after the dash are prohibited in the short prefix string.

The following table shows examples of iFIX privilege names and their corresponding Windows group
names. It is assumed that an iFIX security area named "Plant Floor" and an iFIX security group named
"Supervisors" has been configured in iFIX security for this example.

Privilege Names and Corresponding Windows Groups

iFIX Privilege Windows Group Name - long form Windows Group
Name - short form
Plant Floor Security Area FIX Security Area - Plant Floor FSA - Plant Floor
Supervisors Security Group FIX Security Group - Supervisors FSG - Supervisors

42 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Limitations on Global Group Names

You must limit the size of each Windows global group name to 20 characters if you synchronize iFIX secur-
ity with Windows security groups that exist on either of the following domains:

 l A Windows NT 4.0 domain

 l Windows 2000 domain controllers that are configured to support access by users on systems
earlier than Windows 2000.

Because many iFIX application feature names exceed this limit, to successfully use Security Synchronizer
in this situation, you must do either of the following:

 l Use aliases for iFIX application features that exceed 16 characters. Refer to Application Feature
Name Aliases for a complete list of pre-defined Windows group name aliases for application fea-
ture names.
 l Use the short prefix strings, described in the Windows Group Names table.

The 20-character limit on the size of the Windows global group name also affects user-defined iFIX secur-
ity groups, which can be up to 30 characters long, and iFIX security area names, which can be up to 20
characters long. If you use the Windows NT 4.0 domain as the source of Windows security information, do
not use more than 16 characters when naming iFIX security areas and iFIX security groups. This technique
reserves four characters for the short prefix strings.

The 20-character limit does not apply to:

 l Windows groups defined on a local computer (also referred to as local groups), since they can be
up to 256 characters long.
 l Windows XP domains or Windows 2000 domains with no access by users on systems earlier than
Windows 2000, since global group names on these domains can be up to 64 characters long.

As an alternate solution to the global group name character limitation, you can also use Windows local
groups to contain global groups. You can create local groups with the full application feature names and
you can assign global groups with an arbitrary name to the appropriate local groups.

If you are a Windows user who belongs to the global group, you also belong to the local group that con-
tains the global group. Therefore, you will be assigned the privilege associated with that local group name.

Since creating and maintaining local groups across multiple computers adds complexity to the con-
figuration required to use the Security Synchronizer, you should use this alternate solution only when a
single node is running the Security Synchronizer to synchronize a shared set of security files. If multiple
nodes are running the Security Synchronizer to synchronize multiple copies of the iFIX security data, then
you should use the application feature name aliases with global groups. Refer to Application Feature
Name Aliases for a complete list of pre-defined Windows group name aliases for application feature
names.
CAUTION: If you do not follow these procedures when using Windows NT 4.0 domain security with Security Syn-
chronizer, an incorrect iFIX security configuration based on the Windows configuration may result.
Global Group Nesting Not Supported

The Security Synchronizer does not support nested global groups within a Windows domain. Only user
accounts that belong to a global group are supported. Global groups that are members of other global
groups are ignored. Accounts that belong to the contained global group are not granted the security priv-
ileges associated with the containing global group.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 43

 A global group can be contained in a local group defined on a specific computer. However, any global
groups contained in local groups are not processed. Do not place global groups within local groups for the
purpose of Windows-to-iFIX security synchronization.

The CreateWindowsGroups Tool

The CreateWindowsGroups tool helps you to quickly create Windows groups that map to iFIX privileges:

 l Eliminate typographical errors when creating Windows security groups using the appropriate
names to map to iFIX security privileges.
 l Use the correct syntax when creating Windows security groups.
 l Create Windows global and local groups, using the appropriate names for iFIX security privileges.

Before using this tool, you must log in to Windows as a member of the Administrators or Account Oper-
ators group on either the local computer or the Windows domain, depending on whether you create the
Windows groups on the local computer or on the domain. However, iFIX does not need to be running to
use this tool.

The following figure shows the CreateWindowsGroups tool. Use the procedures following this figure to
create Windows security groups.

The CreateWindowsGroups Tool

44 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups tool:

 1. Run CreateWindowsGroups.exe from the iFIX directory. A list of Windows group names displays in
a list box. The Windows group names are derived from the current iFIX security configuration,
including the user-configured security group and security area names.
NOTE: Windows group names display in the list box only if you establish all group and security area
names in the Security Configuration program before using the CreateWindowsGroups tool.

 2. Select the appropriate filters and prefix style for the Windows groups you wish to create. If you are
creating groups on a Windows NT 4.0 domain, you must select the Show NT 4.0 Names filter.
 3. Select the groups you want to create in Windows security from the list box of group names. The list
may include different group names that represent the same iFIX security privileges.
NOTE: Use Ctrl/Click to select multiple group names in the list box. Use Shift/Click to select a range of
group names in the list box.

 4. Click Create Local Groups to create the groups currently selected in the list box if you are creating
Windows groups on the local computer.
 5. Click Create Domain Groups. The Specify Domain for Group Creation dialog box appears.
 6. In the Create Groups on this Domain edit box, specify a domain name, if you are creating Windows
groups on the Windows domain.  
 7. Click OK.
 

Assign Users to Windows Groups and Grant Privileges

Once you create the Windows groups that you need, you can assign Windows user accounts to the groups
that correspond to iFIX security privileges. You use the Windows User Manager tool to assign users to
groups that represent the iFIX privileges that they should be granted.

Configure iFIX Security

You can run the Security Synchronizer using a node-based or user-based approach to iFIX security.

Node-based Security

Choose this method if you want to run the Security Synchronizer on a node, regardless of who, if anyone,
is logged into iFIX. Using the iFIX security Autologin feature, you must specify an iFIX user account as the
system user. This account is automatically logged in as the system user the next time iFIX is started. You
cannot log this user off unless you remove the associated account from the System User field in the Auto-
matic Login Node dialog box, located in the Security Configuration program and restart iFIX.
NOTE: The system user you create here is recognized only by the Security Synchronizer. Other iFIX features and
programs do not recognize the system user; therefore, this user cannot be used to provide access to any security
privilege other than running the Security Synchronizer.

To specify the system user:

 1. Open the Security Configuration program.

 2. On the Edit menu, click Autologin.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 45

  3. Click Add.
 4. In the Node field, enter the iFIX node name. This is the node where the Security Synchronizer will be
run.
 5. In the System User field, select an account.
 6. Click OK.

Refer to the chapter Defining and Assigning Security Privileges for more information on the Security Con-
figuration program.

The user account logged in as a system user must have these two application features to be able to
execute the Security Synchronizer:

Security Synchronizer – needed to actually run the Security Synchronizer.

System User Login – needed for the user to be logged-in as the system user.

If you follow this method, the Security Synchronizer can run, providing these conditions are true:

 l iFIX is running.
 l Security Configuration program is not running.
 l A user is logged in to Windows.

The Security Synchronizer can run even if a non-system user, such as an operator with limited security
privileges, is logged in. iFIX logs the system user in at startup, and the Security Synchronizer checks for the
system user when it executes.

The iFIX user account specified as the system user is not modified or deleted by Security Synchronizer,
even if the /R parameter is specified. Refer to the Command Line Parameter Errors section for more
information on the run-time parameters. When this iFIX user account is used, its privileges to run the
Security Synchronizer cannot be revoked. Therefore, you should create a separate iFIX user account that
represents the system user with only the necessary security privileges. You should avoid using an existing
iFIX user's account.
NOTE: Once you add a system user to the Autologin configuration, you must restart iFIX for that user to become
logged-in.
User-based Security

To use this method, the currently logged in iFIX user must have the privileges necessary to run the Security
Synchronizer. You must assign the Security Synchronizer application feature to the appropriate user
accounts. If you do not specify a system user in the iFIX Autologin configuration, then, by default, user-
based security is used.

Under user-based security, if the current user does not have the appropriate Security Synchronizer applic-
ation feature privilege or if no user is logged in, the Security Synchronizer does not run and a message is
sent to the audit trail file.

Running the Security Synchronizer Application

You should run Security Synchronizer from only one location for each set of iFIX security files you maintain.
If all nodes on a company network use a shared set of iFIX security files that are stored on a file server,

46 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 then only one node on the network should run Security Synchronizer to update the security configuration.
If each iFIX node maintains its own set of iFIX security files, then you must run Security Synchronizer on
each node in order to update the security configuration for each node.
NOTE: Actions on an iClient node that affect data in the iFIX database require that the iFIX user have the proper
privileges on both the SCADA and View node; this requires that iFIX security configurations are identical on both
nodes. You may want to update all iFIX security configurations using Security Synchronizer at or near the same
time to keep separate security configurations synchronized with each other.

Because the Security Synchronizer runs as a background task, you must execute it from a command
prompt window or use a similar method to supply command line parameters to the program.

You cannot start the Security Synchronizer by double-clicking the file in Windows Explorer because you
need to supply command line parameters to start the synchronization process. This inability to launch the
Synchronizer provides added security by preventing you from clicking the program icon in Explorer and ini-
tiating the synchronization process at an inappropriate time, which could lead to an incorrect security con-
figuration.

You can, however, execute the program using an icon you create that contains the appropriate command
line parameters. You can create a Windows shortcut that points to the Security Synchronizer program and
supplies the command line parameters. Use the Shortcut tab of a shortcut to the SecuritySynchronizer.exe
to enter the appropriate information to create your shortcut.

To run Security Synchronizer, you must:

 l Install iFIX on the computer that will run Security Synchronizer.

 l Log the computer into the Windows domain from which user accounts will be retrieved, either the
local computer domain or a global domain.

All output that results from running the Security Synchronizer is directed to the security log file. The secur-
ity log file is located in the iFIX Alarm path. Optionally, these messages can be directed to the iFIX alarm
destinations as text messages. Refer to Using the Command Line for more information.

The following figure shows typical messages written to the security log file while the Security Synchronizer
runs. In this example, several users, such as FBROWN and OPERATOR1, configured to use the domain2
domain in the Windows Security configuration, are added to the iFIX security configuration.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 47

 Security Log/Audit Trail

You cannot run the iFIX Security Configuration program and the Security Synchronizer at the same time.
The system prevents the two from running simultaneously, which prevents one program from overwriting
changes that the other program is currently trying to make to the security files.

To determine if the Security Synchronizer has completed, you can:

 l Check the alarm destinations or security log file for a message indicating this state. An alarm des-
tination can be the alarm history, alarm file, or alarm printers.
 l Use the Completion Status tag command line parameter.
 

Using the Command Line

The following table describes each option in the command line.

SecuritySynchronizer.exe Command Line Parameters 

Command Description
Line Option
/Ddomain Supplies the name of the domain where the Windows groups are located. You
name must supply either this parameter, or the /L parameter, or both parameters to
enable the Security Synchronizer to locate the Windows groups.
/L Indicates that the local computer security configuration where the Windows

48 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 groups are located. You must supply either this parameter, or the /D<domain
name> parameter, or both parameters to enable the Security Synchronizer to
locate the Windows groups.
/R Indicates that all iFIX user accounts not configured to use Windows security will
be removed from the security configuration.

Any accounts that do not have the Use Windows Security check box selected in
the iFIX Security User Configuration dialog box will be removed from iFIX secur-
ity with the following exceptions:

 l The Application and System User Autologin accounts are not deleted
from iFIX security.
 l The user account that is currently logged in is not deleted from iFIX secur-
ity.
/E Supplies the name of an analog iFIX database tag and floating point (F_) field to
Node.Tag.Field which a value is written after the Security Synchronizer completes. The value
written to this tag indicates the most serious error, if any, encountered during
the synchronization process. A value of 0 indicates that no errors were
encountered.

Refer to Understanding Security Synchronizer Messages for a list of error codes.

/F Supplies the name of a digital iFIX database tag and floating point (F_) field to
Node.Tag.Field which a value is written after the Security Synchronizer completes. A value of 0
indicates that no errors were encountered. A value of 1 indicates that an error
was encountered.

You can determine the specific error encountered by checking the security log
file or the Analog Error tag, specified using the /E parameter.
/C Supplies the name of a digital iFIX database tag and floating point (F_) field to
Node.Tag.Field which a value is written that indicates that the Security Synchronizer has com-
pleted. The value 1 is written when the synchronization has completed.

NOTE: You must manually set this tag's value to 0 before running the Security
Synchronizer if you want to determine whether the process has completed.
/T# seconds Supplies an iFIX Login Time-out value to apply to any new iFIX user accounts cre-
ated by Security Synchronizer.

If you do not use this parameter, the default value of 0 seconds (no Login Time-
out) is used for all new iFIX user accounts.

The maximum value allowed is 86399 seconds, or 23:59:59.

For more information, refer to the Limiting Login Time section.

/Mmap mode Indicates the security mapping scheme to be used by Security Synchronizer to
perform the synchronization.

In iFIX 4.0, 3.5, and 3.0 only the default mapping scheme is valid. The mapping
scheme refers to how Windows group names are mapped to iFIX privileges.

NOTE: This parameter is intended for future use only. Do not use this parameter.
/A Indicates that all messages sent to the security log file should also be sent to the
alarm destinations as text messages. If this parameter is not supplied, most mes-
sages are not sent to the alarm destinations.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 49

 Command Line Parameter Example

A fictitious PlantA domain is used in this example. This command line will:

 l Retrieve Windows Security groups from the PlantA domain.

 l Leave iFIX user accounts intact if they are not using Windows security.
 l Write the final error code to the iFIX database on node SCADA1 (tag name SYNCERROR).

The command line required by the PlantA domain in this example is:
SecuritySynchronizer.exe /DPlantA /ESCADA1.SYNCERROR.F_CV

The following conditions result because the indicated parameters are not used in the previous command
line example:

 l iFIX accounts not using Windows security are not removed because the /R parameter is not used.
 l Local Windows security information is ignored because the /L parameter is not used.
 l No digital failure value is written to an iFIX database because the /F parameter is not used.
 l No completion status value is written to an iFIX database because the /C parameter is not used.
 l A default Login Time-out value of 0 seconds is applied to new iFIX user accounts created by the
Security Synchronizer because the /T parameter is not used. This causes time-out to be disabled.
 l Messages are not written to the alarm destinations because the /A parameter is not used.
NOTE: You must run the command line while a Windows user is currently logged in to the PlantA domain. Other-
wise, the Security Synchronizer fails because it cannot retrieve the Windows security information.

When to Run the Security Synchronizer

You should run the Security Synchronizer:

 l Whenever you make changes to the Windows security configuration that affects iFIX users, such as
when you add or remove users from mapped Windows groups.
 l After you add, change, or remove iFIX security groups or security area names, as these changes
affect the Windows groups that map to these privileges.
 

Scheduling Security Synchronizer

You may want to implement a scheduling strategy if you make frequent changes to the Windows security
configuration that will affect the iFIX security configuration.

The Security Synchronizer application does not have a self-scheduling function, but you can use scheduling
software or a third-party scheduling tool to run the application at specified times or intervals.

iFIX offers a scheduling tool, called the Scheduler, that helps you easily run the Security Synchronizer at
designated times. Refer to the Mastering iFIX manual for details on using this tool.

50 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 You may want to consider using the Scheduled Task Wizard located on the Control Panel to schedule the
Security Synchronizer.
Using the Task Scheduler Service

You can use this service to schedule programs at designated times and intervals.
To use the Windows Task Scheduler:

 1. Log in to Windows as a member of the local Administrator group. Only members of this group can
schedule tasks for execution.
 2. Ensure that the Task Scheduler service is running by checking the Services dialog box from Control
Panel. The Task Scheduler service displays in the list.
 3. Open a command prompt window and type the At command, followed by the appropriate para-
meters to indicate the name of the task and the time of execution. Refer to Windows Help for more
information about the At command and command line parameters used by the Task Scheduler.
 4. View the task you scheduled by typing "at" at the command line. Do not supply any parameters. The
list of scheduled tasks displays.
Examples

To schedule the SecuritySynchronizer.exe program to run on a local computer every Monday and Thursday
at 3:00 a.m., you should enter the following command:
at 3:00 /every:M,Th SecuritySynchronizer.exe command line parameters

where <command line parameters> represents the command line parameters to be passed to Secur-
itySynchronizer.exe, such as /L and /R. Refer to Using the Command Line for more information on com-
mand line parameters.

To schedule the SecuritySynchronizer.exe program to run on the 25th day of each month at 6:00 p.m. on a
computer named View3, you should enter the following command:
at\\View3 18:00/next:25 SecuritySynchronizer.exe <command line parameters>
Using an iFIX Database Program Block

You can use an iFIX database Program block to schedule the run time for Security Synchronizer. Due to the
limit on the length of command lines in Program blocks, you must create a Windows command file that
executes from the Program block.

A Windows command file is a text file that contains the command line to run, including the program name
and any command line parameters. The command file must end with the .CMD file extension.

The Windows command file you use must reside in the iFIX root directory (C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy
iFIX) if no path is specified on the Program block command line, or you must specify the full path to the file
in the Program block command line.

An example of the text of a command file used to run the Security Synchronizer:
SecuritySynchronizer.exe /DPlantA /L /T /R

NOTE: This command file is saved as SecSync.cmd.

An example of a Program block command line that runs the above command file using the Program block's
RUNTASK command if the SecSync.cmd file is in the iFIX base path:
RUNTASK SecSync.cmd

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 51

 An example of a Program block command line that runs the above command file using the Program block's
RUNTASK command if the SecSync.cmd file is in the C:\ directory:
RUNTASK C:\SecSync.cmd

Using the Security Synchronizer Automation Interface

The Security Synchronizer program is a background task that you use with command line parameters to
execute the security synchronization process.

You can also program the synchronization process using the SecuritySynchronizer Automation object. This
object provides the properties and methods you need to synchronize iFIX security with your Windows
security configuration. You have the ability to write custom applications or scripts that automate how and
when the security synchronization process executes.

For a description of the SecuritySynchronizer object and the properties and methods available through it,
see the iFIX Automation Interfaces Help file.

Application Feature Name Aliases

You can use the aliases listed in this section to represent the indicated application feature name. These ali-
ases are provided only for iFIX application feature names that exceed 16 characters. These aliases allow
you to create domain groups without exceeding the 20-character group name limit imposed by the sys-
tems listed above.

The following table lists all application feature name aliases for iFIX.

iFIX Application Feature Name Aliases 

iFIX Application Feature Name Windows Group Name Alias or Aliases
Application Validator - Creation of Baselines FAF–Application Validator - Creation of Baselines

FAF–AppVal Baselines
Application Validator - Run-time Access FAF–Application Validator - Run-time Access

FAF–AppVal Runtime
Background Task Exit FAF–Background Task Exit

FAF–BG Task Exit

Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del FAF–Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del

FAF–Ctrl-Alt-Del
Database Manager FAF–Database Manager
Database Reload FAF–Database Reload
Database Save FAF–Database Save
Database Block Add-Delete FAF–Database Block Add-Delete

FAF–DB Block Add-Del

EDA Feature [1-55] FAF–EDA Feature [1-55]

52 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Electronic Signature – Bypass FAF–Electronic Signature - Bypass

FAF–ESig-Bypass
Electronic Signature – Perform By FAF–Electronic Signature - Perform By

FAF–ESig-Perform By
Electronic Signature – Verify By FAF–Electronic Signature - Verify By

FAF–ESig-Verify By
Fix32 – Alarm Summary Display FAF–Fix32 - Alarm Summary Display

FAF–F32 - Alm Sum

Fix32 – Historical Display Configuration FAF–Fix32 - Historical Display Configuration

FAF–F32 - HTDCFG
Fix32 – Historical Trend Display FAF–Fix32 - Historical Trend Display

FAF–F32 - HTD
Fix32 – Historical Trend Display View Only FAF–Fix32 - Historical Trend Display View Only

FAF–F32 - HTDView
Fix32 – Key Macro Editor FAF–Fix32 - Key Macro Editor
Fix32 – Operating System Window FAF–Fix32 - Operating System Window

FAF–F32 - OS Win
Fix32 – Run a Task from View FAF–Fix32 - Run a Task from View

FAF–F32 - RUNTASK
Historical Trend Assign FAF–Historical Trend Assign

FAF–HTA
Historical Trend Collection FAF–Historical Trend Collection

FAF–HTC
Historical Trend Export FAF–Historical Trend Export

FAF–HTD Export
iFIX – System Shutdown FAF–iFIX System Shutdown

FAF–iFIX Shutdown
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 1 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 1

FAF–OEM Reserved 1
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 10 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 10

FAF–OEM Reserved 10
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 11 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 11

FAF–OEM Reserved 11
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 12 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 12

FAF–OEM Reserved 12

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 53

 GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 2 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 2

FAF–OEM Reserved 2
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 3 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 3

FAF–OEM Reserved 3
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 4 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 4

FAF–OEM Reserved 4
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 5 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 5

FAF–OEM Reserved 5
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 6 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 6

FAF–OEM Reserved 6
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 7 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 7

FAF–OEM Reserved 7
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 8 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 8

FAF–OEM Reserved 8
GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 9 FAF–GE Intelligent Platforms OEM Reserved 9

FAF–OEM Reserved 9
Manual Failover FAF–Manual Failover
Project Backup-Restore FAF–Backup-Restore

FAF–Project Backup-Restore
Recipe Save from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Save from Recipe Builder

FAF–RCP Builder Save

Recipe Builder Development Window FAF–Recipe Builder Development Window

FAF–RCP Dev Window

Recipe Download from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Download from Recipe Builder

FAF–RCP Download
Recipe Builder Operations Window FAF–Recipe Builder Operations Window

FAF–RCP Op Window
Recipe Text Output from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Text Output from Recipe Builder

FAF–RCP Text Output

Recipe Upload from Recipe Builder FAF–Recipe Upload from Recipe Builder

FAF–RCP Upload
Recipe Load FAF–Recipe Load
Recipe Save FAF–Recipe Save
Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access FAF–Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access

FAF–Runtime VBE
Security Configuration FAF–Security Configuration

54 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 FAF–Security Config
Security Synchronizer FAF–Security Synchronizer

FAF–Security Synch
Startup Profile Manager FAF–Startup Profile Manager

FAF–SU Profile Manager

System User Login FAF–System User Login

FAF–Sys User Login

System User Logout FAF–System User Logout

FAF–Sys User Logout

System Configuration FAF–System Config

FAF–System Configuration
Tag Group Editor FAF–Tag Group Editor
Enable Task Switching FAF–Task Switching

FAF–Enable Task Switching

VisconX Writes FAF–VisiconX Writes
WorkSpace Configure FAF–WS Configure

FAF–WorkSpace Configure
WorkSpace Runtime FAF–WS Runtime

FAF–WorkSpace Runtime
WorkSpace Runtime Exit FAF–WS Runtime Exit

FAF–WorkSpace Runtime Exit

The following table lists all application feature name aliases for Proficy Batch Execution.

Batch Execution Application Feature Name Aliases 

Batch Execution Application Feature Name Application Feature Name Alias
Batch Execution – Abort Batch FAF–BE Abort Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Abort Batch

Batch Execution – Acknowledge Prompts FAF–BE Ack Prompts

FAF–Batch Execution - Acknowledge Prompts

Batch Execution – Acquire and Release Resources FAF–BE Acq-Rel Res

FAF–Batch Execution - Acquire and Release

Resources
Batch Execution – Acquire Phase for Manual Con- FAF–BE Acquire Phase
trol
FAF–Batch Execution - Acquire Phase for Manual Con-
trol
Batch Execution – Add Batch FAF–BE Add Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Add Batch

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 55

 Batch Execution – Allow Demo Mode FAF–BE Allow Demo

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Demo Mode

Batch Execution – Allow Arbitration View FAF–BE Arbit View

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Arbitration View

Batch Execution – Archiver Startup FAF–BE Arch Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Startup

Batch Execution – Archiver Startup from Archiver FAF–BE Arch Start AM
Manager
FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Startup from Archiver
Manager
Batch Execution – Archiver Shutdown from FAF–BE Arch Stop AM
Archiver Manager
FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Shutdown from
Archiver Manager
Batch Execution – Change to Auto/Manual Mode FAF–BE Change Mode

FAF–Batch Execution - Change to Auto-Manual Mode

Batch Execution – Clear All Failures FAF–BE Clear Failure

FAF–Batch Execution - Clear All Failures

Batch Execution – Configure the Client FAF–BE Client Cfg

FAF–Batch Execution - Configure the Client

Batch Execution – Allow Help from Client FAF–BE Client Help

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Help from Client

Batch Execution – Client Startup FAF–BE Client Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Client Startup

Batch Execution – Client Shutdown FAF–BE Client Stop

FAF–Batch Execution - Client Shutdown

Batch Execution – Configuration FAF–BE Config

FAF–Batch Execution - Configuration

Batch Execution – Create Equipment Con- FAF–BE Create Eq Cfg
figuration
FAF–Batch Execution - Create Equipment Con-
figuration
Batch Execution – Create Recipes FAF–BE Create Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Create Recipes

Batch Execution – Equipment Editor Startup FAF–BE Eq Edt Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Equipment Editor Startup

Batch Execution – Go to HMI FAF–BE Go to HMI

FAF–Batch Execution - Go to HMI

Batch Execution – Hold Batch FAF–BE Hold Batch

56 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 FAF–Batch Execution - Hold Batch
Batch Execution – Misc Item Deletion from iFIX FAF–BE Misc Item Del
WorkSpace
FAF–Batch Execution - Misc Item Deletion from iFIX
WorkSpace
Batch Execution – Create New Project in iFIX FAF–BE New Project
WorkSpace
FAF–Batch Execution - Create New Project in iFIX
WorkSpace
Batch Execution – Allow Phase Control FAF–BE Phase Control

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Phase Control

Batch Execution – Recipe Editor Startup FAF–BE Rcp Edt Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Recipe Editor Startup

Batch Execution – Rebind Unit Procedure FAF–BE Rebind UP

FAF–Batch Execution - Rebind Unit Procedure

Batch Execution – Rebuild Recipe Directory FAF–BE Rebuild Dir

FAF–Batch Execution - Rebuild Recipe Directory

Batch Execution – Release Recipes to Production FAF–BE Release Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Release Recipes to Production

Batch Execution – Remove Batch FAF–BE Remove Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Remove Batch

Batch Execution – Remove Recipes FAF–BE Remove Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Remove Recipes

Batch Execution – Restart Batch FAF–BE Restart Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Restart Batch

Batch Execution – Save Equipment Configuration FAF–BE Save Eq Cfg

FAF–Batch Execution - Save Equipment Configuration

Batch Execution – Save Recipes FAF–BE Save Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Save Recipes

Batch Execution – Server Startup FAF–BE Server Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Server Startup

Batch Execution – Server Shutdown FAF–BE Server Stop

FAF–Batch Execution - Server Shutdown

Batch Execution – Simulator Startup FAF–BE Sim Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Simulator Startup

Batch Execution – Start Batch FAF–BE Start Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Start Batch

Batch Execution – Start iWorkInstruction Editor FAF–Start iWorkInstruction Editor

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 57

 Batch Execution – Start SoftPhase Server FAF–Start SoftPhase Server
Batch Execution – Stop Batch FAF–BE Stop Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Stop Batch

Batch Execution – Stop SoftPhase Server FAF–Batch Execution - Stop SoftPhase Server
Batch Execution – Save from iFIX WorkSpace FAF–BE WS Save

FAF–Batch Execution - Save from iFIX WorkSpace

Batch Execution – Proficy iFIX WorkSpace Startup FAF–BE WS Startup

FAF–Batch Execution - Proficy iFIX WorkSpace Star-

tup

Troubleshooting

The following table explains how to address common problems that can arise when using security.

Handling Common Security Problems

If you... You must...
Lock yourself out of iFIX. Log in with an administrative user account and create for yourself a new user
account. The initial login name for such an account is ADMIN and the initial pass-
word is ADMIN.
Forget your password. Log in with an administrative user account and enter a new password for your
user account. The initial login name for such an account is ADMIN and the initial
password is ADMIN.
Do not want security to Enter 00:00:00 as the time-out interval for your user accounts.
automatically logoff
operators.
Want to login into iFIX 1. Add a push button to your picture.
from a picture.
2. Name the button Login.
3. Write a script to call the LogIn subroutine.

For more information, refer to the iFIX Automation Interfaces Help file.
Want to protect the Start the Security Configuration program, click the Configuration button from
Alt+F4 keystroke. the Security toolbox, and click Enabled from the Configuration dialog box.
Want to access the Start the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and click the Security Configuration button
Security Configuration from the Application toolbar (Classic view) or on the Applications tab, in the Sys-
program without start- tem & Security group, click Security and then click Security Configuration Utility
ing the SCU. (Ribbon view).

Understanding Security Configuration Messages

If you see a message that you do not understand when running the Security Configuration program, refer
to the following table for a possible explanation and response. Be sure to click OK to acknowledge the mes-
sage before taking the recommended action.

58 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Security Configuration Messages 
When you Then...
see the mes-
sage...
Application You entered a full name in the Application User field that security could not find. Click the
user not browse (...) button and select a name from the list of user accounts that appears. If no user
found. account appears with the name you want, create the account first.
Reenter.
CAUTION: You attempted to change the security configuration of your computer while the security
Backup secur- path is unavailable. While you can reconfigure the security system now, you will need to
ity path cur- repeat this task when the security path becomes available.
rently in use.
Configuration You selected Exit from the File menu without saving your changes. Click Yes to save the
has changed. changes or click No to quit without saving your changes. To continue using the Security Con-
Save new figuration program, click Cancel.
changes?
Copy existing You redefined the security path. Click Yes to move the user and group accounts to the new
configuration path, click No to leave the files in the current location, or click Cancel to return to the Secur-
to new path? ity Configuration program.
Delete exist- You selected Clear from the File menu. Click Yes to delete all user and group accounts.
ing security Click No to cancel.
configuration?
Disable secur- You have enabled security without creating any user accounts that can access the Security
ity or give a Configuration program. Create at least one user account that can access the program
user access to before you exit.
this program
before exiting.
Failure export-The Security Configuration program could not export its current settings. Verify that you
ing security have enough free hard disk space. If you do not, back up any unnecessary files, delete
configuration. them, and try exporting the security configuration again.
Failure read- The Security Configuration program could not import the file you specified. Verify the file is
ing security not damaged or stored in bad sectors of your hard disk.
configuration.
Failure writ- The Security Configuration program could not save its current settings. Verify that you have
ing security enough free hard disk space. If you do not, back up any unnecessary files, delete them, and
files. Check try saving the security configuration again.
disk space.
Full name You entered non-alphanumeric characters (such as punctuation marks) in the full name of a
must be alpha-user account. Retype the name including only alphanumeric characters.
numeric.
Group name You attempted to create a group account without naming it. Enter a name of up to 20 alpha-
needed to numeric characters in the Group Name field and click OK to create the account.
save a group.
Invalid path You specified a path in the Backup Path field that does not exist. Either create the directory
specified. or specify a path that exists.
Invalid Either you specified a non-numeric value for the Login Timeout field, or you entered a
timeout value numeric value in a format the Security Configuration program does not recognize. Type a
entered! numeric value in the field using the format: hh:mm:ss.
Login name You entered non-alphanumeric characters (such as punctuation marks) in the login name of

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 59

must be alpha-a user account. Retype the login name in this field including only alphanumeric characters.
numeric.
New path has You clicked No when the Security Configuration program prompted you to copy the user
no security and group accounts. Because no account files already exist in the specified security path,
files. Copy you must click Yes or Cancel instead.
files or
CANCEL
change.
Ok to DELETE The Security Configuration program is about to delete the selected group account. Click Yes
this group? to delete the account or click No to keep it.
Ok to DELETE The Security Configuration program is about to delete the selected user account. Click Yes
this user? to delete the account or click No to keep it.
Ok to lose cur- You clicked Cancel on a dialog box. Click Yes to abort the changes you have made or click
rent changes? No to continue making changes.
Old con- The Security Configuration program could not find the back-up of the previous security con-
figuration not figuration and saved the current one instead. This can occur when the files have been
found! renamed or deleted. The backup path may have also been changed.
Overwrite The name of the file you entered already exists. Click Yes to overwrite the file, click No to
existing enter a new file name, or click Cancel to abort the process.
export file?
Password con-The password you typed does not match the one you entered for the current user account.
firmation Click OK and retype the password when prompted.
failed. Save
Aborted.
Replace or The Security Configuration program is about to import a security configuration. Click
add to exist- Replace to overwrite all the existing group accounts, user accounts, and the security areas
ing con- with the information in the import file. Click Add to append the new accounts to your exist-
figuration? ing ones.
Save failed! The Security Configuration program could not save its current settings. Verify that you have
enough free hard disk space. If you do not, back up any unnecessary files, delete them, and
try saving the security configuration again.
Security con- The Security Configuration program cannot find the security files in the specified security
figuration cor- path. Contact GE Intelligent Platforms Support for more information.
rupted.
Security Files The security path you specified does not exist. Consequently, the Security Configuration pro-
must be manu-gram cannot copy the user and group accounts to the specified path. You must copy the
ally copied files to this path once it becomes available. If you do not, the Security Configuration pro-
from <old_ gram assumes someone has tampered with security and will not allow you to restart the
path>. program.
Security path iFIX could not find the security path you specified. Verify it exists and try again. If the path
invalid or points to a file server, make sure the server is functioning properly.
unavailable.
Continue?
Should default You have selected Clear to delete all user and group accounts. To prevent you from acci-
user and dentally locking yourself out the program, the Security Configuration program allows you to
group create sample user and group accounts. To create these accounts, click Yes. To skip cre-
accounts be ating these accounts, click No.
created.
System user You entered a full name in the System User field that security could not find. Click the

60 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 not found. browse (...) button and select a name from the list of user accounts that appears. If no user
Reenter. account appears with the name you want, create the account first.
Unauthorized You attempted to start the Security Configuration program but your user account does not
access to provide access to the program or you are not logged in. Log into iFIX, if necessary, and try
Security Con- again. If you are using Windows security, verify that you entered the password exactly as
figurator. defined. If the problem persists, verify that the Windows user account you are using exists
and is configured as described in the section Using the Security Configuration Program.
Unique login You entered a login name or full name already in use by another user account. Enter a login
and full name or full name not in use by any other account and click OK.
names
required for
each user.
Warning: The Security Configuration program is about to import a security configuration file. Click
imported user Yes to continue importing the file or click No to abort the procedure. To import a file with
accounts may passwords, edit it with a text editor and type the text PASSWORD:password on the line
not have pass-immediately following the login name. Refer to the section Importing User Account Pass-
words! words for an example of editing an import file.
Continue?

Understanding Security Synchronizer Messages

You may encounter the errors listed in this section in the iFIX alarm destinations or the iFIX security log file
while Security Synchronizer is running. Error codes can range from 0, indicating that no errors have been
detected, to 299.

The error code associated with a specific error is written to the analog error tag, if a valid tag is specified
with the /E parameter. If more than one error occurs during the security synchronization process, then the
most severe error code is written to the analog tag. If more than one error of the same severity is
encountered, then the last error generated of that severity is written to the analog tag.

If an error is encountered while the security synchronization is processing, then the digital error tag is set
to 1.

Error messages that contain user names display the Windows user name in the message. Refer to the fol-
lowing sections for more information about error messages:

 l Error Severity Categories

 l Application Error Codes (200-299)
 l User Account Error Codes (100-199)
 l General Error Codes (1-99)
 l Command Line Parameter Errors
 

Error Severity Categories

Errors are categorized into three levels of severity, listed here from highest to lowest:

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 61

 Application Errors – Security Synchronizer terminates without performing or completing synchronization.
Error codes range from 200-299.

User Account Errors – Errors are encountered for individual user accounts, but the synchronization pro-
cess completes. Error codes range from 100-199.

General Errors – Errors such as the inability to write to iFIX database tags are detected, but the syn-
chronization process completes. Error codes range from 1-99.

You may encounter a fourth type of error caused when an invalid command line parameter is passed to
the Security Synchronizer. This type of error does not cause values to be written to the iFIX database, but it
does cause messages to be written to the security log file and the iFIX alarm destinations.

You can configure error conditions to be reported in the Alarm Summary or other alarm destinations
through the use of iFIX database tags. If the /E parameter is used to specify an analog error tag, you can
configure that tag to alarm on the error value. For example, you can configure an Analog Input block that
receives the error value to generate a HI alarm when the error value exceeds 99 or a HIHI alarm when the
error value exceeds 199.

Application Error Codes (200-299)

The following table lists the application error codes. These errors cause the Security Synchronizer process
to terminate without performing or completing synchronization. These errors have the highest severity.

Application Error Codes 

Err- Error Message
or
Co-
de
201 Security Synchronizer: Unable to perform security synchronization. FIX system is not run-
ning
202 Security Synchronizer: User has insufficient FIX privileges to run Security Synchronizer.
203 Security Synchronizer: Attempt to execute synchronization while already running. Second
attempt aborted.
204 Security Synchronizer: Function is not enabled on this node; check license/key.
205 Security Synchronizer: Security Configurator is running. Synchronization aborted.
210 Security Synchronizer: Insufficient memory to complete synchronization process. Syn-
chronization aborted.
220 Security Synchronizer: Source of Windows security not specified (Domain, Local). Syn-
chronization aborted.
230 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve security info from Windows Domain. Syn-
chronization aborted.
240 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve Windows security information from local PC. Syn-
chronization aborted.
250 Security Synchronizer: No group names found in Windows that map to FIX privileges. Syn-
chronization aborted.
251 Security Synchronizer: No Windows users belong to groups which map to FIX privileges.
Synchronization aborted.
270 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX security data. Synchronization aborted.

62 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 271 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX security Area data. Synchronization aborted.
272 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX Application Feature data. Synchronization
aborted.
273 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX Security Group data. Synchronization aborted.
280 Security Synchronizer: Security paths unavailable or security has been tampered with. Syn-
chronization aborted.

User Account Error Codes (100-199)

The following table lists the user account error codes. These errors are encountered for individual user
accounts, but the synchronization process continues. These errors have medium severity. The %s char-
acter used in the following list of user account error message is replaced by the appropriate string for
each instance of the message:

User Account Error Codes 

Err- Error Message
or
Co-
de
101 Security Synchronizer: Can't create account for %s. Name already exists.
102 Security Synchronizer: Can't create account for %s. Invalid characters in name.
110 Security Synchronizer: Can't save changes to user %s. Error writing to file.
120 Security Synchronizer: Can't add FIX group %s to user %s (>12).
130 Security Synchronizer: Can't delete FIX user %s. Last user with access to Security Config.
131 Security Synchronizer: Can't remove security configuration rights from user %s.
140 Security Synchronizer: Can't remove user %. User no longer exists in FIX security.
141 Security Synchronizer: Can't delete user %s. Error occurred writing to disk.
150 Security Synchronizer: Error sorting FIX security users. Use FIX Security Configuration pro-
gram to save configuration.
160 Security Synchronizer: Unable to restore security data due to disk problems. Security may
be corrupted.
161 Security Synchronizer: Unable to backup security data due to disk problems. No FIX users
were deleted.
162 Security Synchronizer: Unable to save security data due to disk problems. No FIX users
were deleted.

General Error Codes (1-99)

The following table lists the General Error codes. These errors have the lowest severity.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 63

 General Error Codes
Er- Error Message
ro-
r
Co-
de
20 Security Synchronizer: Can't write to Analog Error tag %s in FIX database.
21 Security Synchronizer: Can't write to Digital Error tag %s in FIX database.
22 Security Synchronizer: Can't write to Completion tag %s in FIX database.
30 Security Synchronizer: Security Area name %s does not exist in FIX security.
31 Security Synchronizer: application feature name %s does not exist in FIX security.
32 Security Synchronizer: Security Group name %s does not exist in FIX security.

Command Line Parameter Errors

Values are not associated with command line parameter errors since values are not written to the iFIX
database when these errors occur. These errors terminate the synchronization process before it actually
begins. These errors are detected only when the SecuritySynchronizer.exe program is running, and not
when programming to the Security Synchronizer Automation interface. Refer to the iFIX Automation Inter-
faces Help file for more information on the Automation interface.

You may encounter one of these command line errors while running Security Synchronizer:

 l Security Synchronizer: Invalid Windows Domain name. Synchronization aborted.

 l Security Synchronizer: Invalid Login Timeout value. Value must be between 0 and 86399 seconds.
Synchronization aborted.
 l Security Synchronizer: Invalid MapMode value. Synchronization aborted. FOR FUTURE USE.
 l Security Synchronizer: Invalid Analog Error Tag syntax (/E). Synchronization aborted.
 l Security Synchronizer: Invalid Failure Tag syntax (/F). Synchronization aborted.
 l Security Synchronizer: Invalid Completion Tag syntax (/C). Synchronization aborted.
 

Security Configuration Dialog Boxes

The Security Configuration application includes the following dialog boxes (listed in alphabetical order):

 l Application Feature Selection Dialog Box

 l Automatic Login at Startup Dialog Box
 l Automatic Login Node Dialog Box
 l Configuration Dialog Box
 l Edit Security Area Dialog Box
 l Group Accounts Dialog Box
 l Group Membership Selection Dialog Box

64 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  l Group Profile Dialog Box
 l Password Confirmation Dialog Box
 l Security Area Naming Dialog Box
 l Security Area Selection Dialog Box
 l Select User Dialog Box
 l User Accounts Dialog Box
 l User Profile Dialog Box

Application Feature Selection Dialog Box

The Application Feature Selection dialog box displays the following items:

Authorized
Displays the account privileges accessible to this account.

Available
Displays the account privileges you can assign to the current account.

Add All
Adds all available account privileges to the Authorized list box.

Add
Adds the selected account privilege to the Authorized list box.

Delete
Removes the selected account privilege from the Authorized list box.

Delete All
Removes all available account privileges from the Authorized list box.

Automatic Login at Startup Dialog Box

The Automatic Login at Startup dialog box displays the following items:

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 65

 Auto Started Nodes
Alphabetically lists the nodes that have been configured for automatic login and lets you select the node
you want to edit or delete.

Add
Lets you create an automatic login file for a node.

Modify
Lets you modify an existing automatic login file for the selected node.

Delete
Removes the selected node's automatic login file.

Automatic Login Node Dialog Box

The Automatic Login Node dialog box displays the following items:

Node
Displays the name of the node that automatically logs in the specified application user when iFIX starts. To
change the node name, enter the name of a new node.

Application User
Displays the user account that iFIX automatically logs in as the application user. To change the name, enter
it, or click the browse (...) button to select a name from the Select User dialog box.

System User
Displays the account that is automatically logged in as the system user the next time iFIX is started.

For more information, refer to the Configure iFIX Security topic in the Configuring Security Features guide in
the iFIX electronic books (Dynamics.chm).
NOTE: Only the Security Synchronizer recognizes the System User. Other iFIX features and programs do not recog-
nize the system user; therefore, this user cannot be used to provide access to any security privilege other than run-
ning the Security Synchronizer.

Configuration Dialog Box

The Configuration dialog box displays the following items:

User Based Security

Controls whether security is enabled. By default, security is disabled.

66 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Security Path
Defines the path to your security files. By default, iFIX sets the security path to the Local path.
NOTE: If you define a file server directory as your security path, you also need to define a backup path. The
backup path allows operators to log into iFIX while the file server is unavailable. The backup path and should be
a local drive.

Backup Path
Defines a second path to your security files. By default, iFIX sets the backup path to the local path.
NOTE: If you have defined a file server as your security path, you need to define a backup path.

Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles

Enables or disables a global security path.
NOTE: If you disable global security paths and you are using Terminal Services, you must configure security indi-
vidually for each iFIX user.

Edit Security Area Dialog Box

The Edit Security Area dialog box displays the following items:

Area
Displays the number of the area you chose to edit.

Name
Allows you to create or rename the selected security area. The name you specify can be up to 20 alpha-
numeric characters.

Group Accounts Dialog Box

The Group Accounts dialog box displays the following items:

Current Groups
Displays the existing group accounts and lets you select the account you want to modify or delete.

Add
Lets you add a new group account.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 67

 Modify
Lets you modify the selected group account.

Delete
Lets you remove the selected group account.

Group Membership Selection Dialog Box

The Group Membership dialog box displays the following items:

Authorized
Displays the account privileges accessible to this account.

Available
Displays the account privileges you can assign to the current account.

Add All
Adds all available account privileges to the Authorized list box.

Add
Adds the selected account privilege to the Authorized list box.

Delete
Removes the selected account privilege from the Authorized list box.

Delete All
Removes all available account privileges from the Authorized list box.

Group Profile Dialog Box

The Group Profile dialog box displays the following items:

Group Name
Displays the name of the group account you are defining. You add or modify the text by typing a name, up
to 30 alphanumeric characters in length.

68 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Security Areas
Displays the security areas accessible to this account.

Application Features
Displays the iFIX application features accessible to this account.

Modify
Lets you add and delete the current account's security areas or application features.
NOTE: If you are creating or editing a user account, the Modify button also lets you add and delete the group
accounts.

Password Confirmation Dialog Box

The Password Confirmation dialog box displays the following item:

Retype Password to Confirm Change

Lets you retype a user account password when you disable Windows security for the user account, and
you create or modify the password. After typing the password, select OK to return to the User Profile dia-
log box.
NOTE: The password is not displayed in this dialog box. When you retype a password, the dialog box displays an
asterisk (*) for every character you specify.

Security Area Naming Dialog Box

The Security Area Naming dialog box displays the following items:

Security Areas
Lists the names of each security area. You can name up to 254 areas.

Modify
Allows you to create or rename the selected security area.

Security Area Selection Dialog Box

The Security Area Selection dialog box displays the following items:

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 69

 Authorized
Displays the account privileges accessible to this account.

Available
Displays the account privileges you can assign to the current account.

Add All
Adds all available account privileges to the Authorized list box.

Add
Adds the selected account privilege to the Authorized list box.

Delete
Removes the selected account privilege from the Authorized list box.

Delete All
Removes all available account privileges from the Authorized list box.

Select User Dialog Box

The Select User dialog box displays the following item:

Select User List Box

Allows you to choose the user account that iFIX automatically logs in as an application user.

User Accounts Dialog Box

The User Accounts dialog box displays the following items:

Current Users
Displays the existing user accounts and lets you select the account you want to modify or delete.

Add
Lets you add a new user account.

Modify
Lets you modify the selected user account.

70 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Delete
Lets you remove the selected user account.

User Profile Dialog Box

The User Profile dialog box displays the following items:

Use Windows Security

Enables or disables Windows security for this account. By default, Windows security is disabled and iFIX
security validates each operator's login name and password during login. When you enable Windows
security, Windows authenticates each login name and password, allowing you to take advantage of fea-
tures such as case-sensitive passwords and passwords that expire after a number of days.

Windows Security Enabled

When the Use Windows Security check box is selected, the following items display:

Item Description
User Name Displays the full name of the operator whose account you are defining.
You can change the text by typing a new name, up to 30 alphanumeric
characters in length.

NOTE: The name you enter must be unique.

Domain Displays the account domain name when Windows security is enabled.
The domain name can be up to 20 alphanumeric characters.
Login Timeout Controls the length of time operators can remain logged in. You can enter
any time interval from 00:00:01 to 23:59:59. A value of 00:00:00 disables
this field. When an operator attempts to access a restricted application
feature or security area after the time interval expires, iFIX logs out the
operator, requiring him or her to log in again. This feature prevents oper-
ators from remaining logged in indefinitely.
CAUTION: This feature does not eliminate the need for operators to manually
log out, particularly if you have strict security requirements. If you decide to
use this feature, consider it a safety mechanism.

Windows Security Disabled

When the Use Windows Security check box is cleared, the following items display:

Item Description
Full Name Displays the full name of the operator whose account you are defining.
You can change the text by typing a new name, up to 20 alphanumeric
characters in length.

NOTE: The name you enter must be unique.

Password Displays the account password when Windows security is disabled. Enter-

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 71

 ing a password is optional. Each password can be up to 20 alphanumeric
characters.

NOTE: The password is not displayed in this field for security reasons.
When you create or modify a password, the field displays an asterisk (*)
for every character you specify.
Login Name Contains the login name of the operator. You can change the text by
entering a new name, up to six alphanumeric characters in length. The
operator enters this name when logging in. If you enable Windows secur-
ity for this account, the login name must match the login name of the
operator's Windows user account.

NOTE: The login name you enter must be unique.

Login Timeout Controls the length of time operators can remain logged in. You can
enter any time interval from 00:00:01 to 23:59:59. A value of 00:00:00 dis-
ables this field. When an operator attempts to access a restricted applic-
ation feature or security area after the time interval expires, iFIX logs out
the operator, requiring him or her to log in again. This feature prevents
operators from remaining logged in indefinitely.
CAUTION: This feature does not eliminate the need for operators to manually
log out, particularly if you have strict security requirements. If you decide to
use this feature, consider it a safety mechanism.

Group
Displays the group accounts accessible to the current user account.

Security
Displays the security areas accessible to this account.

Application
Displays the iFIX application features accessible to this account.

Modify
Allows you to modify the group accounts, security areas, or application features listed for this user.

How Do I...

For more information on the Security Configuration application, click any of the links below:

 l Configuring Security Features

 l Managing User Accounts
 l Managing Group Accounts
 l Configuring Security

72 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  l Using Electronic Signatures
 l Configuring for Automatic Login
 l Creating or Renaming Security Areas
 l Creating Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box
 l Configuring the iFIX Screen Saver
 l Enabling Environment Protection

Configuring Security Features

To implement security in the Security Configuration application:

 1. Create or rename your security areas.

 2. Create group and user accounts.
 3. If you plan to automatically log operators into iFIX, define each automatic login file.
 4. Copy the security files to all of your nodes. If you are using a file server, copy the security files to the
file server.
 5. Specify a local security and backup path on each node. If you are using a file server, enter the path
to the file server as the security path and enter a local path as the backup path.
 6. Enable security on all nodes and save the security configuration.
 7. If you want all iFIX user sessions to share the same security configuration, enable global security
paths on each node. (This step is recommended for terminal server nodes.)
 8. If you plan to enable environment protection, start the Proficy iFIX WorkSpace and set the run-time
environment preferences you want to use on each iFIX node.

Managing User Accounts

Click any of the following links for more information on managing user accounts:

 l Creating a User Account

 l Adding and Deleting Account Privileges
 l Creating a Recipe User Account
 l Deleting a User Account
 l Deleting All Group and User Accounts
 l Modifying a User Account
 l Saving a User Account

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 73

Creating a User Account

To create a user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Account button.
 3. Click Add.
 4. In the Full Name field, enter a name for the new user account.
 5. Depending on the type of security you want to use, do one of the following:
 l If you want to use Windows security, select the Use Windows Security check box, and, in the
Full Name and Domain fields, enter the login name and domain name of the Windows user
account you want to use.
 l If you want to use iFIX security, enter the login name and password for the account in the
Login Name and Password fields.
 6. If you want to limit the time the operator remains logged into iFIX, in the Login Timeout field, enter a
timeout value.
 7. Add group accounts.
 8. Add security areas.
 9. Add application features.
 10. Save the account.

Selecting Account Privileges

Click any of the following links for more information on selecting account privileges:

 l Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a User Account

 l Adding and Deleting Application Features in a User Account
 l Adding and Deleting Group Accounts in a User Account

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a User Account

To add or delete security areas in a user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-

74 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. From the Edit menu, select User Accounts.  
 3. Double-click the user account in which you want to add or delete security areas.
 4. On the User Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Security Area list box.
 5. To add security areas, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To add all
the security areas to the current account, click Add All.
 6. To remove security areas, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list box. To
remove all the security areas from the current account, click Delete All.

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a User Account

To add or delete application features in a user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. From the Edit menu, select User Accounts.  
 3. Double-click the user account in which you want to add or delete application features.
 4. On the User Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Application Features list box.
 5. To add application features, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To
add all the application features to the current account, click Add All.
NOTE: Clicking Add All does not add the Electronic Signature – Bypass application feature. You must add
this application feature explicitly.

 6. To remove application features, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list
box. To remove all the application features from the current account, click Delete All.

Adding and Deleting Group Accounts in a User Account

To add or delete group accounts in a user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. From the Edit menu, select User Accounts.  
 3. Double-click the user account in which you want to add or delete group accounts.  
 4. On the User Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Group Membership list box.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 75

  5. To add group accounts, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To add all
the group accounts to the current user account, click Add All.
 6. To remove group accounts, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list box.
To remove all the group accounts from the current user account, click Delete All.

Creating a Recipe User Account

To create a Recipe user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.
 3. Click Add.
 4. Enter RECIPE in the Full Name and Login Name fields. Do not assign a password to this account.
 5. Click Modify from the Security Area list box.
 6. Double-click each security area you want to add from the Available list box. To add all the security
areas to the current account, click Add All.
 7. Click OK to save the user account in memory.
 8. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.
 9. On the File menu, click Save.

reating a Public Account

To create a public account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.
 3. Click Add.
 4. Enter PUBLIC in the Full Name field.
 5. Enter PUBLIC in the Login Name field.
 6. Click OK to save the user account in memory.
 7. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.

76 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  8. Click the Autologin button on the Security toolbox.
 9. Click Add.
 10. Enter the public account's node name in the Node field.
 11. Enter PUBLIC in the Application User field.
 12. On the File menu, click Save to save your security configuration.
 

Deleting a User Account

To delete a user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.
 3. Select the user account you want to remove and click Delete. The following text appears:
OK to delete this user?

 4. Click Yes to delete the user account.

 5. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.
 6. On the File menu, click Save to permanently remove the account.

Deleting All Group and User Accounts

To delete all of your accounts and disable security:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the File menu, click Clear. The following text appears:
Delete existing security configuration?

 3. Click Yes to delete all of your accounts. The following text appears:
Should default user and group accounts be created?

 4. Click Yes to create sample group and user accounts or click No to omit this step.

Modifying a User Account

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 77

 To modify a user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the User Accounts button.
 3. Double-click the user account you want to modify.
 4. Modify the following user account information as needed:
 l The account and login names.
 l The password (iFIX security only) or the domain name (Windows security only).
 l The login timeout value.
 l Any group accounts.
 l The security areas.
 l The application features.
 5. Save the user account.

Saving a User Account

To save a user account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. Create or modify a user account.
 3. On the User Profile dialog box, click OK. If you disabled Windows security for the account, and
entered or changed a password, the following text appears in the Password Confirmation dialog
box:
Retype password to confirm changes

 4. Enter the password for this account in the field provided, and click OK. If the two passwords match,
security saves the user account in memory. If the passwords do not match, the following message
appears:
Password confirmation failed. Save aborted.

 5. Click OK to acknowledge the message and repeat steps 3 and 4.

 6. Click OK to close the User Accounts dialog box.
 7. On the File menu, click Save.

Managing Group Accounts

78 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.
 Click any of the following links for more information on managing group accounts:

 l Creating a Group Account

 l Adding and Deleting Account Privileges
 l Deleting a Group Account
 l Deleting All Group and User Accounts
 l Modifying a Group Account
 l Creating Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box

Creating a Group Account

To create a group account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. Click the Group Account button on the Security toolbox.
 3. Click Add.
 4. In the Group Name field, enter a name for the group account that you want to create.
 5. Add security areas.
 6. Add application features.
 7. Click OK to save the group account in memory.
 8. Click OK again to close the Group Accounts dialog box.
 9. On the File menu, click Save.

Adding and Deleting Account Privileges

Click any of the following links for more information on adding and deleting account privileges:

 l Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a Group Account

 l Adding and Deleting Application Features in a Group Account

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a Group Account

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 79

 To add or delete security areas in a group account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Account button.
 3. Double-click the group account in which you want to add or delete security areas.
 4. On the Group Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Security Area list box.
 5. To add security areas, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To add all
the security areas to the current account, click Add All.
 6. To remove security areas, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list box. To
remove all the security areas from the current account, click Delete All.

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a Group Account

To add or delete application features in a group account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Account button.
 3. Double-click the group account in which you want to add or delete application features.
 4. On the Group Profile dialog box, click Modify from the Application Features list box.
 5. To add application features, double-click the ones you want to add from the Available list box. To
add all the application features to the current account, click Add All.
NOTE: Clicking Add All does not add the Electronic Signature – Bypass application feature. You must add
this application feature explicitly.

 6. To remove application features, double-click the ones you want to delete from the Authorized list
box. To remove all the application features from the current account, click Delete All.

Deleting a Group Account

To delete a group account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.

80 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Accounts button.
 3. Select the group account you want to remove and click Delete. The following text appears:
OK to delete this group?

 3. Click Yes to delete the group account.

 4. Click OK to close the Group Accounts dialog box.
 5. On the File menu, click Save to permanently remove the account.
NOTE: Be careful which group accounts you delete. Group members lose their account privileges when
you delete a group account.

Deleting All Group and User Accounts

To delete all of your accounts and disable security:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the File menu, click Clear. The following text appears:
Delete existing security configuration?

 3. Click Yes to delete all of your accounts. The following text appears:
Should default user and group accounts be created?

 4. Click Yes to create sample group and user accounts or click No to omit this step.

Modifying a Group Account

To modify a group account:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Group Accounts button.
 3. Double-click the group account you want to modify.
 4. Modify the following group account information as needed:
 l The account name.
 l The security areas.
 l The application features.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 81

  5. Click OK to save the group account in memory.
 6. Click OK again to close the Group Accounts dialog box.
 7. On the File menu, click Save.

Configuring Security

Click any of the following links for more information on configuring security:

 l Defining the Security Path

 l Enabling or Disabling Security
 l Enabling or Disabling Global Security Paths
 l Exporting the Security Configuration
 l Importing the Security Configuration

Completing the Configuration Dialog Box

Completing the Configuration Dialog Box is a three-step process:

 1. Enable security.

 2. Specify a security and backup path. If you are using a file server, enter the path to the file server as
the security path and enter a local path as the backup path.
 3. Specify if you want to use global security paths. If you are using terminal services, it is recom-
mended that you enable this option.
NOTE: With the global security paths option enabled, all iFIX user sessions on this computer share the
same security configuration. This is required in order for security to work properly for multiple users in a
Terminal Services environment, especially when the default SCU is enabled in the Startup Profile Man-
ager. If you do not enable global security paths, you will need to individually configure security within
each Terminal Services user session.

Defining the Security Path

To define the security and backup paths:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Configuration button.
 3. Double-click the Security Path field and enter the path you want to use.

82 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

  4. Click OK. The following text appears:
Copy existing configuration to new path?

 5. Click Yes to move the security files to the specified path.
 6. Double-click the Backup Path field and enter the path you want to use.

Enabling or Disabling Security

To enable or disable security:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Configuration button.
 3. Select Enabled to enable security or Disabled to disable security.

Enabling or Disabling Global Security Paths

To enable or disable global security paths:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Configuration button.
 3. Select the Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles check box to enable this option, or clear the
check box to disable it.
 4. If you cleared the check box to disable this feature, a dialog box appears. Click OK to continue.
IMPORTANT: For global security paths to work correctly, the Base and Language paths in the SCU's Path
Configuration dialog box must be the same for all users. Project paths can differ, however. To open the
SCU, click the Start button and point to Proficy HMI SCADA - iFIX and then System Configuration. Click the
Path Configuration button to open the Path Configuration dialog box. The default Base path is C:\Program
Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX, while the default Language path is C:\Program Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX\NLS.

Exporting the Security Configuration

To export the security configuration:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 83

 -Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the File menu, click Export.
 3. In the File Name field, enter the name of the security configuration file you want to create.
 4. Click Save. If the name you entered already exists, the following text appears:
filename already exists. Do you want to replace it?

 5. Click Yes to overwrite the existing file or click No to re-enter a name for the configuration file and
repeat step 3.

Importing the Security Configuration

To import a security configuration:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the File menu, click Import.
IMPORTANT: Be aware that you cannot import a security file exported from another language.

 3. Double-click the file you want to import. The following text appears:
Warning: Imported user accounts may not have passwords! Continue?

 4. Click Yes to continue. The following text appears:

Replace or add to existing configuration?

 5. Click Replace to copy the security configuration defined by the import file to the local node, or click
Add to merge the two configurations together. Any account with a user name or a login name that
matches an existing account is ignored.

Using Electronic Signatures

Click any of the following links for more information on electronic signatures:

 l Entering an Electronic Signature

 l Verifying an Action with an Electronic Signature
 l Configuring a Tag to Require Electronic Signatures

Entering an Electronic Signature

84 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 The Electronic Signature dialog box appears when you change the value of a database tag or acknowledge
an alarm for which electronic signature is required. This dialog box can display only in the iFIX WorkSpace
in the run-time environment; it does not display in configure mode.

The Description Area at the top of the Electronic Signature dialog box contains the details about the action.
The Performed By section fields are active.
To enter an Electronic Signature:

 1. In the Electronic Signature dialog box, in the user name field, enter your user name. If your user
account is connected to a Windows user account, enter your Windows user name. Otherwise,
enter your iFIX login name.
TIP: If you are in continuous use mode, the user name field is filled in with the continuous user name. You
can edit this name.

 2. In the password field, enter your password.

 3. Optionally, complete the following fields:
 a. In the Predefined Comments list box, select a predefined comment.
 b. In the Comment field, enter a free-form comment.
 4. Click OK. If verification is required, the Verified By section activates and the Performed By section
dims.
 5. In the Verified By area, complete the fields, if active.
NOTE: A user other than the one who completed the Performed By section must complete the Verified By
section.

 6. Click OK. The electronic signature is validated, the Electronic Signature dialog box closes, the new
value is written to the tag, and a message detailing your action is written to the Electronic Sig-
nature Audit Trail.
NOTE: If your iFIX user account is connected to a Windows user account and you unsuccessfully attempt
to enter your user name or password, your account may be disabled after a certain number of tries. This
number is determined by your Windows security settings.

Verifying an Action with an Electronic Signature

Once you complete the Performed By section of the Electronic Signature dialog box, the Verified By section
activates. If you have completed the Perform By section, someone else must complete the Verify By sec-
tion.
To verify an action that requires an Electronic Signature:

 1. In the Electronic Signature dialog box,, in the user name field, enter your user name. If your user
account is connected to a Windows user account, enter your Windows user name. Otherwise,
enter your iFIX login name.
 2. In the password field, enter your password.
 3. Optionally, complete the following fields:

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 85

  a. Select a predefined comment from the Predefined Comments list box.
 b. Enter a free-form comment in the Comment field.
 4. Click OK. The electronic signature is validated, the Electronic Signature dialog box closes, the new
value is written to the tag, and a message detailing your action is written to the Electronic Sig-
nature Audit Trail.
NOTE: If your iFIX user account is connected to a Windows user account and you unsuccessfully attempt
to enter your user name or password, your account may be disabled after a certain number of tries. This
number is determined by your Windows security settings.

Configuring a Tab to Require Electronic Signatures

Follow these instructions to configure a tag for electronic signature. To ensure a secure signing envir-
onment, you should not edit a current process database with an older-version node.
To configure a tag to require Electronic Signatures:

 1. In the iFIX Database Manager, navigate to the Advanced tab of the tag's dialog box.
 2. Select the type of electronic signature that you want for this tag:
 l None – Do not require Electronic Signatures for this tag at run time. This is the default
option.
 l Perform Only – Require a Performed By signature for any changes or alarm acknow-
ledgements to this tag at run time.
 l Perform and Verify – Require both a Performed By and a Verified By signature for any
changes or alarm acknowledgements to this tag at run time.
 3. Select the options that you want for this tag:
 l Allow Continuous Use – Select to allow the operator to repeatedly sign for successive
actions by supplying only a password. Continuous use applies only to the person performing
an action and does not affect the person verifying an action. This is selected by default.
 l Exempt Alarm Acknowledgement – Select to allow operators to acknowledge alarms
without entering a signature, even when this tag requires electronic signature for data
entry.
 4. Select how you want the tag to handle unsigned writes. Your options are as follows:
 l Accept – Accept the unsigned write.
 l Log – When an unsigned write is accepted, send a message indicating that the tag accepted
an unsigned write. This option is only available when the tag is configured to accept
unsigned writes.
 l Reject – Reject the unsigned write and do not update the database. A message is sent indic-
ating that the tag rejected an unsigned write. (default)
NOTE: You must purchase the Electronic Signature option for these parameters to take effect at run time.

Configuring for Automatic Login

86 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Click any of the following links for more information on configuring for automatic login:

 l Creating or Modifying an Automatic Login File

 l Deleting an Automatic Login File

Creating or Modifying an Automatic Login File

To add or modify an automatic login file:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Autologin button.
 3. Click Add or double-click the name of the node you want to modify.
 4. In the Node field, enter the name of the node you want to configure.
 5. In the Application User field, enter the name of the operator you want to log in automatically.
TIP: Click the browse (...) button to select a user from the Select User dialog box.

 6. Click OK to save your changes in memory.

 7. Click OK again to save the configuration to a file.

Deleting an Automatic Login File

To delete an automatic login file:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.
-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Autologin button.
 3. Select the name of the node you want to remove, and click Delete. The Security Configuration pro-
gram deletes the automatic login file for the selected node.

Creating or Renaming Security Areas

To create or rename a security area:

 1. In Classic view, the iFIX WorkSpace, click the Security Configuration button on the toolbar.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 87

 -Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Applications tab, in the System & Security group, click Security, and then click
Security Configuration Utility.
 2. On the Security toolbox, click the Security Area button.
 3. Double-click the security area you want to create or rename.
 4. In the Name field, enter a name and click OK.
 5. Click OK again to accept your changes.

Creating Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups dialog box:

 1. Log in to Windows as a member of the Administrators or Account Operators group on either the
local computer or the Windows domain.
 2. Double-click CreateWindowsGroups.exe in the Proficy iFIX folder. By default, this folder is: C:\Pro-
gram Files\Proficy\Proficy iFIX.
The Create Windows Groups dialog box opens, displaying a list of Windows group names. The
CreateWindowsGroups.exe derives the Windows group names from the current iFIX security con-
figuration.
NOTE: Windows group names display in the list box only if you establish all group and security area
names in the Security Configuration before using the CreateWindowsGroups tool.

 3. Select the appropriate filters and prefix style for the Windows groups that you want to create. To
create Windows groups on a Windows NT domain v4.0 or on a Windows 2000 domain controller
with pre-Windows 2000 access support, you must select the Show NT v4.0 Names filter.
 4. Select the groups you want to create from the list. The list may include multiple group names that
represent some of the same iFIX security privileges due to the alias names.
 5. Press the CTRL key and click to select multiple group names in the list box. Press the SHIFT key and
click to select a range of group names in the list box.
 6. If you are creating Windows groups on the local computer as local groups, click the Create Local
Groups button to create the groups currently selected in the list box.
 7. If you are creating Windows groups on the Windows domain as global groups, click the Create
Domain Groups... button. The Specify Domain for Group Creation dialog box appears. Specify a
domain name in which to create the groups currently selected in the list.
Once you create Windows groups, you can use the Windows User Manager or a similar Windows
security configuration tool to grant individual membership in the groups to Windows user accounts.

Configuring the iFIX Screen Saver

Configure the iFIX Screen Saver using the Display option in the Windows Control Panel.

88 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 To configure the iFIX Screen Saver:

 1. Open the display settings:

 l In all versions of Windows except Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, in the Windows
Control Panel, double-click the Display option. The Display Properties dialog box appears.
 l In the Windows Vista Control Panel, click the Appearance and Personalization category, and
then the Change Screen Saver link. The Screen Saver Settings dialog box appears.
 l In the Windows Server 2008 Control Panel, click the Personalization category, and then the
Change Screen Saver link. The Screen Saver Settings dialog box appears.
 2. Select the Screen Saver tab.
 3. Select iFIXScreenSaver from the Screen Saver drop-down list.
 4. Click the Settings button. The iFIX Screen Saver Settings dialog box appears.
 5. Enable or clear the Blank out the screen check box.
 6. Set the iFIX Security Options:
 a. Select the Log out of iFIX check box to ensure that the current user is logged out of iFIX
when the iFIX screen saver activates.
 b. Select one of the following options to specify how a user will log in to iFIX after the screen
saver activates:
 l After logging out, prompt for login – Select this option to cause a login dialog box to
appear after the screen saver activates. The operator must supply a user name and
password.
 l After logging out, log in this user – Select this option to log in a user automatically
after the screen saver activates. To specify that user, you must supply the user's
name and password in the Username and Password fields below this option.
NOTE: These options work only if iFIX is running and security has been enabled.

 7. Set the Additional iFIX Options:

 l Reset Electronic Signature Continuous User – Resets the continuous user when the
screen saver activates. This option works only if iFIX is running.
 l Change Picture – Enables you to specify the iFIX picture to open when the screen saver
activates. Specify the new picture in the Open this picture text box field. This option works
only if the WorkSpace is started and is in Run mode.
 8. Click OK to close the dialog box.
IMPORTANT: Do not enable the Password Protected option in the Display Properties dialog box in addition
to selecting the iFIX Screen Saver.

The Windows Password Protected option relies on the operator's ability to press Ctrl+Alt+Del to log into the
workstation after the screen saver activates. If you configure your Environment Protection settings so that
operators cannot use the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination, they will not be able to dismiss the iFIX Screen
Saver if the Password Protection option is enabled.

To require a password for dismissing the iFIX Screen Saver, use the options in the iFIX Screen Saver Set-
tings dialog box.

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 89

Enabling Environment Protection

To enable environment protection:

 1. In Classic view, on the WorkSpace menu, click User Preferences.

-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Home tab in the WorkSpace group, click Settings, and then click User Prefer-
ences.
 2. Click the Environment Protection tab.
 3. Select the Enable Environment Protection check box.
 4. Select the options you want to enable.

90 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Index assigning  45

privileges with group accounts  8

security areas  23
A
Windows groups  45
account disabled message, configuring  35
audit trail  33
account lockout  35
Security Synchronizer messages  46
setting  35
see log file  33
adding  24
Autologin option  38
application features  24
See Also System Autologin option  38
group accounts  24
automatic login configuration  25
security areas  24
creating  25
adding application features to a group
deleting  26
account  80
described  25
adding application features to a user account  75
automatic login file  87
adding group accounts to user accounts  75

adding security areas to a group account  79 B

adding security areas to a user account  74
backup path  6
alarms  32
defining for security  28
generated on unsuccessful attempts to log
described  6
in  32

aliases  43 C
iFIX application name feature  52
changing the default screen saver bitmap
using for iFIX application features  41 image  18

application error codes in Security character limitations  41

Synchronizer  62
on global group names for Windows NT  41
application features  80
on iFIX security groups for NT  41
adding  24
on user-defined iFIX security area names  41
described  3
COM Automation  52
listed  11
using to program the synchronization
special assignments  13 process  52

application users  25 command line  48

described  25 using with Security Synchronizer  48

command line in Security Synchronizer  48

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 91

 command line parameters in Security Syn- creating group accounts  79
chronizer  37
creating security areas  87
errors  64
creating user accounts  73
using /R to delete users  37

configuring D

account disabled message  35 database blocks  23

account for automatic login  25 assigning security areas to  23

iFIX Screen Saver  18 database write access  10

run-time environment  29 disabling  18

security settings for iFIX Screen Saver  18 restricting  10

configuring iFIX  45 defining  41

application features for Security backup path  28

Synchronizer  41
security areas  23
security for Security Synchronizer  45
security path  27
constraints using and running Security Syn-
source of Windows security for Security Syn-
chronizer  38
chronizer  41
CreateWindowsGroups tool  44
defining the security path  82
creating  41
deleting  25
group accounts  24
all group and user accounts  25
iFIX security user accounts  39
automatic login configuration  26
public account  26
group accounts  25
public accounts  26
iFIX user accounts  40
recipe user accounts  10
deleting a group account  80
user accounts  9
deleting a user account  77
Windows domain groups  52
deleting all group and user accounts  77, 81
Windows global groups  52
deleting an automatic login file  87
Windows groups  41
deleting application features from a group
Windows users  41 account  80

creating a public account  76 deleting application features from a user

account  75
creating a recipe user account  76
deleting group accounts from user accounts  75
creating an automatic login file  87
deleting security areas from a group account  79
creating an export file  83
deleting security areas from a user account  74

92 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 developing  5 error severity categories in Security Syn-
chronizer  61
security strategy  5
examples
disabled accounts  35
command line parameter in Security Syn-
described  35
chronizer  48
disabling  23
scheduling Security Synchronizer  50
database write access for unauthorized
exiting  22
nodes  18
exporting  26
disabling global paths  83
security configuration  26
disabling security  77, 81
exporting the security configuration  83
E
F
electronic signatures  33
file server  6
audit trail  33
creating automatic logins  25
described  3
using with security system  6
disabled accounts  35

performed by  85 G
restricting access from remote nodes  17
global security paths  28
tracking unsuccessful attempts to access
group accounts  7, 27
iFIX  33
adding to a user account  24
verifying  85
assigning account privileges  5
enabling  29
assigning extra privileges  8
environment protection  29
assigning rights with  8
enabling global security paths  83
creating  24
enabling security  82
deleting  25
environment protection  14
deleting all  25
described  3
described  3
enabling  29
example  3
required application feature  13
modifying  24
error codes  62
sample  21
(1-99) in Security Synchronizer  63
sharing with other computers  27
(100-199) in Security Synchronizer  63

(200-299) in Security Synchronizer  62

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 93

 I unsuccessful  33

iFIX unsuccessful attempts  32

application feature aliases  52 logout  33

deleting user accounts  48 automatic  24

Environment Protection option  18 manual  33

logging in  32
M
logging out  33
messages  58
shutting down  14
account disabled  35
using database program block  50
security configuration (list)  58
iFIX Screen Saver  18
modifying  24
configuring security settings  18
group accounts  24
default bitmap image  19
iFIX security accounts to match Windows
iFIX security  45 security accounts  39
concurrency with Security Synchronizer  46 modifying a group account  81
configuring for Security Synchronizer  45 modifying a user account  77
implementing  20 modifying an automatic login file  87
security strategy  21
N
importing

security configuration  26 naming conventions  23

user account passwords  26 security areas  23

importing the security configuration  84 nodes

disabling write access  17

L
O
local path  27

creating automatic logins  25 objects  52

defining a security path  27 Security Synchronizer  52

log file  33
P
description  33
parameter errors in Security Synchronizer  64
login  32
command line  64
automatic  25
passwords  24
manual  32
changing  33

94 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 setting expiration  35 run-time environment  14

setting in iFIX  24 restricting access  29

pictures  15 running Security Synchronizer  46

assigning security areas to  23

S
security areas  15
sample accounts  21
preparing to run Security Synchronizer  40
saving  24
programming the synchronization process  52
user accounts  24
programs  51
saving user accounts  78
scheduling with Task Scheduler service  50
schedules  15
public account  26
assigning security areas to  23
automatic login to iFIX  26
security areas  15
creating  26
scheduling programs with Task Scheduler ser-
described  26
vice  50

scheduling Security Synchronizer  37

R
strategy  50
recipes  10, 76
using command-line parameters  37
creating a user account  10
using iFIX database program block  50
remote access  17
using scheduling convention  37
restricting from remote nodes  17
screen saver  18, 88
remote nodes  5
electronic signatures  88
restricting access from  17
scripts  20
securing  5
securing the Visual Basic Editor  15
removing  48
security access and information  20
iFIX user accounts  49
securing  15
renaming  23
pictures  15
security areas  23
run-time environment  29
renaming security areas  87
schedules  15
restricting access  29
Visual Basic Editor  15
database write  10
security
from remote nodes  17
disabling  23
run-time environment  29
enabling  23
restricting database write access  17

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 95

 iFIX Screen Saver  88 using Windows NT security  37

implementing a strategy  20 security log file  33

implementing with a file server  6 described  33

implementing without a file server  6 location  33

log file for Security Synchronizer  46 record of unsuccessful attempts to log in  33

restricting access from remote nodes  17 security path  27, 82

sharing files  5 creating automatic logins  25

special users in Security Synchronizer  38 defined  6

status  4 security strategy  73

strategy  5 Security Synchronizer  50

troubleshooting  58 application error codes (200-299)  62

using Windows user name and password  37 audit trail messages  46

security area  3 automation interface  52

example  3 command line  48

security areas  10 command line options  48

adding  24 command line parameter errors  64

described  3 command line parameter overview  37

naming  23 command line parameters  38

security configuration file  26 configuring iFIX security  45

described  26 constraints using and running  38

exporting  26 creating iFIX user accounts  39

importing  26 definition  37

importing data  26 deleting iFIX user accounts  39

Security Configuration program  37 error severity categories  61

automatic login to iFIX  25 general error codes (1-99)  63

described  2 how it works  39

error messages  58 modifying iFIX accounts to match Windows

accounts  39
exiting  22
object  52
exporting your security configuration  26
preparing to run  40
importing your security configuration  26
running  46
starting  21
scheduling  38

96 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 scheduling examples  50 system shutdown application feature  13

scheduling using iFIX database program

block  50 T

security storage configurations  38 Task Scheduler service

special users  38 using to schedule programs  50

success/failure indicators  39 tracking  33

user account error codes (100-199)  63 database changes  2

using with Windows NT 4.0  41 unsuccessful login attempts  33

when to run  50 troubleshooting  58

security system  2 security problems  58

access options  2
U
benefits  1
user-based security  2
determining status  4
described  2
tracking database changes  2
user accounts  27
Security toolbox  22
creating  24
creating group accounts  24
creating a recipe  10
creating user accounts  24
creating identical  9
defining a backup path  28
deleting  25
defining a security path  27
deleting all  25
deleting automatic login configuration  26
described  3
modifying group accounts  24
error codes in Security Synchronizer  63
modifying user accounts  24
importing passwords  26
special application features  13
modifying  24
assignment  13
sample  21
special security users in Security
Synchronizer  38 saving  24

starting  21 sharing with other computers  27

Security Configuration program  21 using

strategy for developing security  4 Autologin option  38

synchronizing iFIX security with Windows secur- CreateWindowsGroup tool  44

ity  39
Security Synchronizer automation
System Autologin User option  39 interface  52

© 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 97

 V

VBA  20

Security Synchronizer and  52

writing scripts for information  20

writing scripts for security access  20

Visual Basic Editor  15

securing scripts  15

Windows

creating domain groups  52

creating global groups  52

using security features  37

Windows Event Log  19

screen saver messages  18

Windows group names  42

abbreviations  41

prefix string  42

Windows groups  41

assigning  45

creating  43

Windows NT  43

character limitations on global group

names  41

character limitations on iFIX security

groups  41

Windows security

creating users  41

deciding source for Security Synchronizer  41

Windows user accounts  40

synchronizing with iFIX security users  39

98 © 2016 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.