GE iFIX

Configuring Security Features

Version 6.1
JANUARY 2020
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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

Application Features 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. i

 To implement an iFIX security strategy: 21

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

Windows Users and Automatic Login 25

Automatic Login and the Security Path 26

Automatic Login and Application Users 26

Creating a Public Account 26

Deleting an Automatic Login Configuration 26

Importing and Exporting the Security Configuration 27

Importing User Account Passwords 27

Defining the Security Path 28

Defining the Backup Path 28

Configuring Global Security Paths 29

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment 30

Locking Down the Windows Taskbar 31

Important Task Switching Information 31

Working with Touch Screens 32

Example: Securing the Run-time Environment 32

Using iFIX Security 32

Logging in to iFIX Manually 33

To log into iFIX: 33

Password Expiration Considerations 33

ii © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Changing the Account Password 33

To change the account password: 34

Logging out of iFIX Manually 34

To log out of iFIX: 34

Understanding the Security Log File 34

Using iFIX with Windows Security 35

Configuring Windows User Accounts 35

Setting Passwords to Expire 36

To configure the local password expiration policy: 36

Limiting the Number of Invalid Login Attempts 36

To set the account lockout threshold: 36

Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX 36

To configure the account disabled message: 37

User Accounts that Log in to Windows 37

To add the Act as Part of the Operating System right: 37

Domain Users Logging Into Windows 37

Control How iFIX Security Authenticates Windows Accounts 38

Example Entry in [Link] File 38

Domain Caching 39

Using the Security Configuration Program 39

To connect your Windows and iFIX user accounts: 39

Using Security Synchronizer 40

Operational Overview 40

Administrative Considerations 41

How the Security Synchronizer Works 42

Preparing to Run the Security Synchronizer 43

Decide the Source of Windows Security Information 43

Create Windows Users 44

Create Windows Groups 44

Configuration Strategy 44

Limitations on Global Group Names 45

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. iii

 Global Group Nesting Not Supported 46

The CreateWindowsGroups Tool 46

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups tool: 47

Assign Users to Windows Groups and Grant Privileges 48

Configure iFIX Security 48

Node-based Security 48

To specify the system user: 48

User-based Security 49

Running the Security Synchronizer Application 49

Using the Command Line 51

Command Line Parameter Example 52

When to Run the Security Synchronizer 53

Scheduling Security Synchronizer 53

Using the Task Scheduler Service 53

To use the Windows Task Scheduler: 53

Examples 54

Using an iFIX Database Program Block 54

Using the Security Synchronizer Automation Interface 54

Application Feature Name Aliases 55

Troubleshooting 62

Understanding Security Configuration Messages 62

Understanding Security Synchronizer Messages 65

Error Severity Categories 65

Application Error Codes (200-299) 66

User Account Error Codes (100-199) 67

General Error Codes (1-99) 67

Command Line Parameter Errors 68

Security Configuration Dialog Boxes 68

Application Feature Selection Dialog Box 69

Authorized 69

Available 69

iv © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Add All 69

Add 69

Delete 69

Delete All 69

Automatic Login at Startup Dialog Box 69

Auto Started Nodes 70

Add 70

Modify 70

Delete 70

Automatic Login Node Dialog Box 70

Node 70

Application User 70

System User 70

Configuration Dialog Box 70

User Based Security 70

Security Path 71

Backup Path 71

Use These Paths for All Startup Profiles 71

Edit Security Area Dialog Box 71

Area 71

Name 71

Group Accounts Dialog Box 71

Current Groups 71

Add 71

Modify 72

Delete 72

Group Membership Selection Dialog Box 72

Authorized 72

Available 72

Add All 72

Add 72

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. v

 Delete 72

Delete All 72

Group Profile Dialog Box 72

Group Name 72

Security Areas 73

Application Features 73

Modify 73

Password Confirmation Dialog Box 73

Retype Password to Confirm Change 73

Security Area Naming Dialog Box 73

Security Areas 73

Modify 73

Security Area Selection Dialog Box 73

Authorized 73

Available 74

Add All 74

Add 74

Delete 74

Delete All 74

Select User Dialog Box 74

Select User List Box 74

User Accounts Dialog Box 74

Current Users 74

Add 74

Modify 74

Delete 74

User Profile Dialog Box 75

Use Windows Security 75

Windows Security Enabled 75

Windows Security Disabled 75

Group 76

vi © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Security 76

Application 76

Modify 76

How Do I... 76

Configuring Security Features 77

To implement security in the Security Configuration application: 77

Managing User Accounts 77

Creating a User Account 78

To create a user account: 78

Selecting Account Privileges 78

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a User Account 78

To add or delete security areas in a user account: 78

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a User Account 79

To add or delete application features in a user account: 79

Adding and Deleting Group Accounts in a User Account 79

To add or delete group accounts in a user account: 79

Creating a Recipe User Account 80

To create a Recipe user account: 80

reating a Public Account 80

To create a public account: 80

Deleting a User Account 81

To delete a user account: 81

Deleting All Group and User Accounts 81

To delete all of your accounts and disable security: 81

Modifying a User Account 81

To modify a user account: 82

Saving a User Account 82

To save a user account: 82

Managing Group Accounts 82

Creating a Group Account 83

To create a group account: 83

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. vii

 Adding and Deleting Account Privileges 83

Adding and Deleting Security Areas in a Group Account 83

To add or delete security areas in a group account: 84

Adding and Deleting Application Features in a Group Account 84

To add or delete application features in a group account: 84

Deleting a Group Account 84

To delete a group account: 84

Deleting All Group and User Accounts 85

To delete all of your accounts and disable security: 85

Modifying a Group Account 85

To modify a group account: 85

Configuring Security 86

Completing the Configuration Dialog Box 86

Defining the Security Path 86

To define the security and backup paths: 86

Enabling or Disabling Security 87

To enable or disable security: 87

Enabling or Disabling Global Security Paths 87

To enable or disable global security paths: 87

Exporting the Security Configuration 87

To export the security configuration: 87

Importing the Security Configuration 88

To import a security configuration: 88

Using Electronic Signatures 88

Entering an Electronic Signature 88

To enter an Electronic Signature: 89

Verifying an Action with an Electronic Signature 89

To verify an action that requires an Electronic Signature: 89

Configuring a Tab to Require Electronic Signatures 90

To configure a tag to require Electronic Signatures: 90

Configuring for Automatic Login 91

viii © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Creating or Modifying an Automatic Login File 91

To add or modify an automatic login file: 91

Deleting an Automatic Login File 91

To delete an automatic login file: 91

Creating or Renaming Security Areas 91

To create or rename a security area: 92

Creating Windows Groups Using the CreateWindowsGroups Dialog Box 92

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups dialog box: 92

Configuring the iFIX Screen Saver 93

To configure the iFIX Screen Saver: 93

Enabling Environment Protection 94

To enable environment protection: 94

Index 95

© 2020 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

© 2020 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 applications 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 Defin-
ing and Assigning Security Privileges chapter for more information

iFIX Security Concepts

2 © 2020 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 spe-
cific 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 func-
tions.

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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 3

 Run-time Environment Protection – restricts the things that operators can do during 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
Configuration program indicates this status by displaying an open lock on the screen. While security is
disabled, 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 Dis-
abling Security.

4 © 2020 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 secur-
ity 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

© 2020 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 Con-
figuration 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 net-
work. 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 privileges 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 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Including the password is particularly important because iFIX security does not display user account
passwords. Consequently, including user passwords ensures that you provide the correct password to
your operators.
NOTE: iFIX user passwords are case insensitive when not using Windows security.

Group Accounts

Whenever possible, use group accounts to assign the majority of account privileges. You greatly sim-
plify 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 Assign the following application features...

a group
account
for...
Database Database Block Add-Delete, Database Manager, Database Reload, and Data-
Designers base Save.
Operator WorkSpace Configure, WorkSpace Runtime, WorkSpace Runtime Exit, Enable
Display Task Switching, Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access, Database Manager, Data-
Designers base Save, Database Reload, and Database Block Add/Delete.
Recipe Recipe Builder Development Window, Recipe Download from the Recipe
Developers Builder, 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 iFIX
WorkSpace run-time environment and specific security areas. These privileges define the common
security 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.

© 2020 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 © 2020 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
create 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.

© 2020 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
finish, 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 fol-
lowing 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 recipe package, you can download recipes to a process database. Typically, when secur-
ity 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 © 2020 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 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.

Application Features

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 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
Alarm Shelving Shelve alarms in run mode. If the Alarm Shelving feature is not enabled for a user,
the user will not be able to shelve an alarm even if the alarm shelving is enabled on
that block.
Application Val- Generate baseline files in the Application Validator.
idator - Creation
of Baselines
Application Val- Run the Application Validator and generate reports.
idator - Run-time
Access
Background Stop any background task such as SAC, Session Monitor, or Historical Collect.
Task Exit
Batch Execution Perform a specified action in the Batch Execution product.
- [Action Name]
Change Man- Use Change Management version control features in iFIX.
agement
Data Provider Use the Data Provider Service feature in iFIX.
Service
Database Block Add a block to, delete a block from, or modify a block in a database.
Add-Delete
NOTE: In FIX32, this application feature only allows add and delete functionality.
Database Man- Configure individual blocks in a database and import, export, save, print, query, sort,
ager and summarize the contents of a database.
Database Reload the database in memory or load a different database.
Reload
Database Save Save the database in memory to disk.
EDA Feature 1- Access an Easy Database Access (EDA) application feature. You can provide
55 access for up to 55 EDA application features.
Electronic Sig- Bypass the Electronic Signature option, and test an application without the need to
nature - Bypass repeatedly enter signatures.

NOTE: Selecting Add All when you are adding application features to a user or group

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 11

 account will not add this application feature. You must select it explicitly.
Electronic Sig- Perform signed actions.
nature - Perform
By
Electronic Sig- Verify signed actions.
nature - Verify By
Enable Ctrl-Alt- Log off, shut down the computer, access the Windows Task Manager, or change the
Del computer'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 - [Action] Perform a specified action in a FIX Desktop application. Be aware that FIX Desktop
is no longer supported, as of iFIX 5.8.
GE OEM Access an application feature defined by an OEM (Original Equipment Man-
Reserved 1-12 ufacturer). You can provide access for up to 12 OEM application features.
Historical Trend Configure the Classic Historical Assign program.
Assign
Historical Trend Stop the Classic Historian HTC program.
Collection
Historical Trend Legacy application feature that is not used in iFIX.
Export
iFIX - System Shut down iFIX.
Shutdown
Manual Failover Allows you to manually initiate a connection or SCADA failover.
OPC Run the OPC UA Configuration tool on a SCADA Server, or change and save OPC
UA Configuration UA configuration information.
Tool
Project Backup- Back up and restore the iFIX files on the local node.
Restore
Recipe Builder Create master and control recipes, enable and disable the audit trail, assign tag
Development groups to recipes, and scale a batch.
Window
Recipe Builder Modify control recipes and override recipe items within specific limits.
Operations 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.
from Recipe
Builder

12 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Recipe Text Out- Create recipe reports, master text recipes, and control text recipes.
put from Recipe
Builder
Recipe Upload Upload recipes from the Recipe Builder.
from Recipe
Builder
Runtime Visual Open the Visual Basic Editor from the run-time environment.
Basic Editor
Access
Security Con- Configure the security system, create and delete user and group accounts, and
figuration name security areas.
Security Syn- Run the Security Synchronizer.
chronizer
Startup Profile Run the Startup Profile Manager application.
Manager
System Con- Configure node connections, system paths, alarm services, and the SCADA con-
figuration figuration for a node.
System User Log in as the system user.
Login
System User Log out as the system user.
Logout
Tag Group Editor Create, edit, and save tag groups.

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 unau-
thorized for the Tag Group Editor application.
Tag Status View tag staus information.
VisiconX Writes Allow VisconX to do writes.
WorkSpace Con- Switch to the iFIX WorkSpace configuration environment.
figure
WorkSpace Switch to the iFIX WorkSpace run-time environment.
Runtime
WorkSpace Quit the iFIX WorkSpace from the run-time environment.
Runtime Exit

NOTE: Refer to the Batch Execution documentation for more information about the application features spe-
cific to Batch Execution.

Assigning Special Application Features

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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 13

 l Background Task Exit
l Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del
l Enable Task Switching

The Security Configuration application feature should be assigned to your system administrator or the
person 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 any-
one 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.

The Enable Task Switching application feature is required for the system administrator.

Run-time Environment Protection

The 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 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 assign-
ing certain application features to it. The rights of the logged in user will override the Environment Pro-
tection settings in the iFIX WorkSpace User Preferences.

14 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 IMPORTANT: If you plan to use environment protection when iFIX is running as a service, and you are run-
ning on an operating system earlier than Microsoft Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012, be sure to add
[Link] to your Windows Startup program group. [Link] 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 [Link] 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 [Link] 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
obvious how to shut down the WorkSpace window in run mode. This is a security feature. If the shut down abil-
ity is desired, configure your security appropriately and 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 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
property. You can set this property on a picture or schedule using the Property window. For more inform-
ation on properties, refer to the Controlling Object Properties chapter in the Creating Pictures manual.
This property 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 fig-
ure shows.

© 2020 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 mes-
sage 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 [Link] to the security area Line 4 and con-
figure 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
detailing 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 © 2020 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 fea-
ture 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 [Link]
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 [Link] 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.

© 2020 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 [Link] file authorizes writes from iClient01 only. Frank can-
not 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 [Link] 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 inact-
ive computers, you can use the iFIX Screen Saver. This screen saver activates in the same way that
other Windows screen savers do, but it also has some features specific to iFIX.
IMPORTANT: The iFIX Screen Saver is only supported on Windows 7 systems.

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 © 2020 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 configured 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 bit-
map image, [Link], 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
(x86)\GE\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
Protection 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.

© 2020 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 secur-
ity settings.

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
security 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 spe-
cific VBA methods that access the security system, refer to the iFIX Automation Reference file.

20 © 2020 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
Logging 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 iFIX WorkSpace and set the run-time envir-
onment 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 acknow-
ledgement actions, set them up as recommended in Using Electronic Signatures. See the Over-
view: Using Electronic 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 21

 In Ribbon view, to start the Security Configuration program, on the Applications tab, in the System &
Security 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
Configuration 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 © 2020 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:\Pro-
gram Files (x86)\GE\iFIX\Local folder, when you change the node name, security is disabled. You will need to
configure 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 dis-
played 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
create a new area by clicking the Security Area button on the Security toolbox. After you define a secur-
ity area, you can assign it to a group or user account.

Assigning Security Areas

© 2020 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
security 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 iFIX
WorkSpace and select Property Window from the View menu (Classic view) or click Property
Window 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
button 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 fea-
tures 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
operator exits from all iFIX applications a few minutes early, but does not log out, iFIX logs out the oper-
ator 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 avail-
able 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 © 2020 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
Configuration program until you create at least one user account. This feature also helps to pre-
vent 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.

Windows Users and Automatic Login

When a Windows user is defined as an automatic login user, you will be prompted to enter a password
as shown in the following graphic. Automatic login will only work if you are logged onto the computer
with the same Windows Domain user as you defined for the iFIX Auto Login feature.
NOTE: iFIX Automatic Login does not work if IFIX is configured to run as a service.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 25

 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 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 iFIX WorkSpace run-
time environment.

By default, the Guest account is installed with iFIX. This account has no password, but is not auto-
matically 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.

26 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

Importing and Exporting the Security Configuration

The Security Configuration program allows you to import and export your security configuration. Export-
ing the configuration creates a security configuration file, [Link], 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.
l Whether a password is case sensitive or not.

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

Exported security configuration files do not include user account passwords in order to protect them.
Similarly, 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 27

 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 con-
figuration 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
designate. After you enter a path, the Security Configuration program creates lock files ([Link] and
[Link]) 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

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 Con-
figuration 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 con-
figuration is saved to the security path, as well as the backup path of the machine where you perform the

28 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 Configuration 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

For example, in a Terminal Server environment, enable this option if the default SCU is enabled in the
Startup Profile Manager. If you do not enable global security paths, you will need to individually configure
security within each Terminal Services user session.
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, point to Programs, 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
(x86)\GE\iFIX, while the default Language path is C:\Program Files (x86)\GE\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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 29

Restricting Access in the Run-time Environment

You can secure the run-time environment by enabling environment protection from the iFIX WorkSpace.
Refer to the Run-time Environment Protection section. Once you enable environment protection, you
can choose the specific actions you want to restrict.
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 ([Link]). This on-screen keyboard will launch auto-
matically 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 Interface and Infrastructure features. (By default, this feature is already enabled in Windows 8). After
enabling the feature and restarting Windows, the on-screen keyboard, [Link], 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 Select the check box(es)...
operator from...
Switching to Disable Task Switching. If security is disabled, task switching is disabled when
another application Disable Task Switching is selected.
that may be run-
NOTE: The Shift + F10 key macro does not work if you select this option.
ning.
IMPORTANT: If security is enabled, task switching is disabled when 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.
iFIX WorkSpace.
IMPORTANT: Users who have iFIX 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
picture. box from the General tab and clear the Title bar and Resizeable check boxes from
the Picture Preferences tab.
Using the Disable "WorkSpace" Menu Pulldown.
WorkSpace menu
or switching to the

30 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 access-
ible when the iFIX WorkSpace is running (in Full Screen mode only). If you are not in Full Screen mode
or if the "Disable 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
Switching" option for Environment Protection, but only when a user with this privilege is logged in. This over-
ride 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.
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 applic-
ation.

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

l When you disable task switching on Windows 8 and greater, iFIX disables the Windows shell
which includes the task bar, the start menu, the desktop, file and folder access, the 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 dis-
abled, 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 When a user with task switching rights is logged in, the Taskbar may be displayed on top of the
Workspace. Enable the Auto-Hide the Taskbar property in Windows to push the Taskbar behind
the Workspace.
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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 31

 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, [Link] should always be
started before launching [Link] to enable the on-screen keyboard functionality. If
[Link] is launched without starting iFIX in the user session on a system without a phys-
ical keyboard, the on-screen keyboard will not automatically display when the cursor is in an edit
control 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 ([Link]).
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, [Link], will be available and will display automatically when focus is on an edit field in
iFIX.
l To automatically display the on-screen keyboard when the focus is set to WorkSpace objects
that have the ability to accept user inputs, enable [Link]
by adding the following lines to your [Link] file (located in the LOCAL folder) in the [OTHERS]
section:
[OTHERS]
[SESSION INSTANCE]
INSTANCE0=%[Link]

NOTE: If these lines are present in the [Link], but are preceded by a semi-colon, remove the semi-
colon to enable the lines.

Example: Securing the Run-time Environment

Let's assume you enable environment protection in the iFIX WorkSpace and you want to provide John
with rights to run Recipe Builder, download control recipes, and task switch between the run-time envir-
onment 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.

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

Using iFIX Security

32 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 following 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 restart-
ing the Login program.

If Windows security is authenticating the login name and password, operators can change their pass-
word 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
system. If you have configured the Alarm ODBC Service and your relational database, these messages are
also written 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 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.
TIP: Other ways you can login to iFIX are from the Options menu in the iFIX Startup window, or the quick
access toolbar in the iFIX WorkSpace in run mode

Password Expiration Considerations

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

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

Changing the Account Password

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 33

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

1. In Classic view, in the 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
password again.

Logging out of iFIX Manually

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

To log out of iFIX:

1. In Classic view, in the 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 Logout.
TIP: Other ways you can logout of iFIX are from the Options menu in the iFIX Startup window, or the quick
access toolbar in the iFIX WorkSpace in run mode.

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 [Link]. For example,
the file [Link] 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.

34 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 acknow-
ledgement 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
Windows user accounts for password validation. Both local and domain Windows accounts are sup-
ported.

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
verifies 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
Windows 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
passwords, 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 35

 l Configuring the Account Disabled Message in iFIX
l User Accounts that Log in to Windows
l Domain Users Logging Into Windows
l Control How iFIX Security Authenticates Windows Accounts
l Domain Caching

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

36 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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
number 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.

-Or-
In Ribbon view, on the Home tab, in the WorkSpace group, click Settings, and then click User
Preferences.
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 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.
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
Settings". 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 admin-
istrators 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 37

 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.
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.

Be aware that when configuring your Windows users in iFIX Security, the Domain Name entry needs to
be your domain's NetBIOS name.

Control How iFIX Security Authenticates Windows Accounts

iFIX security allows local and domain accounts in Windows to be configured for authentication within
iFIX. Beginning with iFIX 3.5, iFIX security also allows you to configure the Windows API that connects
to the domain controller for authentication. You can configure the following Windows APIs for use with
iFIX:

l NetGetDcName - An older function that iFIX originally used with Network Basic Input/Output
System (NETBIOS) to discover the IP address of the primary domain controller (PDC). This func-
tion does not support DNS-style names, will not detect a backup domain controller (BDC), and is
not recommended when in a Windows environment that uses Domain Name System (DNS) for
name resolution without NETBIOS or a Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server.
l NetGetAnyDcName - This function returns the name of any domain controller for a domain that
is directly trusted by the specified server. To use this function, the computer must have a trusted
connection with the server.
l DsGetDcName - The default function call made by iFIX security. This function uses Active Dir-
ectory to return the name of a domain controller.
NOTE: If domain logon caching is enabled on the server, be sure that you configure the Interactive logon:
Number of previous logons to cache setting in the Windows security policies to something other than 0. For
example, if the value is 5, the server caches logon information for 5 users. This security policy can be found in
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options. Domain
caching allows users to log on even when they are not connected to a domain, such as when connected to a
corporate network. Be sure that other security countermeasures are enforced, such as strong passwords, if
this feature is enabled.

Use the [Link] file to configure the settings for the name resolution call. You can find this file in the
<iFIX directory>\LOCAL folder.

In the [Link] file, the DomainRetrieverCall value can be modified to 0, 1, or 2, which correspond to
one of the following methods:

l 0 - Use NetGetDcName
l 1 -Use NetGetAnyDcName
l 2 - Use DSGetDcName (Default)

Example Entry in [Link] File

The following is an example of the text in the [Link] file that sets the Windows API function call. The
example sets the DsGetDcName function (Active Directory) to return the name of a domain controller:

38 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 [SECNET]
DomainRetrieverCall=2

NOTE: iFIX reads the [Link] file during iFIX startup. If you modify this file, you must restart iFIX for the
changes to be applied. Be aware that if you make any modifications to this file and later upgrade your
iFIX system, you should review your custom settings in the [Link] file after the upgrade. Depending on the
date of the modifications, there is a slight chance that you may need to enter your changes again, as the
upgrade process typically overwrites the [Link] file with a newer version.

Domain Caching

When iFIX Security is enabled, Domain Caching allows users to log into iFIX even when they are not
connected to a domain, such as when connected to a corporate network. Only the logon information is
persisted (not the full user name, for instance) to comply with Microsoft security policies.

When using domain caching, be sure that other security countermeasures are enforced, such as strong
passwords.

Domain Caching is disabled by default in iFIX. To enable it, you need to update the [Link] file in the
iFIX/Local folder. Change the EnableDomainLogonCache setting from 0 to 1, like this:
EnableDomainLogonCache=1

Save the [Link] file and restart iFIX.

Domain caching should be enabled where ever you want to cache the login. For instance, on the
iFIX Server and iClient (View) nodes.
NOTE: In Microsoft Windows, If domain caching is enabled for logins, be sure that you configure the Inter-
active logon: Number of previous logons to cache setting in the Windows security policies to something other
than 0. For example, if the value is 5, the server caches logon information for 5 users. This security policy can
be found in Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security
Options.

For more information on the [Link] file and other changes you can make to configure the Windows
API that connects to the domain controller for authentication, refer to the "Control How iFIX Security
Authenticates Windows Accounts" on the previous page topic.

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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 39

 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 Secur-
ity 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 environment, 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
security user accounts based on this information. The Synchronizer modifies only those iFIX security
user 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 Syn-
chronizer. 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 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 Syn-
chronizer results. If you installed iFIX to the default location, you can find this .log file in the C:\Program Files
(x86)\GE\iFIX\ALM folder.

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

40 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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
Synchronizer application feature assigned.
l If 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 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 accom-
plished 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 Syn-
chronizer. For example, you can supply a time-out value to any new iFIX user accounts created
by the Synchronizer, 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:

l You may schedule the Synchronizer to run at routine intervals. Because you cannot always
determine 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 Syn-
chronizer. iFIX Security's System Autologin User option can be used to "impersonate" a certain
user when the Synchronizer 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
configuration, 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 41

 aliases are provided for these application features. Refer to the section Application Feature
Name Aliases for a complete list of aliases.
l Be aware that when configuring your Windows users in iFIX Security, the Domain Name entry
needs to be your domain's NetBIOS name.
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 situation.
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, applic-
ation features, 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 ori-
ginal iFIX account and creates a new iFIX account with the appropriate domain and login time-out val-
ues.

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 privileges.

The Security Synchronizer performs the following steps to synchronize iFIX security users with their
Windows 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.

42 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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
parameter 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 [Link] 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
follow 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.
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 Syn-
chronizer 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 con-
figuration or on a domain controller. You must determine if the security information should come from a

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 43

 Windows domain, the local computer, or both. One factor to consider when making this decision is the
network configuration at the site where the Security Synchronizer is used.
NOTE: It is important to understand that the source of Windows security information determines where Win-
dows 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 fea-
tures, security areas, and security groups to be assigned to iFIX users. You can use the CreateWin-
dowsGroup 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 secur-
ity 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
l Global Group Nesting Not Supported

Configuration Strategy

You can reduce the number of Windows groups that must be created by grouping iFIX application fea-
tures 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
represent 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.

44 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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
Limitations on Global Group Names

You must limit the size of each Windows global group name to 20 characters if you synchronize iFIX
security 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 Syn-
chronizer 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 45

 feature 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
security 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 inform-
ation, 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 fea-
ture names.
CAUTION: If you do not follow these procedures when using Windows NT 4.0 domain security with Security
Synchronizer, 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.

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 priv-
ileges:

46 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 priv-
ileges.

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

To create Windows groups using the CreateWindowsGroups tool:

1. Run [Link] 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 fil-
ter.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 47

 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 cre-
ating 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 Win-
dows 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 any-
one, 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 Automatic 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.
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.

48 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Refer to the chapter Defining and Assigning Security Privileges for more information on the Security
Configuration 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
application feature privilege or if no user is logged in, the Security Synchronizer does not run and a mes-
sage 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 main-
tain. If all nodes on a company network use a shared set of iFIX security files that are stored on a file
server, then only one node on the network should run Security Synchronizer to update the security con-
figuration. If each iFIX node maintains its own set of iFIX security files, then you must run Security Syn-
chronizer 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 49

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 initiating the synchronization process at an inappropriate time, which could lead to an incorrect
security configuration.

You can, however, execute the program using an icon you create that contains the appropriate com-
mand line parameters. You can create a Windows shortcut that points to the Security Synchronizer pro-
gram and supplies the command line parameters. Use the Shortcut tab of a shortcut to the
[Link] 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
security 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 Syn-
chronizer 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.

50 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 over-
writing 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.

[Link] Command Line Parameters

Command Description
Line Option
/D"domain1 Supplies the name of the domain where the Windows groups are located.
domain2 You must supply either this parameter or the /L parameter (or both para-
domain3" meters) to enable the Security Synchronizer to locate the Windows groups.

An example when using multiple domains:

/D"name1 name2 name3"

An example when using a single domain:

/Dname1
/L Indicates that the local computer security configuration where the Windows
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 selec-
ted in the iFIX Security User Configuration dialog box will be removed from
iFIX security 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
security.
/E Supplies the name of an analog iFIX database tag and floating point (F_) field
[Link] to 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 51

 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
[Link] 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
[Link] which a value is written that indicates that the Security Synchronizer has
completed. The value 1 is written when the synchronization has completed.

NOTE: You must manually set this tag's value to 0 before running the Secur-
ity Synchronizer if you want to determine whether the process has com-
pleted.
/T# seconds Supplies an iFIX Login Time-out value to apply to any new iFIX user
accounts created 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 map-
ping scheme refers to how Windows group names are mapped to iFIX priv-
ileges.

NOTE: This parameter is intended for future use only. Do not use this para-
meter.
/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 messages are not sent to the alarm destinations.
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:
[Link] /DPlantA /[Link].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.

52 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 dis-
abled.
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.
Otherwise, 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 secur-
ity 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.

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 Con-
trol 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 53

 more information about the At command and command line parameters used by the Task Sched-
uler.
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 [Link] 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 [Link] command line parameters

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

To schedule the [Link] 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 [Link] <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
(x86)\GE\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:
[Link] /DPlantA /L /T /R

NOTE: This command file is saved as [Link].

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

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

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

54 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Windows security configuration. You have the ability to write custom applications or scripts that auto-
mate 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
aliases 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
systems 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
Alarm Shelving FAF - Alarm Shelving
Application Validator - Creation of FAF–Application Validator - Creation of Baselines
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

Change Management FAF–Change Management

FAF–PCM
Data Provider Service FAF–Data Provider Service
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]
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
Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del FAF–Enable Ctrl-Alt-Del

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 55

 FAF–Ctrl-Alt-Del
Enable Task Switching FAF–Task Switching

FAF–Enable Task Switching

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 FAF–Fix32 - Historical Trend Display View Only
Only
FAF–F32 - HTDView
Fix32 – Key Macro Editor FAF–Fix32 - Key Macro Editor

FAF–Fix32 - KME
Fix32 – Operating System Window FAF–Fix32 - Operating System Window

FAF–F32 - OS Win
Fix32 – Report Creator FAF-Fix32 Report Creator

FAF-F32 RepCre
Fix32 – Report Generator FAF-Fix32 Report Generator

FAF-F32 RepGen
Fix32 – Run a Task from View FAF–Fix32 - Run a Task from View

FAF–F32 - RUNTASK
GE OEM Reserved 1 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 1

FAF–OEM Reserved 1
GE OEM Reserved 10 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 10

FAF–OEM Reserved 10
GE OEM Reserved 11 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 11

FAF–OEM Reserved 11
GE OEM Reserved 12 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 12

FAF–OEM Reserved 12
GE OEM Reserved 2 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 2

FAF–OEM Reserved 2
GE OEM Reserved 3 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 3

FAF–OEM Reserved 3
GE OEM Reserved 4 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 4

FAF–OEM Reserved 4

56 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 GE OEM Reserved 5 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 5

FAF–OEM Reserved 5
GE OEM Reserved 6 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 6

FAF–OEM Reserved 6
GE OEM Reserved 7 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 7

FAF–OEM Reserved 7
GE OEM Reserved 8 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 8

FAF–OEM Reserved 8
GE OEM Reserved 9 FAF–GE OEM Reserved 9

FAF–OEM Reserved 9
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
Manual Failover FAF–Manual Failover
OPC UA Configuration Tool FAF-OPC UA Configuration Tool
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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 57

 Recipe Save FAF–Recipe Save
Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access FAF–Runtime Visual Basic Editor Access

FAF–Runtime VBE
Security Configuration FAF–Security Configuration

FAF–Security Config
Security Synchronizer FAF–Security Synchronizer

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

FAF–SU Profile Mgr

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
Tag Status FAF–Tag Status
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 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 FAF–BE Acq-Rel Res
Resources
FAF–Batch Execution - Acquire and Release
Resources
Batch Execution – Acquire Phase for Manual FAF–BE Acquire Phase
Control

58 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 FAF–Batch Execution - Acquire Phase for Manual
Control
Batch Execution – Add Batch FAF–BE Add Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Add Batch

Batch Execution – Add Campaign FAF–BE Add Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Add Campaign

Batch Execution – Allow Arbitration View FAF–BE Arbit View

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Arbitration View

Batch Execution – Allow Demo Mode FAF–BE Allow Demo

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Demo Mode

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

FAF–BE Client Help

Batch Execution – Allow Phase Control FAF–BE Phase Control

FAF–Batch Execution - Allow Phase Control

Batch Execution – Archiver Startup FAF–BE Arch Start

FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Startup

Batch Execution – Archiver Startup from Mgr FAF–BE Arch Start AM

FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Startup from

Archiver Manager
Batch Execution – Archiver Shutdown from Mgr FAF–BE Arch Stop AM

FAF–Batch Execution - Archiver Shutdown from

Archiver Manager
Batch Execution – Change Formulation Status FAF–BE Ch Forml Stat

FAF–Batch Execution - Change Formulation Status

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 – 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 – Configure Campaign FAF–BE Config Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Configure Campaign

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 59

 Batch Execution – Configure the Client FAF–BE Client Cfg

FAF–Batch Execution - Configure the Client

Batch Execution – Create Equipment Con- FAF–BE Create Eq Cfg
figuration
FAF–Batch Execution - Create Equipment Con-
figuration
Batch Execution – Create New Project in iFIX FAF–BE New Project
WorkSpace
FAF–Batch Execution - Create New Project in iFIX
WorkSpace
Batch Execution – Create Recipes FAF–BE Create Rcp

FAF–Batch Execution - Create Recipes

Batch Execution – Duplicate Campaign FAF–BE Duplicate Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Duplicate Campaign

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

FAF–Batch Execution - Hold Batch

Batch Execution – Launch Campaign FAF–BE Launch Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Launch Campaign

Batch Execution – Misc Item Deletion from iFIX FAF–BE Misc Item Del
WorkSpace
FAF–Batch Execution - Misc Item Deletion from iFIX
WorkSpace
Batch Execution – Modify Campaign FAF–BE Modify Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Modify Campaign

Batch Execution – Pause Campaign FAF–BE Pause Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Pause Campaign

Batch Execution – iFIX WorkSpace Startup FAF–BE WS Startup

FAF–Batch Execution - iFIX WorkSpace Startup

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 Pro- FAF–BE Release Rcp

60 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 duction FAF–Batch Execution - Release Recipes to Pro-
duction
Batch Execution – Remove Batch FAF–BE Remove Batch

FAF–Batch Execution - Remove Batch

Batch Execution – Remove Campaign FAF–BE Remove Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Remove Campaign

Batch Execution – Remove Formulation FAF–BE Remove Forml

FAF–Batch Execution - Remove Formulation

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 – Restart Campaign FAF–BE Restart Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Restart Campaign

Batch Execution – Save Equipment Con- FAF–BE Save Eq Cfg
figuration
FAF–Batch Execution - Save Equipment Con-
figuration
Batch Execution – Save Formulation FAF–Batch Execution - Save Formulation
Batch Execution – Save from iFIX WorkSpace FAF–BE WS Save

FAF–Batch Execution - Save from iFIX WorkSpace

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 – Shutdown Campaign FAF–Batch Execution - Shutdown Campaign
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 Campaign FAF–BE Start Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - Start Campaign

Batch Execution – Start iWorkInstruction Editor FAF–BE Start iWI Ed

FAF–Start iWorkInstruction Editor

Batch Execution – Start SoftPhase Server FAF–BE Start SoftPhs

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 61

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

FAF–Batch Execution - Stop Batch

Batch Execution – Stop SoftPhase Server FAF–BE Stop SoftPhs

FAF–Batch Execution - Stop SoftPhase Server

Batch Execution – View Campaign FAF–BE View Cmpn

FAF–Batch Execution - View Campaign

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 Log in with an administrative user account and create for yourself a new user
iFIX. account. The initial login name for such an account is ADMIN and the initial
password 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 ini-
tial 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 iFIX WorkSpace and click the Security Configuration button from
Security Configuration the Application toolbar (Classic view) or on the Applications tab, in the Sys-
program without starting tem & Security group, click Security and then click Security Configuration
the SCU. Utility (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
message before taking the recommended action.

Security Configuration Messages

When you Then...

62 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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
found. user 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
Save new Configuration program, click Cancel.
changes?
Copy existing You redefined the security path. Click Yes to move the user and group accounts to the
configuration new path, click No to leave the files in the current location, or click Cancel to return to the
to new path? Security 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 Secur-
ity or give a ity Configuration program. Create at least one user account that can access the program
user access before you exit.
to this pro-
gram 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
ing security is not damaged or stored in bad sectors of your hard disk.
configuration.
Failure writing The Security Configuration program could not save its current settings. Verify that you
security files. have enough free hard disk space. If you do not, back up any unnecessary files, delete
Check disk them, and try saving the security configuration again.
space.
Full name You entered non-alphanumeric characters (such as punctuation marks) in the full name of
must be alpha-a 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
needed to alphanumeric 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 dir-
specified. ectory 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
must be alpha-of a user account. Retype the login name in this field including only alphanumeric char-

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 63

numeric. acters.
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
files. Copy path, you must click Yes or Cancel instead.
files or
CANCEL
change.
Ok to The Security Configuration program is about to delete the selected group account. Click
DELETE this Yes to delete the account or click No to keep it.
group?
Ok to The Security Configuration program is about to delete the selected user account. Click
DELETE this Yes to delete the account or click No to keep it.
user?
Ok to lose cur-You clicked Cancel on a dialog box. Click Yes to abort the changes you have made or
rent changes? click No to continue making changes.
Old con- The Security Configuration program could not find the back-up of the previous security
figuration not configuration 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 The password you typed does not match the one you entered for the current user
confirmation account. 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
ing con- areas with the information in the import file. Click Add to append the new accounts to
figuration? your existing 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 Support for more information.
rupted.
Security Files The security path you specified does not exist. Consequently, the Security Configuration
must be manu-program cannot copy the user and group accounts to the specified path. You must copy
ally copied the files to this path once it becomes available. If you do not, the Security Configuration
from <old_ program assumes someone has tampered with security and will not allow you to restart
path>. the program.
Security path iFIX could not find the security path you specified. Verify it exists and try again. If the
invalid or path points to a file server, make sure the server is functioning properly.
unavailable.
Continue?
Should You have selected Clear to delete all user and group accounts. To prevent you from acci-
default user dentally locking yourself out the program, the Security Configuration program allows you
and group to create sample user and group accounts. To create these accounts, click Yes. To skip
accounts be creating these accounts, click No.
created.

64 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 System user You entered a full name in the System User field that security could not find. Click the
not found. browse (...) button and select a name from the list of user accounts that appears. If no
Reenter. user 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
Security Con- try again. If you are using Windows security, verify that you entered the password
figurator. exactly as 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 Con-
figuration Program.
Unique login You entered a login name or full name already in use by another user account. Enter a
and full login 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
following 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:

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 65

 Application Errors – Security Synchronizer terminates without performing or completing syn-
chronization. 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 pro-
cess 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
running
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.
Synchronization aborted.
250 Security Synchronizer: No group names found in Windows that map to FIX privileges.
Synchronization aborted.
251 Security Synchronizer: No Windows users belong to groups which map to FIX privileges.
Synchronization aborted.

66 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 270 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX security data. Synchronization aborted.
271 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX security Area data. Synchronization abor-
ted.
272 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX Application Feature data. Synchronization
aborted.
273 Security Synchronizer: Unable to retrieve FIX Security Group data. Synchronization abor-
ted.
280 Security Synchronizer: Security paths unavailable or security has been tampered with.
Synchronization 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 Con-
fig.
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
program 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 67

 General Error Codes
Er-Error Message
ro-
r
C-
o-
d-
e
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 [Link] program is running, and not
when programming to the Security Synchronizer Automation interface. Refer to the iFIX Automation
Interfaces 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

68 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 l Group Membership Selection Dialog Box
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:

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 69

 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 ([Link]).
NOTE: Only the Security Synchronizer recognizes the System User. 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.

Configuration Dialog Box

The Configuration dialog box displays the following items:

User Based Security

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

70 © 2020 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
individually 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 71

 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.

72 © 2020 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 dis-
plays 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:

Authorized
Displays the account privileges accessible to this account.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 73

 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.

Delete
Lets you remove the selected user account.

74 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

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 Win-
dows security, Windows authenticates each login name and password, allowing you to take advantage
of features 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.
NOTE: Be aware that when configuring your Windows users in iFIX Secur-
ity, the Domain Name entry needs to be your domain's NetBIOS name.
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 pre-
vents operators from remaining logged in indefinitely.
CAUTION: This feature does not eliminate the need for operators to manu-
ally 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.
Entering a password is optional. Each password can be up to 20 alpha-
numeric characters.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 75

 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. iFIX user passwords are case insens-
itive when not using Windows security
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
security 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
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 operators from remaining logged in indefinitely.
CAUTION: This feature does not eliminate the need for operators to manu-
ally 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
l Using Electronic Signatures

76 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 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 iFIX WorkSpace and set the run-time envir-
onment 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 77

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. Be aware that when configuring your Windows users in
iFIX Security, the Domain Name entry needs to be your domain's NetBIOS name.
l If you want to use iFIX security, enter the login name and password for the account in the
Login Name and Password fields.
2. If you want to limit the time the operator remains logged into iFIX, in the Login Timeout field, enter
a timeout value.
3. Add group accounts.
4. Add security areas.
5. Add application features.
6. 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-

78 © 2020 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 79

 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 secur-
ity 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.

80 © 2020 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 81

 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

82 © 2020 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

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 83

 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.

84 © 2020 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.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 85

 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
Manager. 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.

86 © 2020 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 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 (x86)\GE\iFIX, while the default Language path is C:\Program Files (x86)\GE\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.

© 2020 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 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

88 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 The Electronic Signature dialog box appears when you change the value of a database tag or acknow-
ledge 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 sec-
tion 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
Signature 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 sec-
tion activates. If you have completed the Perform By section, someone else must complete the Verify
By section.
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:

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 89

 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
Signature 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 per-
forming 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 accep-
ted 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
indicating 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.

90 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

Configuring for Automatic Login

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. If a Windows user is defined as an automatic login user, enter a password when prompted.
7. Click OK to save your changes in memory.
8. 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
program deletes the automatic login file for the selected node.

Creating or Renaming Security Areas

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 91

 To create or rename a security area:

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 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 [Link] in the iFIX folder. By default, this folder is: C:\Program
Files (x86)\GE\iFIX.
The Create Windows Groups dialog box opens, displaying a list of Windows group names. The
[Link] derives the Windows group names from the current iFIX security
configuration.
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 Win-
dows security configuration tool to grant individual membership in the groups to Windows user
accounts.

92 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

Configuring the iFIX Screen Saver

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

To configure the iFIX Screen Saver:

1. Open the display settings:

l Double-click the Display option. The Display Properties dialog box appears.
l In the 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 set-
tings 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
Settings dialog box.

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 93

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
Preferences.
2. Click the Environment Protection tab.
3. Select the Enable Environment Protection check box.
4. Select the options you want to enable.

94 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 Index assigning 48

privileges with group accounts 8

security areas 23
A
Windows groups 48
account disabled message, configuring 36
audit trail 34
account lockout 36
Security Synchronizer messages 49
setting 36
see log file 34
adding 24
Autologin option 41
application features 24
See Also System Autologin option 41
group accounts 24
automatic login configuration 26
security areas 24
creating 25
adding application features to a group
deleting 26
account 84
described 25
adding application features to a user account 79
automatic login file 91
adding group accounts to user accounts 79

adding security areas to a group account 83 B

adding security areas to a user account 78
backup path 6
alarms 33
defining for security 28
generated on unsuccessful attempts to log
described 6
in 33

aliases 45 C
iFIX application name feature 55
changing the default screen saver bitmap
using for iFIX application features 44 image 18

application error codes in Security character limitations 44

Synchronizer 66
on global group names for Windows NT 44
application features 84
on iFIX security groups for NT 44
adding 24
on user-defined iFIX security area names 44
described 3
COM Automation 54
listed 11
using to program the synchronization pro-
special assignments 13 cess 54

application users 26 command line 51

described 25 using with Security Synchronizer 51

command line in Security Synchronizer 51

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 95

 command line parameters in Security Syn- creating group accounts 83
chronizer 40
creating security areas 91
errors 68
creating user accounts 77
using /R to delete users 40

configuring D

account disabled message 36 database blocks 23

account for automatic login 25 assigning security areas to 23

iFIX Screen Saver 18 database write access 10

run-time environment 30 disabling 18

security settings for iFIX Screen Saver 18 restricting 10

configuring iFIX 48 defining 43

application features for Security Syn- backup path 28

chronizer 44
security areas 23
security for Security Synchronizer 48
security path 28
constraints using and running Security Syn-
source of Windows security for Security Syn-
chronizer 41
chronizer 43
CreateWindowsGroups tool 46
defining the security path 86
creating 44
deleting 25
group accounts 24
all group and user accounts 25
iFIX security user accounts 42
automatic login configuration 26
public account 26
group accounts 25
public accounts 26
iFIX user accounts 42
recipe user accounts 10
deleting a group account 84
user accounts 9
deleting a user account 81
Windows domain groups 55
deleting all group and user accounts 81, 85
Windows global groups 55
deleting an automatic login file 91
Windows groups 44
deleting application features from a group
Windows users 44 account 84

creating a public account 80 deleting application features from a user

account 79
creating a recipe user account 80
deleting group accounts from user accounts 79
creating an automatic login file 91
deleting security areas from a group account 83
creating an export file 87
deleting security areas from a user account 78

96 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 developing 5 (200-299) in Security Synchronizer 66

security strategy 5 error severity categories in Security Syn-

chronizer 65
disabled accounts 36
examples
described 36
command line parameter in Security Syn-
disabling 23
chronizer 51
database write access for unauthorized
scheduling Security Synchronizer 53
nodes 18
exiting 22
disabling global paths 87
exporting 27
disabling security 81, 85
security configuration 27
domain caching 39
exporting the security configuration 87
E
F
electronic signatures 34
file server 6
audit trail 34
creating automatic logins 25
described 3
using with security system 6
disabled accounts 36

performed by 89 G
restricting access from remote nodes 17
global security paths 29
tracking unsuccessful attempts to access
group accounts 7, 28
iFIX 34
adding to a user account 24
verifying 89
assigning account privileges 5
enabling 30
assigning extra privileges 8
environment protection 30
assigning rights with 8
enabling global security paths 87
creating 24
enabling security 86
deleting 25
environment protection 14
deleting all 25
described 3
described 3
enabling 30
example 3
required application feature 13
modifying 24
error codes 66
sample 21
(1-99) in Security Synchronizer 67
sharing with other computers 28
(100-199) in Security Synchronizer 67

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 97

 I unsuccessful 34

iFIX unsuccessful attempts 33

application feature aliases 55 logout 34

deleting user accounts 51 automatic 24

Environment Protection option 18 manual 34

logging in 33
M
logging out 34
messages 62
shutting down 14
account disabled 36
using database program block 53
security configuration (list) 62
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 48 security accounts 42
concurrency with Security Synchronizer 49 modifying a group account 85
configuring for Security Synchronizer 48 modifying a user account 81
implementing 20 modifying an automatic login file 91
security strategy 21
N
importing

security configuration 27 naming conventions 23

user account passwords 27 security areas 23

importing the security configuration 88 nodes

disabling write access 17

L
O
local path 28

creating automatic logins 25 objects 54

defining a security path 28 Security Synchronizer 54

log file 34
P
description 34
parameter errors in Security Synchronizer 68
login 33
command line 68
automatic 25
passwords 24
manual 33
changing 33

98 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 setting expiration 36 run-time environment 14

setting in iFIX 24 restricting access 30

pictures 15 running Security Synchronizer 49

assigning security areas to 23

S
security areas 15
sample accounts 21
preparing to run Security Synchronizer 43
saving 24
programming the synchronization process 54
user accounts 24
programs 53
saving user accounts 82
scheduling with Task Scheduler service 53
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 53

scheduling Security Synchronizer 40

R
strategy 53
recipes 10, 80
using command-line parameters 40
creating a user account 10
using iFIX database program block 53
remote access 17
using scheduling convention 40
restricting from remote nodes 17
screen saver 18, 93
remote nodes 5
electronic signatures 92
restricting access from 17
scripts 20
securing 5
securing the Visual Basic Editor 15
removing 51
security access and information 20
iFIX user accounts 51
securing 15
renaming 23
pictures 15
security areas 23
run-time environment 30
renaming security areas 91
schedules 15
restricting access 30
Visual Basic Editor 15
database write 10
security
from remote nodes 17
disabling 23
run-time environment 30
enabling 23
restricting database write access 17

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 99

 iFIX Screen Saver 93 using Windows NT security 39

implementing a strategy 20 security log file 34

implementing with a file server 6 described 34

implementing without a file server 6 location 34

log file for Security Synchronizer 49 record of unsuccessful attempts to log in 34

restricting access from remote nodes 17 security path 28, 86

sharing files 5 creating automatic logins 25

special users in Security Synchronizer 41 defined 6

status 4 security strategy 77

strategy 5 Security Synchronizer 53

troubleshooting 62 application error codes (200-299) 66

using Windows user name and password 39 audit trail messages 49

security area 3 automation interface 54

example 3 command line 51

security areas 10 command line options 51

adding 24 command line parameter errors 68

described 3 command line parameter overview 40

naming 23 command line parameters 41

security configuration file 27 configuring iFIX security 48

described 26 constraints using and running 41

exporting 27 creating iFIX user accounts 42

importing 27 definition 40

importing data 26 deleting iFIX user accounts 42

Security Configuration program 39 error severity categories 65

automatic login to iFIX 25 general error codes (1-99) 67

described 2 how it works 42

error messages 62 modifying iFIX accounts to match Windows

accounts 42
exiting 22
object 54
exporting your security configuration 26
preparing to run 43
importing your security configuration 26
running 49
starting 21
scheduling 40

100 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.

 scheduling examples 53 system shutdown application feature 13

scheduling using iFIX database program

block 53 T

security storage configurations 40 Task Scheduler service

special users 41 using to schedule programs 53

success/failure indicators 42 tracking 34

user account error codes (100-199) 67 database changes 2

using with Windows NT 4.0 44 unsuccessful login attempts 34

when to run 53 troubleshooting 62

security system 2 security problems 62

access options 2
U
benefits 1
user-based security 2
determining status 4
described 2
tracking database changes 2
user accounts 28
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 28
deleting all 25
deleting automatic login configuration 26
described 3
modifying group accounts 24
error codes in Security Synchronizer 67
modifying user accounts 24
importing passwords 27
special application features 13
modifying 24
assignment 13
sample 21
special security users in Security
Synchronizer 41 saving 24

starting 21 sharing with other computers 28

Security Configuration program 21 using

strategy for developing security 4 Autologin option 41

synchronizing iFIX security with Windows CreateWindowsGroup tool 46

security 42
Security Synchronizer automation
System Autologin User option 41 interface 54

© 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. 101

 V

VBA 20

Security Synchronizer and 54

writing scripts for information 20

writing scripts for security access 20

Visual Basic Editor 15

securing scripts 15

Windows

creating domain groups 55

creating global groups 55

using security features 39

Windows Event Log 19

screen saver messages 18

Windows group names 45

abbreviations 44

prefix string 45

Windows groups 44

assigning 48

creating 46

Windows NT 45

character limitations on global group

names 44

character limitations on iFIX security

groups 44

Windows security

creating users 44

deciding source for Security

Synchronizer 43

Windows user accounts 42

synchronizing with iFIX security users 42

102 © 2020 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.