Importance of Test User Access and Security Best Practices

In order to effectively troubleshoot and resolve issues, technical support teams often require direct access to the environment where problems are occurring. Test user access serves as a controlled method for support teams to replicate issues, gain a deeper understanding of the context in which they arise, and validate proposed solutions. This article emphasizes the significance of test user access, provides guidance on how to grant such access, and offers best practices for maintaining security on your Bold BI site.

Importance of Test User Access

Test user access is a helpful option for technical support teams. It allows them to:

• Real-Time Scenario Replication: Test user access enables technical support teams to replicate user scenarios in real time.
• Accurate Issue Diagnosis: It aids in identifying the root causes of issues more accurately.
• Streamlined Communication: Test user access helps reduce the number of communication cycles required to resolve an issue.
• Precise Troubleshooting: It facilitates direct interaction with the tool for more precise troubleshooting.

Note: This proactive approach to troubleshooting can lead to faster resolution times and improved user satisfaction. However, it is important to note that Bold BI provides alternative methods such as error logs and HAR files to validate reported issues. Test user access is only requested when absolutely necessary, especially for Bold BI on-premises users.

Security Considerations

When providing test user access, it is crucial to maintain the security and integrity of your data. Here are some best practices: the following points should be considered to ensure security and compliance.

• Limit Access Scope: Provide only the necessary level of access required for support tasks.
• Resource Restriction: Limit access to specific resources (dashboards, data sources) as needed.
• Use of Test Environment: Utilize a controlled test environment, such as QA/Dev, instead of production servers.
• Data Protection Measures: Protect sensitive data by creating dashboards with test data and sharing those, rather than providing access to live sensitive data.
• Revoking Access: Once the issue has been resolved, promptly revoke the test user’s permissions to prevent any unauthorized access in the future.

Steps to Create a Test User

Step 1: Add a New User

Create a new user account on your Bold BI site using the following documentation. Use a dummy account such as support@syncfusion.com and set a temporary password.

Adding Individual Users

Step 2: Assign Permissions

Once the user is created, assign them to the appropriate group with the necessary permissions. This could be a system administrator group or a custom group with specific dashboard/data source access.

Assigning Users to Groups

Step 3: Share Credentials

After setting up the user account and permissions, record the email address and password. Share these credentials securely with the support team for them to access your site.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this knowledge base article, you can securely and efficiently provide test user access to your Bold BI site. This will enable the support team to offer better assistance and ensure a smoother resolution process for any issues encountered.

Implementing test user access with strict controls and specific permissions is crucial for maintaining the security of your BI environment while efficiently resolving technical issues. Remember to revoke or modify the test user’s access once the support task is complete to ensure ongoing data security.