There are three main categories of users: full users, concurrent users and deactivated users. The following table summarises the charactistics of each of these user categories:
| User Category | Functionality | Login Constraints | Module Constraints |
| Full | Complete | None – Full users may login any time irrespective of other users | None |
| Concurrent | Complete | A concurrent licence is shared between multiple users. Regardless of how many concurrent users are registered on the system, the number of them who may access the system simultaneously is governed by the concurrent licence. For example, suppose we have a system that has 100 concurrent users, but only 7 concurrent licences. In that system, any seven of the the 100 users may access the system simultaneously. | None |
| Deactivated | None | Not permitted to login | No access |
User Management Basics
Each user in is shown as a separate line in the user management table, identified by an email address, first name and last name. Against each user is a series of tick boxes, one for each module they are entitled to use. Free Licences Users are entitled to one free user licence, and one free eLink Lite User Manager Licence. These licences are functionally identical to full user licences and full eLink Lite User manager Licences respectively; the only difference is that they are offered free. When users are added to the system, the first full user is allocated to the free user licence. Subsequent users are charged according to the chosen licence. There must be at least one eLink Lite User manager, without which it would not be possible to administer eLink Lite. The first eLink Lite user Manager is offered free of charge. Additional eLink Lite user managers incur a licence fee. The user management table is divided into three sections. Full users are listed at the top of the table, followed by concurrent users. Finally, deactivated users are listed at the bottom of the table. The traffic lights on the right hand side of the user table allow users to be moved from one category to another. So, a full user with have an amber traffic light and a red traffic light against it. Pressing the amber light will convert that user into a concurrent user. Pressing the red light will deactivate the user. New users can be added to the table by pressing the ‘Add User’ button. This will create a new full user, with spaces to fill in the email address and name details for that user. If desired, that user can be converted to a concurrent user by pressing the amber traffic light against that user. If a new user is deactivated, that user will be moved to the list of deactivated users – unless the name and email fields are empty in which case the entry will be deleted.
Deactivating Users
Pressing the red light against a full or concurrent user will deactivate that user. Note that all the details of that user are preserved. So, the list of modules they are entitled to use will not be affected. However, those licences will not be chargeable because the user is deactivated. Preserving the module rights in this manner allows users to be deactivated on a temporary basis and then reactivated in the future with the same rights as prior to deactivation.
There is no charge for deactivated users
Why support deactivated users? Why not simply delete them?
There are two reasons for deactivating users. The first reason is to that they can be reactivated easily without having to recreate an account. The second reason is the desire to preserve the data associated with each user. Deleting a user would compromise the integrity of the data because it would be necessary to delete data owned by that user. Deactivating a user preserves all data associated with that user.
Can users be deleted?
In general, the answer is no. However, deactivating user has much the same effect as deleting that user. In fact, it is a better solution because it preserves information owned by the user, so that it is not lost from the business, ensuring that any audit trails are preserved. There is one circumstance in which the eLink Lite management system will allow users to be deleted: when a new user has just been added to the system by the eLink Lite Management System, but not activated in eLink Lite by committing them to the live system.
Saving Changes
Pressing the update button at the bottom of the user management table will cause any changes made to saved as a purchase order. This button will be made active once changes have been made, and if the overall configuration is valid.
Cancelling Changes
Press the cancel if you wish to cancel changes made since the last saved configuration. It is not currently possible to return to configurations stored prior to the last saved configuration.
Configuration Status
A status display is shown at the bottom of the user management table. Any conflicts in the configuration will be listed there. If there are configuration conflicts, the update button will be disabled. So the configuration status display gives an indication as to why it is not possible to update a configuration. Configuration conflicts include:
- Unnamed users – All user details must be filled in. Any blank fields will highlighted with red borders.
- No full users - there must be at least one full user
- No eLink Lite User Manager – at least one full or concurrent user manager must be designated as an eLink Lite User Manager
- Concurrent Licence without any concurrent users - this configuration would be a waste of money – paying for a licence that you are not using
- Concurrent users without a concurrent licence. You may have any number of concurrent users, but if you do so, you must choose a concurrent licence. The licence you chose will determine how many of the concurrent users can be active on the system at the same time
- Duplicate Email addresses – each user in the database must have a different email address to all the other users in that database.
- Other Licence Data Errors (see the licences management section).
Module Rights
Each user may be give the right to use any of the eLink Lite add-on modules. Each module is represented by a checkbox against that user. The icons at the top of the table give an indication of what each column represents. Hovering over those icons will give the name of the module. Ticking a module rights checkbox will allow that user to access the features of that module. Conversely, unticking that checkbox will prohibit the user from accessing that module. Modules are offered for use on a trial basis. A separate module trial management system used to start free trials. In general, each user is entitled to a free trial of any module for up to 30 days. A trial can be cancelled at any time, but cannot be re-activated. Once a module has been purchased, any free trial will be terminated. We are constantly seeking to enhance the capabilities offered with eLink Lite. As we do so, we will add further modules to the list of those available. Modules that are charged on a per-user basis will be listed in the user management table. Modules that are charged per-database are listed in the licences table.
Cost Calculator
A simple cost is displayed near the top of the screen. This shows the cost of the system which is currently active in eLink, and also the cost of the revised system. Changing the users and module licences will impact the costs, the impact of those changes will be reflected in the figures at the top of the screen. Note that the cost calculator includes all the cost of all licences, both those shown on the user management table, and in the licences table.
