fmSetupAssistant: Safety, Protection, Privileges, Security and Approval

[mrwatson-de]

This is a bit of a general, all-in-one 'I have some concerns' issue, which is in construction / a thought gathering process.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Safety

• Workstation's safety - avoid breaking prefs files
• User's safety - need protecting against own mistakes
• My Safety - liability

Protection

• Protection against errors
• Protection against future changes in the environment

Privileges

• Who can do what?

Security

• Who can be trusted with what?
• Open accounts?
• Security+Safety via an approval system?
• Security+Safety+Recovery via a logging system?

Issue: writing errors

• Avoid writing errors:
  • Priv: Allow Settings with logged errors to be written
  • Priv: Allow (new) Settings without logged success to be written
  • Priv: Suppress warnings when writing (new) settings
  • Priv: Allow MBS in Demo Mode
• Approval: Distinguish between Approved Settings

Issue: Future Safety

• What is to stop things breaking when something new comes along?
• A new version of FileMaker could change the way preferences work
• An updated OS might change OS-Settings

Who can do what?

• We currently have two privilege sets in fmSetupAssistant, Admin (=DEV) and User

• Would it be better to adopt the three privilege levels used by GBS Developer, Administrator and User?

• Privilege levels only make Do we need to

• …

Idea: Approval System

Can we avoid such breakages by introducing an approval system

• Approval required for unknown / new FileMaker version
• Approval required for unknown / new OS version
• Approval required for unknown / new settings

Idea: History Log

• Do we need a log of changes, so that when something goes wrong, we can identify what lead up to the situation?