Re: Some docs help

On Sep 12, 2005, at 2:16 AM, Lukas Kahwe Smith wrote:

>> In the table liveuser_perm_users, what is the purpose of the  
>> fields  auth_container_name and perm_type? auth_container_name  
>> would seem to  be something to do with the source of authorization  
>> for the user. But  since the authorization system-specific info  
>> about a user goes (I  understand) in liveuser_users, I can't  
>> fathom what this field is for.
>>
>
> yes, all auth specific data is stored in the liveuser_users table.  
> however remember that the purpose of liveuser_perm_users is to map  
> a specific auth user from a specific auth container to a perm user.  
> also remember that the same auth user id could be used in multiple  
> auth container sources and therefore to uniquely identify an auth  
> user you need to use the auth user id _and_ auth container name.

I'm afraid I'm still confused. I would have *thought* the way to  
represent all of this was to have the following fields in the  
liveuser_users table:

pk: a primary key
authuserid: userid in foreign auth system
authsystemid: fk reference (possibly implicit) to which auth system  
the above authuserid field refers
perm_user_id: fk referring to which liveuser_perm user this  
authorization applies

Then in liveuser_perm_user, we have a primary key and perm_type and  
stuff that applies to a given user, rather than how they were  
authorized.

IOW, the authuserid would seem to be a feature of a given  
authorization system, not of a canonical user (which is what  
liveuser_perm_user is, right)? Put yet another way, if a given  
canonical user can access the user via more than one authorization,  
which authorization system's auth_container_name do we put in that  
field in liveuser_perm_users?

>> What is the purpose of liveuser_groups.group_type?
>>
>
> this is just a metadata field to help people separate "user groups"  
> from "roles" ..

How so? What values can this field take, and what do these values  
connote?

Many thanks.