Talk:Functional Document

1. Introduction

This document represents the functionality of the software product ‘DIPS EVO’.

DIPS evo is a self-service system for employees at MBVD (Mercedes Benz Vertrieb Deutschland) for structured organization of access rights to folder structures.

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2. Project Overview

The DIPS Evo (Digital Provisioning Information System) functional document is a complete guide that provides an in-depth understanding of DIPS software.  

The document explains how DIPS users can find out what they are entitled to, and who are entitled to directories online via this software. Also, the document explains how a user with the data owner role can query the currently authorized users online at any time via this software.

This software provides a user-friendly interface and a seamless experience, enabling the sales team to efficiently manage folders and access information with ease.

3. DIPS Overview

3.1 Types of User Roles

Below are the different roles that can be assigned to a DIPS user.

• TSO
• DIPS Contact Person
• Data Owner

3.2 Lifecycle of Directories

The basic idea of DIPS is to manage all operations on directories and their permissions via a self-service portal that requires manual steps only from those ordering actions and, if necessary, approvers. All technical steps to carry out operations in the file system, Active Directory or other systems are carried out automatically and are therefore highly quality assured and reliable. DIPS provides you with information about the status of order processing at any time.

• Create a new directory: When ordering, the necessary information about data ownership, authorizations, retention periods, and archiving is provided so that the automatic creation can take place. You will then see the new directory as a completed order in DIPS and as a directory in the desired location in Windows Explorer

• Granting permissions: a previously unauthorized person can request permission to read or write directories. Alternatively, a data owner can proactively set up permissions for others. Only read permission can be granted for directories that contain other DIPS-managed directories. Write permissions are only granted to directories at the lowest level managed by DIPS. These inherit their permissions to their content. Your substructure and files are managed by those authorized to write them themselves via Windows Explorer.

• Changing directory properties and transferring ownership of the directory: these processes allow changing the characteristics specified when creating a new directory or passing on data ownership. An important basic principle in DIPS is that there can be no orphan data areas. Each directory has a primary data owner.

• Create subdirectories: the structure can be expanded by ordering subdirectories. Each subdirectory, which is also managed by DIPS, can receive its own permissions or simply adopt the permissions of a parent directory. Below the directory levels managed by DIPS, those authorized to write can create their own structures quickly and easily using Windows Explorer, as usual.

• Delete directory: if a directory is no longer needed, data owners can of course delete it again. It will be removed from the file system. Directories that are automatically archived can only be deleted when there are no more files in the associated archive.

3.3 Directory types

DIPS differentiates between “navigation directories” and “data directories”:

A navigation directory does not contain any files itself, only other subdirectories. Only read permission can be assigned here, which allows this directory to be opened to see the next level. The maintenance of authorizations and subdirectories is carried out exclusively via DIPS.

A data directory contains files and possibly normal subdirectories that can be created, edited and deleted by users using Windows Explorer without DIPS. Users can be given read or write permission. Authorizations are maintained exclusively via DIPS. The same access rights and retention periods apply to all files and subdirectories contained therein as to the parent data directory. Below DIPS data directories, there are only normal directories.

Navigation directories can be defined at level 1 or level 2; data directories at level 2 or level 3. Level 3 directories are always data directories. Optionally, a level 2 directory can also be defined as a data directory. The directory depth managed by DIPS then ends there; below there are only normal directories.

Normal directories do not carry their own permissions. They can only be below DIPS data directories. They are created, renamed, or deleted using the normal means of Windows Explorer.

3.4 Online Help

DIPS offers you online help. On each order form you can use the “?” symbol at the top right of the form to call up the exact description of the current order form in a context-sensitive manner:

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3.5 Select IT service to order  

A DIPS user can select anyone in the service category to see a list of the IT services that can be ordered using this software -

• Tasks for all MBVD people  
• Tasks for data owners  
• Tasks for DIPS contact persons  

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3.6 View your order history

You can click on the “My Action History” link in the left navigation area.

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Here you can access your order history via the link “Overview of the orders you have placed”. Here you can view your completed and ongoing orders.

If the order is still in progress, the status “In Progress” is displayed. Completed orders are marked with the status “Completed”, then the IT service is fully set up. If an order is not approved, the status “Rejected or Canceled” appears.

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By clicking on the (i) symbol in the information column of the respective order, you open a window with detailed information about your order and the status.

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You can see the status in the “History” tab.

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If orders are still in progress, you can see in the “Next decisions” tab who has currently been asked to approve your order.

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Close the info window by clicking on the “Close” button.

3.7 Email notifications

DIPS sends individual emails in the following cases:

If approval is required, an email will be sent to all approvers of an order notifying them.

After an order has been completed, an email is sent to the recipient and the customer informing them whether the order was successful or rejected.

4. Tasks for All MBVD People

4.1 Apply for Authorizations

Here you can request access rights to one or more directories for yourself or a person for whom you are a representative.

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Recipient: Here you can select the person to be authorized. The field is pre-filled with the currently logged user. You can select another person from the district for which you are registered as a representative.

Reason: Please provide a (short) reason. This is used for documentation in DIPS and is also displayed to users who receive a request to approve the application.

Directory: Here you select the directories for which the recipient should receive permission. The selection is made by first clicking on the (+) symbol in front of “Project directories” or “Group directories” and then opening the directory tree of the desired root directory using the (+) symbols.

You will see the rights set up by placing a checkmark in the appropriate place. An empty checkbox is displayed wherever rights can be requested. Tick the empty checkbox to specify the desired permissions (“Read” column for read permission, “Change” column for change permission, also known as “write permission”).

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Click “OK” to confirm the order and it will be placed in your shopping cart. If you have selected multiple directories, multiple orders will be created accordingly.

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You can send the order(s) now or create more requests for additional IT services and add them to your shopping cart. Once you have created all the orders, place the actual order using the “Check and submit shopping cart” button. The order will be placed after you have confirmed the further request with “Yes”.

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You will then receive confirmation on the screen.

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If you would like to view the status of your order, you can do this at any time via the “order history”.

4.2 Revoke/Give Up Permissions

With Revoke/Give Up Permissions you can

• remove your own permissions,
• Revoke rights from people for whom you are a representative or
• Revoke rights to directories where you are the data owner.

As a data owner, you can access the latter more easily via the “Maintain permissions” service in your personal data owner tasks area.

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Directory: here you select the directory for which permission should be revoked. You can request authorization revocation for yourself, people for whom you are a representative or for directories for which you are the data owner.

Reason: Please enter a reason here why an authorization should be given up or withdrawn.

Select at least one permission to delete: A list of existing permissions is displayed, each permission (Read, Modify) and details about the user. Here you select at least one which should be withdrawn or given up. (Note: The data owner's permission cannot be revoked.)

With “OK” you place the order in the shopping cart.

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With “Check shopping cart and submit” the order “Revoke/abandon authorizations” is sent (after further confirmation).

4.3 Edit Deputy

Define and remove your DIPS deputies here. Deputies can submit and approve applications in DIPS on your behalf.

In the form, you might see a list of deputies already defined.

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Recipient: Here you select who you want to edit the representatives for. If you are a representative for someone else, you can also edit their representative. To do this, select the person for whom you want to edit the deputy in the Recipient field. The list of already defined representatives is displayed at the bottom of the form and changes depending on which recipient you have selected here in the “Recipient” field. The field is pre-filled with yourself. Click on “Change” to change the recipient.

In the list for selecting the recipient, you and all the people for whom you are a representative are displayed.

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To select, click on the name of the person whose representative you want to check or change in the list shown above. The selection window is then closed; the selection is accepted as “recipient”, and the representatives for the selected person are displayed in the list.

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To make changes to your deputies, proceed as follows:

Reason: For documentation purposes, enter a reason why you want to change the list of substitutes.

To change your deputies, you can use the “Add Deputies” and “Remove Deputies” functions, which are described below.

4.4 Define Additional Deputy

Select: To define an additional deputy, click “Select” behind the “Add deputy” text. The sub dialog for selecting a new deputy opens. In the list, you can use the Search field to narrow the list. Click on the person's name to select a new deputy (the window will close automatically).

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The deputy to be redefined now appears in the list with a leading green (+) sign.

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Send your order now using the “OK” button. Note: Don't forget this step because your change of deputies has not yet been completed.

Your newly added deputy will then end up in your shopping cart as an order. You can also make further changes to your deputies before submitting. For example, you can add additional substitutes or mark existing ones for deletion before submitting the order.

4.5 Remove Existing Deputy

“Delete” checkboxes in each line: To remove a substitute that has already been defined, click the checkbox in the corresponding line and submit the form with the “OK” button. Note: You can also mark multiple delegates for removal at the same time.

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Just send the changes with the “OK” button. Your changes to the substitutes will then end up in your shopping cart as individual orders.

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With “Check shopping cart and send” the order “Process processing” is sent (after further confirmation).

4.6 Report - Overview of My DIPS Authorizations

Here you can generate a report that shows you all the permissions that are defined for you or a person you represent in DIPS and implemented on the file system.

First, the input form “Overview of my DIPS authorizations” appears.

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In the “Authorized person” field, select who you would like the authorizations to be displayed for. The field is pre-filled with you as a logged in user. You can use the “Change” link to select another person for whom you are defined as a representative in DIPS.

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You select a person by clicking on their name. The selection window then closes automatically, and the person is adopted.

To create the report, click on “Online anzeigen”.

The requested report will then be generated and displayed in a separate window.

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The report contains brief information about the selected user in the header and below it a list of all their permissions. The list is sorted alphabetically by directory name.

Note: The Write permission implicitly includes the Read permission.

4.7 Report - Overview of Deputy/Deputies

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6. Tasks for DIPS Contact Person

If you are assigned to the “DIPS Contact” role in DIPS, you will find a category of IT services “DIPS Contact Tasks”:

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Additional functions and reports are available there, which are described in the following chapters.