FEATURE: GroupID Subgroups, Logging

[daveseah]

This feature consists of the following:

• GroupIDs that are used to log-in (of the form CLASS-GROUP-CRC) should also accept and validate a SubGroupID afterwards: CLASS-GROUP-CRC-ID1 for example. This can be used for handling multiple logins of a group's individuals, so their individual contributions can be seen in the log.
• GroupIDs are written to the database as well to see who created it
• Logging shows GroupIDs+SubGroupID

[daveseah]

TECHNICAL REVIEW - ADDING SUB IDS

The way that the token is entered happens in two ways:

• by typing in the complete URL in the form http://host/#/edit/MEEP-ONE-9V3
• by typing the token (e.g. MEEP-ONE-9V3) into the login field, which reloads the app with the URL as above.

To extend this with sub IDs for individual users, here's how the token is processed:

• The logic for processing the token (e.g. CLASS-GROUP-CRC) is in unisys/common-session.js. It's a common module (available to the server as well as client), but currently it's only used by the client to validate. NetCreate-2018 doesn't have a real security model since it is a prototype.
• The token is a parameter defined for the /edit route implemented by ReactRouter in NetCreate.jsx under <Route path='/edit/:token' component={SessionShell}/>
• The token is passed to a SessionShell.jsx component that is part of NetCreate.jsx and renders the login/logged-in area in the upper right of the screen. It's accessed through this.props.match.params.token.

The common-session.js module has had DecodeToken() extended to return a new parameter, subId, which reflects the new subId suffix parameters. The parameter is of the form -ID#, where # is a positive integer.

SessionShell.jsx has been extended to make use of the new suffix and reflect this in the UI.

The validated token is always passed to the server for every message, so these updated ids are already reflected in the logs.

[daveseah]

TECHNICAL REVIEW - GROUP ID LOGGING

The runtime/log/* directory contains text file logs of each session. The server module server-database.js. UNISYS messages from clients are directed to this module's various packet handlers, which performs the operation and also logs the action to the log file. A new log file is created every time the server is started.

• Every client connecting through UNISYS includes the client token (e.g. MEEP-ONE-9V3-ID1) that uniquely identifies each group and optional individual. This string is already logged to the logfile for each operation, so no updates are needed to the code to capture these actions.

• To retain the record of who modified a node, nodes in the database now have a _nlog property array that is added to everytime an insert or update is done. The contents of this array is the client token, so a record of who modified the node is now stored in each database node. This might get really long, but for now we'll just see how bad it gets.

• Edges also have the same logging feature when edges are inserted or modified into a property called _elog.

The audit data (nodes have _nlog, edges have _elog) is saved in the server database, so it can be inspected. Currently there is no interface for it in the UI, and this audit data is not currently passed back to clients. If this data is desirable in the UI, update server-database.js PKT_Update() so the retval includes _nlog or _elog props, as this is what is encoded and sent back to the network clients

[benloh]

There are currently two functionality issues that need to be addressed (aka bugs):

A. The readonly state of the NodeSelector is not being set/reset properly as the system toggles back and forth between valid and invalid Group IDs.

To replicate:

1. Log out
2. Select a node -- the node should not be editable
3. Log in -- the node should become editable
4. Modify the GroupID in the url so you get logged out again -- the node is still editable but it shouldn't be.

B. Currently when you enter a group ID using the Login form field, as soon as you've typed a valid GroupID (e.g. MOD-BUGLE-LME), the input is automatically submitted, the groupID is read, and the form is locked. This prevents you from being able to enter a Subgroup ID using the form field.

If you wanted to enter a Subgroup ID, you'd have to tag it onto the URL

Not sure what the solution is, since we don't want to make it too difficult to enter a group ID. Perhaps a subbgroup ID is entered in a separate field?

[daveseah]

@benloh

Regarding (A) What is the correct way to set the readonly state of the app so NodeSelector works?

Regarding (B) I was thinking that groupID was a "secret feature" that would be explained by teachers, but I could eliminate the auto-submit feature and require some kind of submit button to confirm entry.

[benloh]

@daveseah

(A) There is a this.state.isLocked property that will enable/disable the node for editability. We just need to update that set that whenever the logged in state changes. But I believe it should be updated if onStateChange_SESSION is triggered. So perhaps the issue is that the change in logged in state is not triggering the SESSION change?

(B) I was torn about this. I think the existing functionality is much more friendly. So if Kalani and Joshua are fine with asking students to enter the ID via appending the URL then we don't have to do anything.

[daveseah]

Closed #48