Section Access is used to control the security of an application. It is basically a part of the data load script where you add a security table to define who gets to see what. Qlik Cloud uses this information to reduce data to the appropriate scope when the user opens the application, that is, some of the data in the app is hidden from the user based on their identity. Section Access is tightly integrated with the data in the app and relies upon it to control access. This form of dynamic data reduction can target table rows, columns, or a combination of both. For more information, see Trust and Security at Qlik.
Sections in the load script
Data access control is managed through one or more security tables loaded in the same way that data is normally loaded. This makes it possible to store these tables in a standard database or in a spreadsheet. The script statements managing the security tables are given within an authorization section, which in the script is initiated by the statement Section Access.
All the field names and field values listed in Section Access are always converted to uppercase. As a result, all fields that are part of a data reduction must be converted to upper case to match what is stated in the Section Access statement, even if they are located outside the Section Access Statement. You can convert any field name containing lowercase letters in the database to uppercase using the Upper function before reading the field by the LOAD or SELECT statement.
For more information, see Upper - script and chart function.
If an authorization section is defined in the script, the part of the script loading the app data must be put in a different section, initiated by the statement Section Application.
Example:
Note that after making changes to the load script, you must always reload the data for the changes to take effect.
Section Access system fields
The access levels are assigned to users in one or more security tables loaded within the Section Access part of the script. These tables must contain, as a minimum, two system fields: ACCESS, which is the field defining the access level, and USERID or USER.EMAIL . Other optional system fields can be added depending on the use case. The full set of Section Access system fields is described below.
ACCESS
Defines what access the corresponding user should have.
Access to Qlik Sense apps can be authorized for specified users. In the security table, users can be assigned to the access levels ADMIN or USER. A user with ADMIN privileges has access to all data in the app unless limited by the security table. A user with USER privileges can only access data as defined in the security table. If no valid access level is assigned, the user cannot open the app.
USERID
Contains a string corresponding to a Qlik Cloud user name. Qlik Cloud will get the login information from the IdP subject and compare it to the value in this field. For an alternate way to verify user identity using email address, see USER.EMAIL. For multi-cloud environments, the IdP subject can be mapped against your internal Windows identity. When using Qlik Account, the subject cannot be mapped against internal Windows identity. User IdP subject can be viewed in the Users section of the Administration activity center.
A wildcard character (*) is interpreted as all users, subject to further conditions specified in the security table. For example, in the following security table, users who are in the Qlik Sense Tenant Admins can see all listed REDUCTION values.
NTNAME
A field that should contain a string corresponding to the NetBIOS version of a Windows NT Domain user name or group name. If a different authentication system is used, it should contain the name of an authenticated user.
Qlik Cloud will fetch the logon information from the subject claim of the identity provider and compare it to the value in this field.
USER.EMAIL
Contains a string corresponding to a user email address. Qlik Cloud will get this information from the identity provider and compare it to the value in this field.
GROUP
Contains a string corresponding to a group in Qlik Cloud. Qlik Cloud will get the information from the “groups” claim of the identity provider and compare it to the value in this field.
OMIT
Contains the name of the field that is to be omitted for this specific user. Wildcards may be used and the field may be empty.
Managing user access to an app
A user with USERID AD_DOMAIN\C would not be able to open the app at all because that user ID is not listed in the security table.
Section access, in its simplest form, can be used to restrict specific users from accessing an app. Users are denied access to an app through exclusion. In other words, if a specific user email address is not listed in the security table, they will not be able to access the app. The only exception to this rule is if a wildcard (*) is assigned to the USER.EMAIL field in one of the rows in the security table. A wildcard, in this case, means that all authenticated users can access the app. Here is an example of a security table with a list of user IDs:
A user with USER.EMAIL USER4@example.com would not be able to open the app at all because that user email address is not listed in the security table.
Managing user access to specific data in an app
Dynamic data reduction limits access to rows and columns in the data tables within Qlik Sense apps after a user has been authorized to access the app itself.
Managing access to row-level data
Restrict access to row-level data by adding a data reduction column to the security table in the access section of the load script. Specific records (rows) can be hidden from users by linking the Section Access data with the real data. The selection of data to be shown or excluded is controlled by having one or more reduction fields with common names in Section Access and Section Application parts of the script. After user login, Qlik Sense matches the selections in reduction fields in the access section to any fields in the application section with exactly the same field names (the field names must be written in uppercase). After the selections have been made, Qlik Sense permanently hides all data excluded by these selections from the user. If a wildcard (*) is used as a field value in the data reduction column, it is interpreted as allowing the user to access records associated with all selected reduction fields in the security table.
When Qlik Sense is comparing the reduction field in Section Access to fields in the data model, the following behaviors are expected:
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If a field value in the data model matches the reduction field in Section Access, the app will open showing data associated with the match for the specified user. Other data will be hidden.
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If the reducing field value does not match any of the values in the data model, the app will not open for a normal USER. It will, however, open unreduced for a user marked as ADMIN.
Using several reducing fields in Section Access is not recommended, since it will allow other access combinations than the intended ones.
The wildcard character * in the data reduction column refers only to all values in the security table. If there are values in Section Application that are not available in the reduction column of the security table, they will be reduced.
Example: Row-level data reduction based on user identity
In this example, the field REDUCTION (uppercase) now exists in both Section Access and Section Application (all field values are also uppercase). The two fields would normally be different and separated, but using Section Access, these fields are linked and the number of records displayed to the user is reduced.
The result will be:
- User USER1@EXAMPLE.COM can see all fields and only those records other users can see when REDUCTION = 1 or REDUCTION =2.
- User USER2@EXAMPLE.COM can see all fields, but only those records associated with REDUCTION=1.
- User USER3@EXAMPLE.COM can see all fields, but only those records associated with REDUCTION=2.
- User USER4@EXAMPLE.COM can see all fields and only those records other users can see when REDUCTION = 1 or REDUCTION =2.
Managing access to column-level data
Restrict access to column-level data by adding the OMIT system field to the security table in the Section Access script. The following example builds on the previous example where row data reduction is already in place.
Example: Column data reduction based on user identity
The field OMIT in Section Access defines the fields that should be hidden from the user.
The result will be:
- User USER1@example.com can see all fields and only those records other users can see in this example when REDUCTION is 1, 2, or 3.
- User USER2@example.com can see all fields, but only those records associated with REDUCTION=1.
- User USER3@example.com can see all fields except NUM, and only those records associated with REDUCTION=2.
- User USER4@example.com can see all fields except ALPHA, and only those records associated with REDUCTION=3.
Managing access to user groups
Section Access offers you the option to limit the scope of data visible to users through group membership. To restrict your data using user groups, add the GROUP field name to the security table in the access section and define values for the GROUP field.
Example: Data reduction based on user groups
The result will be:
- Users belonging to the ADMIN group are allowed to see all fields and only those records other users can see in this example when REDUCTION is 1, 2, or 3.
- Users belonging to the A group are allowed to see data associated with REDUCTION=1 across all fields.
- Users belonging to the B group are allowed to see data associated with REDUCTION=2, but not in the NUM field
- Users belonging to the C group are allowed to see data associated with REDUCTION=3, but not in the ALPHA field
- Users belonging to the GROUP1 group are allowed to see data associated with REDUCTION=3 across all fields
- The user AD_DOMAIN\DEV is allowed to see all data in all fields.
Qlik Cloud compares the user with UserID and resolves the user against groups in the table. If the user belongs to a group that is allowed access, or the user matches, they can access the app.
Reloading data in Qlik Cloud
To reload an app without data reduction in Qlik Cloud, it is recommended to use the USER.EMAIL system field in the security table. The value for the USER.EMAIL field should be the email address of users who are able to edit and load the app. This applies to apps in both shared and managed spaces. For example:
In this example, the user with email address test@example.com is ADMIN and is able to reload the app.
If you are using groups, the following example would work equally for both Qlik Sense and Qlik Cloud:
You can also map the USERID in the security table to the subject claim of the Identity Provider, as shown in the following example. This configuration is suggested for migrating from Qlik Sense to Qlik Cloud and for multi-cloud environments. For more information about mapping the USERID to the subject claim, see Managing user access in a multi-cloud environment
Managing user access in a multi-cloud environment
A Qlik Sense multi-cloud environment involves a mix of user authentication mechanisms. Typically, with Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows, the USERID in the Section Access security table is verified by the proxy service. In Qlik Cloud, an Identity Provider assumes that authentication role. Consequently, Section Access that is set up for an on-premises environment such as Qlik Sense Enterprise on Windows will not work in a cloud environment.
When using an OIDC or SAML identity provider (Qlik IdP or custom IdP) with Qlik Cloud, the subject claim is used to identify users when logging in. With Section Access, the value of the USERID field in the security table is compared to the value of the subject claim. When you set up your tenant, make sure that the SAM account name is mapped to the subject claim of your identity provider. So, for example, if your SAM account name is AD_DOMAIN\Dev, set the subject claim to AD_DOMAIN\Dev. If you want to see the value of the subject claim of the IdP, append /api/v1/diagnose-claims to the tenant URL in the browser, for example, your-tenant.us.qlikcloud.com/api/v1/diagnose-claims. In the JSON response, the subject claim is called sub.
If you are unable to use the SAM account name, there is an alternate way to authenticate a user. Since e-mail addresses tend to remain the same in different environments, you can use the USER.EMAIL field instead of USERID in the security table. Here is an example of what the security table could look like:
| ACCESS | USERID | USER.EMAIL | Comment | COUNTRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USER |
ABC\JOE |
* | Access-on-prem | United States |
| USER | * |
JOE.SMITH@EXAMPLE.COM |
Access-in-cloud | United States |
| USER |
ABC\URSULA |
* | Access-on-prem | Germany |
| USER | * |
URSULA.SCHULTZ@EXAMPLE.COM |
Access-in-cloud | Germany |
| USER |
ABC\STEFAN |
* | Access-on-prem | Sweden |
| USER | * |
STEFAN.SVENSSON@EXAMPLE.COM |
Access-in-cloud | Sweden |
Authorization script:
Note that each user has two records: One for on-premises access and one for cloud access. The wildcards ensure that only the relevant authenticating fields are used. In this example, COUNTRY is used as a data reduction field.
QlikView authorizing fields
For backwards compatibility, Qlik Cloud recognizes the authorizing fields from QlikView. Although USERID is interpreted differently in QlikView and Qlik Cloud, it will in Qlik Cloud be interpreted the same way as in Qlik Sense: It will be matched against the name of the authenticated user.
PASSWORD, NTSID and NTDOMAINSID
If one of the fields PASSWORD, NTSID and NTDOMAINSID is used and it contains a relevant value, access to the document is denied. If the field contains a wildcard (*), access might be granted, depending on the other fields in the authorization table.
SERIAL
If the field SERIAL is used and it contains a license number, the Section Access row will deny access to the document. If the field contains a wildcard (*), access might be granted, depending on the other fields in the authorization table.
Further, in Qlik Cloud this field can also be used to define the environment. This means that if the field contains the string ‘QLIKCLOUD’, access might be granted, depending on the other fields in the authorization table.
Mixed environments
If you plan to use the same security table in both QlikView and Qlik Cloud, be aware that:
• USERID has different meanings in QlikView and Qlik Cloud, and could, if used, cause security problems. Use NTNAME instead or combine it with SERIAL as described below.
• GROUP and fields beginning with ‘USER.’, such as 'USER.NAME' and 'USER.EMAIL', are (or will be) authorizing fields in Qlik Cloud. If you use these fields in your Section Access, access might be denied in Qlik Cloud.
• PASSWORD, NTSID and NTDOMAINSID cannot be used in Qlik Cloud. Access will be denied, unless a wildcard is used.
• SERIAL cannot be used to check license number in Qlik Cloud. However, if this field contains the string ‘QLIKCLOUD’, access might be granted. This means that it is possible to have a security table like the following, where line 1 will grant access in QlikView (but not in Qlik Cloud), and line 2 will grant access in Qlik Cloud (but not in QlikView).
| Line | SERIAL | USERID | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4600 0123 4567 8901 | * | Grants access to correct license number in QlikView. |
| 2 | QLIKCLOUD |
JOHN DOE |
Grants access to correct user in Qlik Cloud. |
Authorization script:
Using Section Access and Insight Advisor Chat
Apps using Section Access use an index user to determine how much information Insight Advisor Chat retrieves from the app. The index user should be the user with the highest level of access for the app in the Section Access script. Data provided to end users, however, is still controlled by the section access limitations.
For a visual demo of how to use section access and Insight Advisor Chat, see:
Using Section Access and Insight Advisor Chat
If you have sensitive information in app names, field names, or master item names, these may be exposed by making apps using Section Access available for Insight Advisor Chat. App suggestions for queries include apps in spaces to which users have access. These may include apps to which users do not have access in an app's Section Access. Selecting these apps will do nothing, however. When clicking Dimensions or Measures to view the available items from an app using Section Access, users may see items to which they do not have access. Clicking on these items will not provide any data to the users, however.
By default, the app owner is the index user. You can change the index user in Details.
Do the following:
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In Qlik Cloud, navigate to the app.
-
Click
on the app and select Details. -
Under Index user, select the index user.
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Click Back.
-
Click
on the app and select Reload.
Using QVDs with Section Access
QVD files can be read as a regular load or as an optimized load. An optimized load is when no data transformations are made during loading and there are no filters in a WHERE clause.
Optimized loads do not work when using QVDs with Section Access. If you want to use a QVD file to load data into Section Access, you must expand the QVD file. The easiest way to expand the QVD file is to make a formatting change when loading the data.
In the following example, the QVD file is not expanded as no formatting is done to the data.
Example: Non-working example with no data formatting (optimized load)
Instead, you can for example use the upper() function to format the data which will expand the QVD file.
Example: Working example with data formatting
You can also add a Where 1=1 statement to the LOAD statement.
Example: Another working example with data formatting
Guidelines and tips for using Section Access
Here are some important facts and helpful hints to know about Section Access.
- All the field names and field values listed in Section Access are always converted to uppercase. As a result, all fields that are part of a data reduction must be converted to upper case to match what is stated in the Section Access statement, even if they are located outside the Section Access Statement. You can convert any field name containing lowercase letters in the database to uppercase using the Upper function before reading the field by the LOAD or SELECT statement.
For more information, see Upper - script and chart function.
- You cannot use the Section Access system field names listed as field names in your data model.
- Apps must be published before Section Access controls will be applied. Reloading the app does not apply any new or changed Section Access scripts.
- A snapshot shows data according to the access rights of the user who takes the snapshot, and the snapshot can then be shared in a story. However, when users return to a visualization from a story to see the live data in the app, they are restricted by their own access rights.
- Do not assign colors to master dimension values if you use section access or work with sensitive data, because the values might be exposed by the color configuration.
- To avoid exposing restricted data, remove all attached files with section access settings before publishing the app. Attached files are included when the app is published. If the published app is copied, the attached files are included in the copy. However, if section access restrictions have been applied to the attached data files, the section access settings are not retained when the files are copied, so users of the copied app will be able to see all the data in the attached files.
- A wildcard (*) is interpreted as all (listed) values of the field in the table. If used in one of the system fields (USERID, GROUP) in a table loaded in the access section of the script, it is interpreted as all (also not listed) possible values of this field.
- Security fields can be put in different tables.
- When loading data from a QVD file, the Upper function slows down the loading speed.