User Management

Managing users and authentication in DataForeman

User Management

Control who can access DataForeman and manage user accounts through the web interface.

Accessing User Management

  1. Login as administrator
  2. Click the user icon in the top-right corner
  3. Select Users from the dropdown menu

Default Admin Account

First Login:

  • Email: admin@example.com
  • Password: Set in .env file as ADMIN_PASSWORD (default: password)
  • ⚠️ Change the default password immediately in production!

Creating Users

  1. Navigate to Users page (user icon → Users)
  2. In the left panel, enter new user’s email address
  3. Click Create button
  4. User account is created with default password
  5. Set initial password for the user
  6. Configure permissions as needed

Notes:

  • Only email address is required to create user
  • Users receive access once password is set
  • Initial permissions are minimal - must be configured

Managing User Details

User List

Left panel shows all users:

  • Email addresses
  • Active/inactive status
  • Click any user to view details

User Details Panel

Select a user to view/edit:

  • Email address
  • Account status
  • Password management
  • Session information

Password Management

Setting User Passwords

  1. Select user from list
  2. In User Details section, enter new password
  3. Click Update Password button
  4. All active sessions are automatically revoked
  5. User must login with new password

Password Security:

  • Passwords are hashed using bcrypt
  • Stored securely in PostgreSQL
  • Session revocation prevents unauthorized access

Password Best Practices

  • Use strong, unique passwords
  • Minimum 8 characters recommended
  • Include letters, numbers, and symbols
  • Change default admin password immediately
  • Reset passwords when user leaves organization

User Permissions

Configure what each user can access:

  1. Select user from list
  2. Scroll to Permissions section
  3. Choose Quick Preset or configure manually:
    • No Access: Removes all permissions
    • Read Only: View-only access
    • Power User: Read + Update permissions
    • Full Access: All CRUD permissions
  4. Click Save to apply changes
  5. User must logout/login to see permission changes

Permission Categories:

  • Core: Dashboards, Chart Composer
  • Connectivity: Devices, Tags, Poll Groups, Units
  • Diagnostics: System, Capacity, Logs, Network
  • Admin: User Management, Permissions, Jobs, Configuration

For detailed permission information, see Permission System.

Session Management

Active Sessions

View all active sessions for a user:

  1. Select user from list
  2. Scroll to Sessions section
  3. See list of active logins with:
    • Session creation time
    • Last activity time
    • IP address (if available)

Revoking Sessions

Single Session:

  1. Find session in Sessions panel
  2. Click Revoke button
  3. Confirm action
  4. User is immediately logged out

All Sessions:

  1. Click Revoke All Sessions button
  2. Confirm action
  3. All active sessions terminated
  4. User must login again

Automatic Revocation:

  • Password changes revoke all sessions
  • Prevents unauthorized access with old credentials
  • User notified to login with new password

Authentication

DataForeman uses JWT (JSON Web Tokens):

  • Tokens expire after 24 hours
  • Automatic refresh when token expires (up to 14 days)
  • Secure storage in browser
  • HTTPS encryption in production (via Caddy)

Security Best Practices

  • Change default admin password before production use
  • Use strong passwords for all accounts
  • Review user list regularly - remove inactive users
  • Monitor sessions - check for suspicious activity
  • Revoke sessions when users leave organization
  • Limit admin accounts to essential personnel only
  • Enable HTTPS in production (automatic with Caddy)

Troubleshooting

Cannot access Users page:

  • Verify you’re logged in as admin
  • Check user permissions include admin features
  • Contact system administrator

Cannot login:

  • Verify email and password are correct
  • Check account is not inactive
  • Try password reset (via admin)

User doesn’t see permission changes:

  • User must logout and login again
  • Changes take effect on next login
  • Clear browser cache if issues persist

Sessions not appearing:

  • Refresh the page
  • Check network connectivity
  • Verify user is currently logged in