Attributes are name-value pairs that are associated with users and the server itself. Attribute values can be used to parameterize access to data sources OLAP data, and report output. Attributes were previously known as profile attributes.

Attributes have permissions, so that administrators can restrict the visibility and use of specific attributes.

Referencing Attributes

There are several features of JasperReports Server that can read attributes and use attribute values. The following features can limit or restrict access to data or take different behavior based on the user or server-level attributes. Each feature reads or references attributes in its own syntax that is described with that feature:

Attributes are always referenced in relation to the currently-logged in user who is performing an operation or running a report:

Attribute Hierarchy

An attribute is a named value that is defined on a user or root of the server. Any number of attributes with any name can be defined at either or both of these levels. The definition of each attribute at each level is independent of other attributes at other level. Attributes at different levels may have the same name, unless explicitly forbidden as described in Attribute Permissions.

With hierarchical values, attributes with same name but different values may be defined at several levels and on many users. Each attribute is a distinct attribute definition, but the hierarchical value referencing takes into account the level and the presence of the definition for every given user.

To help administrators define attributes on users, the UI displays all attributes that are visible in the attribute hierarchy. If an attribute is defined at the server level, its hierarchical value is shown at the user level, and the attribute is called inherited. This allows the administrator to see all hierarchical values that are in effect in lower levels, either to override them in the hierarchy or leave them as inherited.

Categorical and hierarchical approaches usually involve different strategies for defining and naming attributes. When using categorical values, you must ensure that each and every user has the attribute defined, and you must handle the case when it is accidentally undefined, such as a new user. When using hierarchical values, you define attributes with the same name at different levels, such that each user may have a custom value, but then the server level provides a default value for all users. Each strategy is useful for different applications, depending on your needs to access and protect data. However, both strategies can co-exist and be used by at the same time by different resources, as long as the names of attributes used in each strategy or each resource are kept distinct.

Attribute Encryption

By default, an attribute and its value can be known to administrators throughout the server.

JasperReports Server provides two mechanisms to protect sensitive attributes:

For example, an encrypted attribute could store the password for a database. Once typed in and saved, the UI displays *** as the value of the attribute. When a report uses that database, the server decrypts the password and sends it as part of the database protocol, so the user and the admin never see the password.

Encrypted attributes are similar to user passwords in the server. Administrators can change the encrypted value to a new value, but they can never view the current value.

To properly secure an attribute, you should make it encrypted so it cannot be seen and then set permissions so it cannot be overridden.

Attribute Permissions

The attribute permissions and their effects are as follows:

Inthe Community Project edition, use this permission unless you want to disable an attribute with the no-access permission.

Managing Server Attributes

If a given attribute name is not defined on a user, it can have a value at the server level to act as a default value. Server-level attributes may also be used as parameters in data source definitions. For example, the same data source may be imported to several servers, such as test and production servers, but a server-level attribute with the same name on each server makes the data source connect to a different database.

To view, create, modify, or delete server-level attributes:

Each server level attribute is listed with its value, encrypted status, and permission. Holding the pointer over an attribute name shows the description associated with the attribute. When an attribute value is encrypted, its value is shown as *** symbols.

4.

To modify an attribute, click the edit icon

You can also modify the attribute's permission and encryption by using the drop down and check box in its table row. After confirming any changes, click Save to make them take effect.

When modifying an attribute, be aware of the following:

5.

To delete an attribute at the server level, click the delete icon

Managing User Attributes

Attributes on users can provided additional information about a user and can restrict access to data OLAP schemas. Users may also have hierarchical attribute values inherited from server-level attributes. Attributes on users do not have permissions.

Users never see the attributes defined on their user profile; only administrators can view and set user attributes.

To view, create, modify, or delete user-level attributes:

1. Log in as an administrator (jasperadmin). 2. Click Manage > Users. 3. Select the user in the Users panel. The properties panel includes a table of all attributes for the user, both locally defined and inherited from the server level. Adding a User Attribute 7. To modify an attribute, click the edit icon You can also modify the attribute's encryption by using the and check box in its table row. After confirming any changes, click Save to make them take effect. When modifying a user attribute, be aware of the following: •      Inherited attributes belong to the server level and are shown at the user level to display the hierarchical attribute values. Any modification to an inherited attribute actually creates a local attribute definition with the modified parameters. In the hierarchy of attributes, the new attribute takes precedence over the previously inherited attribute. •      Changing the name of a locally defined attribute is equivalent to deleting the original attribute and adding a new attribute with the same value. Because this may impact features that reference attributes, you are asked to confirm the name change. •      Removing encryption does not decrypt an encrypted attribute. To safeguard encrypted values, removing the encryption on an attribute also erases its value. Click the edit icon to give the attribute a new value. 8. To delete a user attribute, click the delete icon When deleting a user attribute, be aware of the following: •      Upon deletion, some attributes remain in the list as inherited attributes. This indicates that the local definition of the attribute was deleted, but another attribute with the same name exists at the server level. •      You cannot delete an inherited attribute because it belongs to the server level. To remove an inherited attribute, you must delete it or set its permission to No Access at the server level. Open topic with navigation