Managing the Administrative User Accounts

User accounts let users at your organization run InterAction and access the contact information for which they have been granted access. The special user accounts - the System Administrator User account and all InterAction Administrator users - let the technical staff administer the system.

This section covers the following topics:

• Maintaining the System Administrator User Account
• Managing the List of InterAction Administrator Users

Maintaining the System Administrator User Account

The System Administrator User account is often referred to as the “super user” account. This account is a powerful user that can create, edit, and delete any and all data within the InterAction Administrator software and InterAction Windows Client software. Note, this does not apply to the Web Client. For more information, see Can the System Administrator User Account (IAADMIN) Create, Edit, and Delete Any Data in the Web Client?

InterAction Administrator automatically creates the System Administrator User account when you create the database. You specify the initial account name and password for this account. The default account name of this user is IAADMIN, and it always has an internal ID of 999503. Your InterAction environment can have only one super user account.

Anyone with the password for the System Administrator User account can access and change any firm information within InterAction. Keep the password for this user secure, change it often, and restrict it to one or two individuals at your organization. Set up other users who need to perform administrative tasks as InterAction Administrator users instead.

You generally only need to log on using the System Administrator User account in a few situations:

• When logging in to InterAction Administrator for the first time after creating the database. After this initial log on, you can create one or more InterAction Administrator users, so you or others can use InterAction Administrator without using the super user account.
• When configuring audit trail
• When creating system report layouts
• When creating system import and export mapping instructions
• When changing access rights for potential duplicate searches.

There are other times when it may be useful to log on as the super user, but not essential.

Do not use the System Administrator User for performing normal InterAction actions, such as creating or editing contacts.

You can change the password and edit the System Administrator User account as you would any other user account. However, you cannot change the status of this user to inactive.

There are two ways to change the password for the System Administrator User (super user) account:

• Run InterAction Administrator, edit the user, and enter the new password. This is the same as resetting a lost password. For details, see Reset a User's Lost Password.
• Log on to InterAction Windows Client as the System Administrator User and change the password. See “Change the Password for the System Administrator Account” below.

If the password for the System Administrator User expires or is lost, log onto InterAction Administrator using a different InterAction Administrator user account, then reset the password as described in Reset a User's Lost Password.

InterAction Administrator users are described in more detail in Managing the List of InterAction Administrator Users.

Can the System Administrator User Account (IAADMIN) Create, Edit, and Delete Any Data in the Web Client?

The System Administrator User account does not have as much access to contact information in the Web Client as it does in the Windows Client. The System Administrator User account cannot access user contacts in user contact lists. If you would like to access a user’s contact list, you can set the System Administrator User account as a proxy for that user.

Although the System Administrator User can read all contact information, apply contact types, add, edit, and delete contact information in the Web Client, all changes that the System Administrator User makes are subject to the rules set up for that information by Data Change Management.

The System Administrator User account is automatically set as an Application Server administrative user. For more information, see Application Server Administrative Users.

Change the Password for the System Administrator Account

1. Start InterAction Windows Client and log on as the System Administrator User. You must use the existing password.
2. Choose Tools > Options.
3. Choose the Change Password tab.
4. Enter the old password in the Current Password field. Enter the new password in both the New Password and Confirm Password fields.
5. Choose OK.

Edit the System Administrator Account

1. Log on to InterAction Administrator.
2. From the main window entity list, double-click User Account and Group Configuration. Then choose User Accounts to open the Manage User dialog box.

3. Select the InterAction Administrator user from the list.

   The System Administrator User always has an ID of 999503.

4. Choose Edit to open the Edit User Account - InterAction Administrator dialog box.
5. Edit the fields as needed:
   • Account Name - The name you enter in the Account edit box when logging in to either InterAction Administrator or InterAction.
   • Password - Any existing password does not appear in the Password and Confirm Password fields. When changing this value, enter the new password in both the fields.
   • Grace Logins - This is the number of times you can log on using an expired password.

   • First Name and Last Name - This should be something like “InterAction Administrator,” rather than an actual person’s name. This name is saved in the “Last Edit” field for a record when you edit data while logged in as the super user.

     You cannot change the status of the System Administrator User to inactive.

6. Choose OK.
7. Choose Close to close the Manage User dialog box.