Impersonate user for support

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name:: Impersonate user for support
description:: A way for an admin to impersonate another user
version:: 1.2.1
release:: 2023-07-13
itop-version-min:: 3.0.2
state:: stable
php-version-max:: PHP 8.3

Using this extension someone allowed can “Impersonate” another user and navigate in iTop exactly as the impersonated user would do.

Features

One of your users complains that he can't see a menu or an object in iTop and you are not sure if this is an access right issue or a training issue. If you have faced this issue and felt powerless, then this extension is for you.
Some of your iTop users need specific dashboards, which no one else would use, but they have no competencies in OQL and no time to learn it. Bad luck, they are in a remote location, and explaining them over the phone can be cumbersome. With this extension, you get the simple solution, become than person and modify his personal version of the dashboard, testing it with the data he can see and job done.

Impersonate a user and see what she/he would see.

Modification you are doing under “Impersonate”, still appear under your name, just the tooltip mentions that you did it on behalf of xxxx.
If the user you “Impersonate” is not allowed to create a log entry on a given object, then you cannot not make it under “Impersonate”.
Under “Impersonate”, you are limited to the actions/menus/data the user has access to.
If the user you “Impersonate” is limited to the User Portal, then you will also be limited to that Portal.
An log entry made under “Impersonate will look identical to one that you would made being yourself. There is no information that you did it under “Impersonate”. You cannot talk in his name.

Revision History

Version	Release Date	Comments
2023-07-13	1.2.1	Updated german translations by Lars Kaltefleiter
2023-01-25	1.2.0	Impersonate allowed for other than administrators
2022-08-18	1.0.0	First version

Limitations

Configuration

None.
As soon as the extension is installed, any person which is allowed to modify a User, can impersonate that user as well.

Usage

Navigate to the details of a user object, then use the additional action “Impersonate this user” to become this user.

In general the user you are impersonating, is not allowed himself to see the Users, so you won't stay on the details of that user.
If the user has a console access, then you will land on his welcome page
If the user has no access to the Console, you will land on the User Portal homepage

Console User

A banner is then displayed to warn you that you are currently impersonating a different user.

Click on the button “Switch back as administrator” to go back to your usual admin account, on iTop homepage
That banner is not available on Portal(s)

If the user has selected a different theme, such as Darkmoon, then you will be under that theme

Be cautious that if you change the user preferences or any dashboards it will be effective for the user. It can be useful, but do it consciously.

Portal User

If you impersonate a Portal User, this will switch you automatically to the Portal.

No mean to go back to your administrator view, if you impersonate a Portal User, apart from Logoff and Login again.

History

Any modification performed while “impersonating” another user is still recorded (and displayed) as made by the original user.

Here is an example of an Administrator (MM), who has impersonate a Portal User (PG) and created a User Request in his name.

With iTop 3.0.0 or 3.0.1, the Change Log appears to have been written by PG, also it was done by MM. This was fixed in 3.0.2

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