NetResults ProblemTracker
Blocking and Unblocking Workgroups

When performing maintenance or making administrative changes to your database, you may find it useful to block the workgroup from user access. There is also a facility for you to logoff any active user sessions prior to blocking a workgroup.

To block a workgroup(s):

  1. Login to the Workgroup Management System
  2. Click on the Admin icon.
  3. Select the option called Block / Unblock Workgroups, then click on the Continue button.
  4. Each workgroup and its block / unblock status will be listed. Check the box to the left of each workgroup you wish to block. If you wish to select all workgroups, click on the check box at the top of the left column.
  5. If you would like users who attempt to browse to a blocked workgroup to see a custom message (rather than the default message listed below), enter that message in the Block Message box. The text you are entering will be treated as raw HTML (so you can include things such as links to other pages). However, please do not include <HTML>, </HTML>, <BODY>, </BODY>, or other HTML header tags as this HTML will be embedded in a web page that already has those tags.
  6. Then click on the Block/Unblock button.
  7. Click OK to confirm.
  8. The workgroup's status will be updated to Blocked.

When new users attempt to login to a blocked workgroup, a message saying Workgroup Blocked (along with the custom message you entered, if applicable) will be displayed and users will not be able to login. The workgroup must be unblocked in WMS to allow users to login into the workgroup again. Active users who were using the system when the workgroup was blocked, will get a session expired message and have to login again to use the workgroup.

To unblock a workgroup(s):

  1. Login to the Workgroup Management System.
  2. Click on the Admin icon.
  3. Select the option called Block / Unblock Workgroups, then click on the Continue button.
  4. Check the box to the left of each workgroup you wish to unblock. If you wish to select all workgroups, click on the check box at the top of the left column.
  5. Click on the Block/Unblock button.
  6. Click OK to confirm.
  7. The status will be updated to Active.

Customize the Block Message

When a workgroup is blocked, users that attempt to login to the blocked workgroup will see information notifying them that the workgroup is blocked and that they cannot login at this time. By default, the message below is displayed:

Workgroup Blocked
This workgroup is currently blocked by your Administrator for maintenance/administrative operations. Please contact your ProblemTracker Administrator to use this workgroup or try again after few minutes.

If you wish to customize the message that users see when a workgroup is blocked, make sure that you enter the custom message before you click the Block button. See the instructions on how to block a workgroup above for information on where to enter the custom message.

Logging Off User Sessions

You may wish to see whether there are users logged into a workgroup before blocking access to the workgroup using the Block operation.

To see a list of active user sessions for a workgroup:

  1. Login to the Workgroup Management System.
  2. Click on the Admin icon.
  3. Select the option called Block / Unblock Workgroups, then click on the Continue button.
  4. Check the box on the left of each workgroup for which you wish to see the list of active user sessions, then click on the Logoff User Sessions button at the bottom of the page.
  5. A list of all active sessions will be displayed. The user name, full name, and license type will be displayed for each session. To end a session by logging off a user, click on the user session to highlight it, then click on the Logoff button. By holding down the CTRL or SHIFT key on your keyboard, you can select multiple user sessions before clicking on the Logoff button. You will be prompted with a popup box to confirm the logoff operation. Click OK on the popup to end the selected users' sessions.
  6. Click on the OK button on the bottom of the page to return to the Block / Unblock Workgroups section.

The figure below shows an example of the User Sessions list.