Understanding assignments

In IXIA CCMS Web, whenever you assign an object to another user, you also automatically becomes an assignee for that object.

Suppose a user with a Writer role assigns a topic to a user with a Reviewer role, that topic becomes an assignment for the assignee. If a user assigns an assignee an entire map, all topics in it are included as part of the assignment. However, assigning a map to a user does not automatically assign all the map objects to that assignee.

Note: A user in a Contributor role can only edit topics that identify that user in that role as an assignee.

Active assignments and workflows

When a user creates an assignment, the user can select all the other users who need to work on it from a dropdown list. Thus, a user can define the entire workflow for an assignment while creating it. The object does not need to have a specific status to assign it to specific roles and users. The assignment becomes active only when it has the correct status for users in a specific role.

For example, a user can assign a map to contributors and reviewers, but the assignment is only active for assignees with a Contributor role when it has a Contribute status.

Modifying assignments

To modify an assignment, a user needs either or both the Assign to and the changeStatus access rights. If a user does not have access rights, the user can still see related assignees for the object, but cannot modify an existing assignment.

Note: Once a user in CCMS Web creates an Approval, no user can change its related assignees. But a user with the CancelApproval access right can cancel the Approval.

Assignment access rights

To handle an assignments in CCMS Web, a user must specify the proper access rights for the assignment.

Note: Once these rights are set, the options in the Move dialog are immediately restricted to match the specified rights. For example, if a user with a Reviewer role does not have the Assign to right, that user cannot select the assignment rule that allows reviewer assignees to change the assignment's status. That assignment rule is disabled for assignments to users with that role.

Table 1. Assignment access rights
Right	Function
Assign to	Modifies the Roles section in the Move dialog and assigns objects or assignments to users Note: Without this right, the user may still mark an assignment as finished, if granted that right.
Change Status	Changes the status of an object in the Move dialog and allows users to change the status of an assignment if the Allow users to change status assignment rule is selected
ApproveOrRejectApproval	Provides approval or rejection of content during Approval cycle
CloseReview	Changes the status of a Collaborative Review to closed in the Move dialog
SetReviewAsDone	Changes the status of a Collaborative Review to `done` in the Move dialog
CancelApproval	Cancels an Approval by changing its status

Assignment rules

Each assignment has rules that specify how it behaves. A user can set one of these rules for an assignment while creating it.

Table 2.
Assignment rule	Function
Allow users to change status	Grants assigned users with the `changeStatus` access rights the ability change the status of the assignment
Mark as finished if everyone is finished	Grants assigned users the option to mark themselves as finished in the Move dialog Note: An assignment is only considered finished when all the assigned users for the active role mark the assignment as finished.
Mark as finished if at least one person is finished	Grants assigned users the option to mark themselves as finished in the Move dialog Note: An assignment is only considered finished if at least one user for the active role marks the assignment as finished.

Users finishing assignments

A user can mark their work on an assignment as finished without changing the status of an assignment. That user is considered finished with the assignment independent of the assignment status.

If a user edits an assignment that the user had already marked as finished, CCMS Web switches the assignment back to Todo for that user.

Finished assignments

The assignment rules determine when to mark the whole assignment as finished. Once the assignment meets those assignment rules, it is marked as finished for that status, which is visible to all assignees. Once the assignment moves to a different status in the workflow, the assignment resets for the new status and is no longer marked as finished.

Note: For Approvals, the assignment is finished once the entire Approval is rejected or approved.