pve-docs/pveum.adoc

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NAME
----

pveum - Proxmox VE User Manager


SYNOPSYS
--------

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DESCRIPTION
-----------
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User Management
===============
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// Copied from pve wiki: Revision as of 16:10, 27 October 2015

Proxmox VE supports multiple authentication sources, e.g. Microsoft
Active Directory, LDAP, Linux PAM or the integrated Proxmox VE
authentication server.

By using the role based user- and permission management for all
objects (VMs, storages, nodes, etc.) granular access can be defined.


Authentication Realms
---------------------

Proxmox VE stores all user attributes in `/etc/pve/user.cfg`. So there
must be an entry for each user in that file. The password is not
stored, instead you can use configure several realms to verify
passwords.

Microsoft Active Directory::

LDAP::

Linux PAM standard authentication::

You need to create the system users first with `adduser`
(e.g. `adduser heinz`) and possibly the group as well. After that you
can create the user on the GUI.

[source,bash]
----
useradd heinz
passwd heinz
groupadd watchman
usermod -a -G watchman heinz
----

Proxmox VE authentication server::

This is a unix like password store
(`/etc/pve/priv/shadow.cfg`). Password are encrypted using the SHA-256
hash method. Users are allowed to change passwords.


Terms and Definitions
---------------------


Users
~~~~~

A Proxmox VE user name consists of two parts: `<userid>@<realm>`. The
login screen on the GUI shows them a separate items, but it is
internally used as single string.

We store the following attribute for users (`/etc/pve/user.cfg`):

* first name
* last name
* email address
* expiration date
* flag to enable/disable account
* comment


Superuser
^^^^^^^^^

The traditional unix superuser account is called `root@pam`. All
system mails are forwarded to the email assigned to that account.


Groups
~~~~~~

Each user can be member of several groups. Groups are the preferred
way to organize access permissions. You should always grant permission
to groups instead of using individual users. That way you will get a
much shorter access control list which is easier to handle.


Objects and Paths
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Access permissions are assigned to objects, such as a virtual machines
(`/vms/{vmid}`) or a storage (`/storage/{storeid}`) or a pool of
resources (`/pool/{poolname}`). We use file system like paths to
address those objects. Those paths form a natural tree, and
permissions can be inherited down that hierarchy.


Privileges
~~~~~~~~~~

A privilege is the right to perform a specific action. To simplify
management, lists of privileges are grouped into roles, which can then
be uses to set permissions.

We currently use the following privileges:

Node / System related privileges::

* `Permissions.Modify`: modify access permissions
* `Sys.PowerMgmt`: Node power management (start, stop, reset, shutdown, ...)
* `Sys.Console`: console access to Node
* `Sys.Syslog`: view Syslog
* `Sys.Audit`: view node status/config
* `Sys.Modify`: create/remove/modify node network parameters
* `Group.Allocate`: create/remove/modify groups
* `Pool.Allocate`: create/remove/modify a pool
* `Realm.Allocate`: create/remove/modify authentication realms
* `Realm.AllocateUser`: assign user to a realm
* `User.Modify`: create/remove/modify user access and details.

Virtual machine related privileges::

* `VM.Allocate`: create/remove new VM to server inventory
* `VM.Migrate`: migrate VM to alternate server on cluster
* `VM.PowerMgmt`: power management (start, stop, reset, shutdown, ...)
* `VM.Console`: console access to VM
* `VM.Monitor`: access to VM monitor (kvm)
* `VM.Backup`: backup/restore VMs
* `VM.Audit`: view VM config
* `VM.Clone`: clone/copy a VM
* `VM.Config.Disk`: add/modify/delete Disks 
* `VM.Config.CDROM`: eject/change CDROM
* `VM.Config.CPU`: modify CPU settings
* `VM.Config.Memory`: modify Memory settings
* `VM.Config.Network`: add/modify/delete Network devices
* `VM.Config.HWType`: modify emulated HW type
* `VM.Config.Options`: modify any other VM configuration
* `VM.Snapshot`: create/remove VM snapshots

Storage related privileges::

* `Datastore.Allocate`: create/remove/modify a data store, delete volumes
* `Datastore.AllocateSpace`: allocate space on a datastore
* `Datastore.AllocateTemplate`: allocate/upload templates and iso images 
* `Datastore.Audit`: view/browse a datastore


Roles
~~~~~

A role is simply a list of privileges. Proxmox VE comes with a number
of predefined roles which satisfies most needs.

* `Administrator`: has all privileges
* `NoAccess`: has no privileges (used to forbid access)
* `PVEAdmin`: can do most things, but miss rights to modify system settings (`Sys.PowerMgmt`, `Sys.Modify`, `Realm.Allocate`).
* `PVEAuditor`: read only access
* `PVEDatastoreAdmin`: create and allocate backup space and templates
* `PVEDatastoreUser`: allocate backup space and view storage
* `PVEPoolAdmin`: allocate pools
* `PVESysAdmin`: User ACLs, audit, system console and system logs
* `PVETemplateUser`: view and clone templates
* `PVEUserAdmin`: user administration
* `PVEVMAdmin`: fully administer VMs
* `PVEVMUser`: view, backup, config CDROM, VM console, VM power management

You can see the whole set of predefined roles on the GUI.

Adding new roles using the CLI:

[source,bash]
----
pveum roleadd PVE_Power-only -privs "VM.PowerMgmt VM.Console"
pveum roleadd Sys_Power-only -privs "Sys.PowerMgmt Sys.Console"
----


Permissions
~~~~~~~~~~~

Permissions are the way we control access to objects. In technical
terms they are simply a triple containing `<path,user,role>`. This
concept is also known as access control lists. Each permission
specifies a subject (user or group) and a role (set of privileges) on
a specific path.

When a subject requests an action on an object, the framework looks up
the roles assigned to that subject (using the object path). The set of
roles defines the granted privileges.


Inheritance
^^^^^^^^^^^

As mentioned earlier, object paths form a file system like tree, and
permissions can be inherited down that tree (the propagate flag is set
by default). We use the following inheritance rules:

* permission for individual users always overwrite group permission.
* permission for groups apply when the user is member of that group.
* permission set at higher level always overwrites inherited permissions.


What permission do I need?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The required API permissions are documented for each individual
method, and can be found at http://pve.proxmox.com/pve-docs/api-viewer/


Pools
~~~~~

Pools can be used to group a set of virtual machines and data
stores. You can then simply set permissions on pools (`/pool/{poolid}`),
which are inherited to all pool members. This is a great way simplify
access control.

Command Line Tool
-----------------

Most users will simply use the GUI to manage users. But there is also
a full featured command line tool called `pveum` (short for ``**P**roxmox
**VE** **U**ser **M**anager''). Please note that all Proxmox VE command
line tools are wrappers around the API, so you can also access those
function through the REST API.

Here are some simple usage examples. To show help type:

[source,bash]
 pveum

or (to show detailed help about a specific command)

[source,bash]
 pveum help useradd

Create a new user:

[source,bash]
 pveum useradd testuser@pve -comment "Just a test"

Set or Change the password (not all realms support that):

[source,bash]
 pveum passwd testuser@pve

Disable a user:

[source,bash]
 pveum usermod testuser@pve -enable 0

Create a new group:

[source,bash]
 pveum groupadd testgroup

Create a new role:

[source,bash]
 pveum roleadd PVE_Power-only -privs "VM.PowerMgmt VM.Console"


Real World Examples
-------------------


Administrator Group
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of the most wanted features was the ability to define a group of
users with full administrator rights (without using the root account).

Define the group:

[source,bash]
 pveum groupadd admin -comment "System Administrators"

Then add the permission:

[source,bash]
 pveum aclmod / -group admin -role Administrator

You can finally add users to the new 'admin' group:

[source,bash]
 pveum usermod testuser@pve -group admin


Auditors
~~~~~~~~

You can give read only access to users by assigning the `PVEAuditor`
role to users or groups.

Example1: Allow user `joe@pve` to see everything

[source,bash]
 pveum aclmod / -user joe@pve -role PVEAuditor

Example1: Allow user `joe@pve` to see all virtual machines

[source,bash]
 pveum aclmod /vms -user joe@pve -role PVEAuditor


Delegate User Management
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you want to delegate user managenent to user `joe@pve` you can do
that with:

[source,bash]
 pveum aclmod /access -user joe@pve -role PVEUserAdmin

User `joe@pve` can now add and remove users, change passwords and
other user attributes. This is a very powerful role, and you most
likely want to limit that to selected realms and groups. The following
example allows `joe@pve` to modify users within realm `pve` if they
are members of group `customers`:

[source,bash]
 pveum aclmod /access/realm/pve -user joe@pve -role PVEUserAdmin
 pveum aclmod /access/groups/customers -user joe@pve -role PVEUserAdmin

NOTE: The user is able to add other users, but only if they are
members of group `customers` and within realm `pve`.


Pools
~~~~~

An enterprise is usually structured into several smaller departments,
and it is common that you want to assign resources to them and
delegate management tasks. A pool is simply a set of virtual machines
and data stores. You can create pools on the GUI. After that you can
add resources to the pool (VMs, Storage).

You can also assign permissions to the pool. Those permissions are
inherited to all pool members.

Lets assume you have a software development department, so we first
create a group

[source,bash]
 pveum groupadd developers -comment "Our software developers"

Now we create a new user which is a member of that group

[source,bash]
 pveum useradd developer1@pve -group developers -password

NOTE: The -password parameter will prompt you for a password

I assume we already created a pool called ``dev-pool'' on the GUI. So we can now assign permission to that pool:

[source,bash]
 pveum aclmod /pool/dev-pool/ -group developers -role PVEAdmin

Our software developers can now administrate the resources assigned to
that pool.


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