What is the difference between a user and a login account?

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The concepts of a user and a login account are both integral parts of M-Files, but there is an important difference between them:
  • Users are vault-level objects that store user-specific settings and user history as well as permissions for performing certain operations in a vault. A user object is always linked to one and only one login account.
  • Login accounts are server-level (or in some cases vault-level) accounts that are used for authenticating users to M-Files Server. A login account can be associated with multiple users, but only one user per vault.

Example

A&A Consulting hires a new engineer, Amanda Reade, and she naturally needs to have access to the M-Files vaults of the company.

  1. The M-Files administrator of the company creates the login account AmandaR via M-Files Admin.
    • Amanda can now be authenticated to M-Files Server.
  2. The administrator creates the vault user AmandaR to all the appropriate vaults.
    • Amanda now has access to the vaults specified by the administrator.
As a result, the login account AmandaR is linked to all the newly created users, and the vault user AmandaR in all the appropriate vaults is linked to the said login account. The new engineer now also has access to all the required M-Files vaults.