In the tutorial for creating Value Sets, Hasan has set the Security Type to No Security. Could someone explain to me what is the meaning and implications of the other two security settings on the implementation: Hierarchical, Non-Hierarchical

Hi Gavrobere,

I was busy with my project :(

First let me answer your question..


>> In the ‘Security Type’ drop down box, you see the security you want Oracle Applications to use with the value set. The possible security types are:

* No Security - All security is disabled for this value set.

* Hierarchical Security - Hierarchical security is enabled. With hierarchical security, the features of value security and value hierarchies are combined. With this feature any security rule that applies to a parent value also applies to its child values. Within a hierarchical tree of values, a value is subject to a security rule if any parent above it is subject to that security rule.

* Non-Hierarchical Security - Security is enabled, but the rules of hierarchical security do not apply. That is, a security rule that applies to a parent value does not "cascade down" to its child values.


Now, you may wounder what is value hierarchy (aka Parent Child relationship) and value security (aka security Rule).


Value hierarchy (aka Parent Child relationship)
************************************************

Let's say you have the following accounts:

501 --> Salaries
502 --> Telephone expenses
503 --> Postage expenses

If you want to rollup all these accounts into one head 'Total expenses', create a new account 500 --> 'Total expenses' and make it as parent (by enabling parent check box) and define child range accounts ie. include the above accounts 501 to 503.

This will help in hierarchical rollup of children and / or parents to allow for faster reporting and inquiry on-line of a parent account balance.


Value Security (aka security Rule)
***********************************

As we know value set is a container, to hold the values. Imagine that there is a filter on top of the container which will work when we pull values(data) from the container.


Filter I mentioned is nothing but security rule which restricts access to specific value(s) based on user's responsibility.

Let's say you have a value set called Department which has values 10,20 and 30.

If you want users who are logged in thru responsibility X should not access Department 10 you can build a security rule and attach it to a Responsibility.


Note:-
******
(Security rule defined like cross validation Rule (please take cross validation tutorial for better understanding).

Important note is that security rule is attached to Responsibility and Cross validation Rule is attached to COA Structure.

Take home should be, security rule will tell whether you can access the data in the value set and cross validation will tell whether the comination of 2 value set data is valid. For value security only security rules apply not Cross validaiton rules)


Let's go back the answer..


* No Security - All security is disabled for this value set. ( No filter)

* Hierarchical Security - Hierarchical security is enabled. With hierarchical security, the features of value security and value hierarchies are combined. With this feature any security rule that applies to a parent value also applies to its child values. Within a hierarchical tree of values, a value is subject to a security rule if any parent above it is subject to that security rule. (Both Value Hierarchy & Value security applies)

* Non-Hierarchical Security - Security is enabled, but the rules of hierarchical security do not apply. That is, a security rule that applies to a parent value does not "cascade down" to its child values. (Only value security applies)

Cheers!
Shanmuga

Shanmuga, thanks you a bunch. You are not only an expert, but also a great educator. You made complex concepts so simple and so easy to understand. I spent over 2 hours last night on Oracle Documentation about the above topic, but I did not have any take-home.

So, in order to avoid users’ Security issues management on all the parent values and child values, would it be more easy and to manage Value Sets Security setting by going for the setting: Non-Hierarchical Security? This way, we can manage access to individual child values by setting the security at child values level.

In this way, please, could you confirm if the setting would be validly be enabled on the Value Sets Values screen for concerned child values.
Thank you again, Shanmuga.
Gavrobere

Thanks Shanmuga for such a detailed and informative reply!
Hasan