Creating policies to control user access to features

IBM® Sametime® policies control user access to features. All users are assigned to default policy settings, which you can modify. You can create additional user policies, and assign users and groups to these policies.

About this task

Policies are grouped based on the following features:
  • Instant messaging (chat, image settings, file transfer, plugin management, and mobile features provided by the Sametime Community Server and Sametime Proxy Server)
  • Meetings (conferencing features provided by Sametime Meeting Server)
  • Media services (audio and video features provided by Sametime Media Manager)
  • SIP-based calling (VoIP feature provided by Sametime Media Manager)

You can manage policies through the administration pages in the Sametime System Console. When a user authenticates, Sametime applies a default policy if no other policy can be found for that user. You can also assign the default policy. Custom policies can be designed for specific groups in the company. Meetings policy changes take effect immediately, while Instant Messaging and Media Services policy changes take effect within an hour. If a user is assigned to more than one policy, then Sametime uses the policy weight to determine precedence.

Policies are only applied from the primary Sametime community. Additional server communities' policies are not pushed down to the users' desktops. A user's primary Sametime community is the first community listed in their Sametime Server Communities Properties settings.

There is also an anonymous policy that is assigned by default to users who have not authenticated, and unauthenticated users always receive this policy.