User Mnet Hosts block

The User Mnet Hosts block (non standard) is similar to the Mnet Hosts block except it only gives access to MNET hosts where the user is allowed to jump to. Custom user profile fields will be used in a dedicated category to control which hosts are in the scope of the current user.

The block provides its own tools to install significant user custom fields and custom field category in Moodle so the MNET output can be controlled.

At its stage of developement, hiding a MNET in list of possible destination should not be considered as sufficiant in terms of security. These are not security doors, but a way to provide intelligible navigation to users depending on there profile.

A further securisation of the door is in development plans. (back check through web service)

Moodle 2 additions

the User Mnet Hosts block for Moodle 2 has integrated two major additions :

• Handling of Mahara links with some variants
• Support for the MultiMnet authentification method (auth/multimnet)
• For consistency reasons, a local primary administrator (local "admin" account) cannot roam to other nodes, unless a hardcoded configuration key is enabled ($CFG->user_mnet_hosts_admin_override).

Note : The special case where an admin account would be allowed to roam is for a global network administrator. The origin moodle of such global administrator should be unique in the whole MNET network.

Prerequisites

No mandatory prerequisites.

Optional prerequisite : When using MNET and managing individual access, it may be worth to get consistant user profiles including custom fields. As access control fields used by User Mnet Hosts are custom fields, this makes sense.

the patch discussed at http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-24549 proposes a simple patch to get user custom fields synchronization, pursuant they have been configured consistently in each MNET node.

Using this patch will allow users to bring their access allowance whereever they are in a Moodle Network.

The Multimnet authentification method is a prerequisite for building a full wired MNET moodle array.

Installing

Install the block as usual:

1. Unzip the block package within the blocks directory of your Moodle installation.

2. Browse to the Administration -> notifications menu.

Preparation

For the block to operate properly, you need generating relevant access field for each known MNET host in the neighbourhood. This is called synchronizing the block with the MNETwork configuration.

Settings

Global settings

• Access to the synchronisation tool.
• Mahara pass thru: When enabled, will not apply per user access rule to mahara registered applications. If not enabled, a registered Mahara will behave as any other registere application and will e controled on a per user basis.

Other operations of the global settings:

The global settings will automatically create a default category for regitering access profile fields, and will create the local moodl access field.

Instance settings

there are no instance settings.

Normal operations

Using a block instance

Just add an instance of this block instead of the standard Mnet Hosts block to limitate the network view to allowed targets.

Giving users access to an host

Edit the profile of users to check or uncheck the access fields matching the hosts you allow the user to see. You might change the custom fields settings for convenience so new users are implicitely allowed or disallowed for a particular host.

See the accessory Group Network block to delegate access configuration to teachers.

Capabilities

• block/user_mnet_hosts:addinstance: Allows owner of this capability to add an instance in a course or front page
• block/user_mnet_hosts:myaddinstance: Allows owner of this capability to add an instance in the My page
• block/user_mnet_hosts:accessall: Access to all joinable nodes unconditionnally (administrators).

Credits

This block is maintained by Valery Fremaux at http://www.mylearningfactory.com

Using projects

Following projects are co-funders of the block

• Paris Descartes University (FR)
• Rectorat de Strasbourg (FR)
• Région PACA (Académie de Nice) (FR)
• Région PACA (Académie (d'Aix/Marseille) (FR)
• Groupe ISF (Haute Normandie) (FR)
• Groupe IGS (FR)
• Institut Iperia (Haute Normandie) (FR)