Requesting Access to CalGroups
To use CalGroups, you must first request a folder space via Service Request form in ServiceNow. You can also request a modification or deletion of an existing folder space via this link.
CalNet will create your folder under one of these main folders depending upon what your needs are:
- Applications - For use with groups that will be bound to an application with broad campus use
- Organizations - For use with general purpose departmental groups, such as allowing access to a staff-only website or departmental application
Who should request a CalGroups folder space?
Someone in your department should be designated as the CalGroups departmental admin. This should be a person who is comfortable with or responsible for managing the department's technology assets.
Inside the CalGroups departmental folder will be an App/Org Owner group that has admin privileges to the folder. The departmental admin will automatically be a member of the App/Org Owner group and can add other members. Members of the App/Org Owner group have the following privileges:
- Add other owners
- Create, update or delete folders
- Create, update or delete groups
- Add and delete group members
- Manage group member privileges
See Privileges for more information.
Naming Conventions
In the future, when your group is synced to Google Groups and/or Active Directory (AD), it will be organized under a hierarchical structure according to your group's order within CalGroups.
In the example below:
The CalGroup-Test group must be accessed by selecting Organizations > CalNet > Coordinator > CalGroup-Test. The location of the CalGroup-Test folder coordinates with its place under the CalGroups hierarchy.
The CalGroups Setup Process
After you submit your request for a CalGroups folder space via Service Request in ServiceNow, we will create a ticket to track progress. A folder will be created for you using the name you requested. Your folder space is set up with you as a member of the admin group. To find out more about how to administer your folder space, see Getting Started - Tips for CalGroup Folder Owners.
If you've requested an LDAP bind or requested to use an existing bind, it will be set up after your folder space. See below for additional details.
Your CalGroups Folder Space
Your CalGroups folder space will be created using the 5-10 alphanumeric character folder name you requested on the CalGroups request form. Once you receive confirmation that your space has been created, access it by logging in to CalGroups and clicking on either the Applications folder or Organizations folder in the CalGroups folder hierarchy. Where your folder lives depends upon what type of folder you requested. If you requested both, you will have a folder space inside each parent folder.
As the folder owner, you have already been given the permissions required to create, edit and delete folders, groups, and members within your folder space.
Your CalGroups Folder Admin Group
Inside your folder is an Admin group, called "XXXX-admin," with XXXX being the name of your folder space. Rules are in place for departmental Organization and Application folders that reassign privileges for groups and folders to the Admin group. That way, when you add or remove someone from the Admin group, they have access (or no longer have access) to everything the Admin group has access to. Being a member of the Admin group is what allows you to have privileges over your folder space and everything inside it. People you add as members into the Admin group will have admin rights to everything in your CalGroups folder space, including groups and subfolders.
You can create additional admin groups to manage groups and folders within your folder space by following the steps outlined in Create Admin Privilege Group.
Beware! Don't delete yourself from the XXXX-admin group in your folder space! Doing so will result in you losing all admin rights.
Adding Admins to your CalGroups Folder Space
To add other admins to your CalGroups folder space, simply add them to the XXXX-admin group.
To add a member to your admin group:
- Navigate to the group and click the Member tab
- Click the
button - Make sure the Default Privileges radial button is selected
- Search for the member or paste his or her email address in the Member Name search field; select the person
- Click
Note: You cannot add members to your admin group with custom privileges. By default, all members of your admin group have admin privileges over your entire CalGroups folder.
Using your Folder Space
You can create subfolders inside your folder space and create groups inside those subfolders, or create groups directly in your folder space. When you add members to new groups, they will not have admin privileges. Reference the following KB to start using CalGroups: CalGroups User Guide
Sample Use Cases
So far, CalGroups users have reporting using CalGroups to:
- Control access to a remote app
- Let us know how you're using it!
Using an LDAP bind or API with your CalGroups
You can use an LDAP bind to read group data or an API to populate your CalGroups from an external data source. For information on using either, click a link below:
Removing Expired Users
Starting in July 2020, users who are expired will be removed from group membership.
Users whose active affiliations expire will have their memberships removed from CalGroups. If the user is reinstated with an active affiliation, they will automatically rejoin official campus groups. Membership to ad hoc groups will not be reinstated.
Group admins can review the Audit Log to see if/when members were automatically removed from groups.
Using Alumni in CalGroups
When a user moves into OU = alumni, they will be removed from official groups, but will remain as members in groups that allow alumni. If you need to add alumni to your App or Org folder, email calnet-admin@berkeley.edu with details.
Support
If you have questions about CalGroups, including API questions, contact: calnet-admin@berkeley.edu.