Security Timeout

There is a security timeout option available with the StudioWorks framework. The timeout option provides an added level of security to a StudioWorks application by opening a timeout window in front of all the other Omnis Studio windows if there is no user activity in the StudioWorks application for a predetermined amount of time. If a user leaves their computer without closing their application, the timeout security will prevent other users from accessing the user's application on their computer after the predetermined amount of inactive time.

Enabling Timeout Security

To enable the security timeout option modify the $signInOKContinue method of the main library Startup_Task to send an $initializeTimeoutTimer message to the oSecurity object followed by a $startTimeoutTimer message.

The following sample code is copied from the initializestartTimeoutTimer method of the Startup_Task of the myAppMain library of the StartNewApp demo.

; Does the user profile, specify a timeout or signoff?
If secur.$:UserTimeoutMinutes.$cando
   
   Do secur.$:UserTimeoutMinutes Returns TimeoutMinutes
   Do secur.$:UserTimeoutSignOffTime Returns SignOffTime
   
End If

; If the timeout minutes is zero, use the default system preference timeout.
If TimeoutMinutes=0
   
   ; Use the system prefs default timeout.
   If oSysPrefs.$:DefaultTimeoutMinutes.$cando
      Do oSysPrefs.$:DefaultTimeoutMinutes Returns TimeoutMinutes
   End If
   
End If

; If the signoff time is null, use the default system preference signoff time.
If isnull(SignOffTime)
   
   If oSysPrefs.$:DefaultSignOffTimeOfDay.$cando
      Do oSysPrefs.$:DefaultSignOffTimeOfDay Returns SignOffTime
   End If
End If

; Initialize the timeout timer.
If TimeoutMinutes>0&not(isnull(SignOffTime))
   If secur.$initializeTimeoutTimer.$cando
      Do secur.$initializeTimeoutTimer(TimeoutMinutes,SignOffTime) Returns FlagOK
      If FlagOK
         
         ; Start the timeout timer.
         Do secur.$startTimeoutTimer() Returns FlagOK
         
      End If
   End If
End If
Quit method FlagOK

This method is called by $signInOKContinue right after the default method is run.

; Redirect to the startup task default methods object.
Do redirect ioStartupTaskDefaultMethods Returns FlagOK
If FlagOK
   
   Do method initializestartTimeoutTimer Returns FlagOK
   
End If

If not(FlagOK)
   Do errhndlr.$promptonceLastError()
End If
Quit method FlagOK

The timer is reset each time the user opens a window or switches subwindows, clicks on a toolbar button or a headed list, or presses a key while in an entry field. (You can find all the places where the timeout timer is reset by searching the StudioWorks libraries for Do secur.$resetTimeoutTimer)

Setting Timeout Minutes

You the developer can decide when, where, and how to set the timeout minutes and where to store it.

The practice I normally follow is to have a default timeout number of minutes stored in the system preferences. The default timeout minutes can then set by the system administrator. I also give the option of having a user timeout minutes stored in the user profile. If the user timeout minutes is a non-zero value it is used, otherwise the system preference default timeout minutes is used.

The oSysPrefs object and related wSysPrefs window can be found in the mySysAdmin library of the StartNewApp demo.

StudioWorks Documentation - Copyright 2005 Vencor Software