Authorization (RBAC)

QilbeeDB uses Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to manage user permissions. This provides fine-grained control over who can perform which operations.

Overview#

RBAC in QilbeeDB provides:

5 Predefined Roles with different permission levels
30+ Granular Permissions for all database operations
Custom Role Creation for specific use cases
User-Role Assignment for flexible access control

Predefined Roles#

Read#

Basic read-only access to the database.

Permissions: - Read nodes, relationships, and properties - Execute read-only queries - View indexes

Use Case: Data consumers, reporting tools, analytics dashboards

Developer#

Full access to data operations but no user management.

Permissions: - All Read permissions - Create, update, delete nodes and relationships - Modify properties - Execute write queries - Manage indexes

Use Case: Application development, data engineering

Analyst#

Read access plus advanced query capabilities.

Permissions: - All Read permissions - Execute complex queries - View query plans - Access statistics

Use Case: Data analysis, business intelligence

Admin#

Database administration with user management.

Permissions: - All Developer permissions - User management (create, update, delete users) - Role assignment - View audit logs - System configuration

Use Case: Database administrators

SuperAdmin#

Full system control including security configuration.

Permissions: - All Admin permissions - Security configuration - Backup and restore - System maintenance - Audit log management

Use Case: System administrators, DevOps

Complete Permission List#

Node Operations#

READ_NODES - Read node data
CREATE_NODES - Create new nodes
UPDATE_NODES - Modify existing nodes
DELETE_NODES - Remove nodes

Relationship Operations#

READ_RELATIONSHIPS - Read relationship data
CREATE_RELATIONSHIPS - Create new relationships
UPDATE_RELATIONSHIPS - Modify relationships
DELETE_RELATIONSHIPS - Remove relationships

Property Operations#

READ_PROPERTIES - Read property values
UPDATE_PROPERTIES - Modify property values

Query Operations#

EXECUTE_QUERY - Run Cypher queries
EXECUTE_WRITE_QUERY - Run write queries
VIEW_QUERY_PLAN - See query execution plans

Index Operations#

READ_INDEXES - View indexes
CREATE_INDEXES - Create new indexes
DELETE_INDEXES - Remove indexes

User Management#

CREATE_USERS - Create new users
READ_USERS - View user information
UPDATE_USERS - Modify user details
DELETE_USERS - Remove users

Role Management#

ASSIGN_ROLES - Assign roles to users
CREATE_ROLES - Create custom roles
DELETE_ROLES - Remove custom roles

System Operations#

VIEW_AUDIT_LOGS - Access audit logs
CONFIGURE_SECURITY - Modify security settings
BACKUP_DATABASE - Create backups
RESTORE_DATABASE - Restore from backups
SYSTEM_MAINTENANCE - Perform maintenance

Agent Memory Operations#

READ_EPISODES - Read memory episodes
WRITE_EPISODES - Create/modify episodes
DELETE_EPISODES - Remove episodes
CONSOLIDATE_MEMORY - Trigger consolidation
FORGET_MEMORY - Initiate forgetting

Managing Users and Roles#

Create User#

curl -X POST http://localhost:7474/api/v1/users \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token" \
  -d '{
    "username": "alice",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "password": "SecureP@ssw0rd123"
  }'

Assign Role#

curl -X POST http://localhost:7474/api/v1/users/{user_id}/roles \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token" \
  -d '{
    "role": "Developer"
  }'

Remove Role#

curl -X DELETE http://localhost:7474/api/v1/users/{user_id}/roles/Developer \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token"

List User Roles#

curl -X GET http://localhost:7474/api/v1/users/{user_id}/roles \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token"

Custom Roles#

Create custom roles for specific use cases.

Create Custom Role#

curl -X POST http://localhost:7474/api/v1/roles \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token" \
  -d '{
    "name": "DataScientist",
    "permissions": [
      "READ_NODES",
      "READ_RELATIONSHIPS",
      "READ_PROPERTIES",
      "EXECUTE_QUERY",
      "VIEW_QUERY_PLAN",
      "READ_EPISODES"
    ]
  }'

View Custom Role#

curl -X GET http://localhost:7474/api/v1/roles/DataScientist \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token"

Update Custom Role#

curl -X PUT http://localhost:7474/api/v1/roles/DataScientist \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token" \
  -d '{
    "permissions": [
      "READ_NODES",
      "READ_RELATIONSHIPS",
      "READ_PROPERTIES",
      "EXECUTE_QUERY",
      "VIEW_QUERY_PLAN",
      "READ_EPISODES",
      "WRITE_EPISODES"
    ]
  }'

Delete Custom Role#

curl -X DELETE http://localhost:7474/api/v1/roles/DataScientist \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer admin-token"

Permission Checking#

QilbeeDB automatically checks permissions for every operation.

Permission Denied Example#

# User with Read role tries to create a node
curl -X POST http://localhost:7474/api/v1/nodes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer read-user-token" \
  -d '{
    "labels": ["Person"],
    "properties": {"name": "Alice"}
  }'

Response:

{
  "error": "Insufficient permissions",
  "message": "Required permission: CREATE_NODES",
  "user_roles": ["Read"],
  "required_permission": "CREATE_NODES"
}

Best Practices#

Principle of Least Privilege

Grant users the minimum permissions needed for their role:

Start with Read role
Add permissions incrementally
Use custom roles for specific needs
Review permissions regularly

Admin Access

Limit Admin and SuperAdmin roles:

Only assign to trusted personnel
Use separate accounts for admin tasks
Enable audit logging for admin operations
Require MFA for admin accounts (future feature)

Role Design

Design roles based on job functions:

Application Accounts: Developer role
BI Tools: Analyst role
DBAs: Admin role
Custom Needs: Create specific custom roles

Example Role Matrix#

Operation	Read	Developer	Analyst	Admin	SuperAdmin
Read Data	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Write Data	✗	✓	✗	✓	✓
Complex Queries	✗	✓	✓	✓	✓
Manage Users	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
View Audit Logs	✗	✗	✗	✓	✓
System Config	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓

Client Examples#

Python#

from qilbeedb import Client

client = Client("http://localhost:7474")
client.login("admin", "password")

# Create user with role
user = client.users.create(
    username="alice",
    email="[email protected]",
    password="SecureP@ssw0rd123",
    roles=["Developer"]
)

# Add additional role
client.users.add_role(user.id, "Analyst")

# Remove role
client.users.remove_role(user.id, "Analyst")

JavaScript/Node.js#

const { Client } = require('@qilbeedb/client');

const client = new Client('http://localhost:7474');
await client.login('admin', 'password');

// Create user with role
const user = await client.users.create({
  username: 'alice',
  email: '[email protected]',
  password: 'SecureP@ssw0rd123',
  roles: ['Developer']
});

// Add additional role
await client.users.addRole(user.id, 'Analyst');

// Remove role
await client.users.removeRole(user.id, 'Analyst');

Troubleshooting#

Permission Denied#

If users can't perform operations they should be able to:

Check user's current roles
Verify role has required permissions
Check if custom role was modified
Review audit logs for permission changes

Role Assignment Fails#

Common issues:

User performing assignment lacks ASSIGN_ROLES permission
Role name is misspelled
Custom role was deleted
User already has the role

Next Steps#

Authentication - Configure auth methods
Rate Limiting - Configure rate limit policies
Audit Logging - Track permission usage
Security Overview - Complete security guide

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