PeopleSoft Security Hierarchy

To understand PeopleSoft security, it it helps to look at the hierarchy for PeopleSoft security. From top-to-bottom (highest to lowest level of granularity) you can look at security like this:

1. Portal Security
2. Menu Security
3. Roles
4. Permission Lists and Definition Security
5. Primary Permission Lists
6. Row Level Security (user & permission list based)

To explain further:

• Portal folders (containers in the left navgiation) are secured by permission lists at the portal level
• Portal content references (links on the left navigation) are based on menu security
• Roles give users access to one or more permission lists
• Permission lists give users access to menus, components and ultimately pages
• Definition security is used by application designer to secure definitions (e.g. fields, records, pages, components)
• Primary permission lists typically control row level security. For example, in HRMS, primary permission lists are used to control access to departments.
• Row level security gives specific users access to specific data. For example, in Campus Solutions, specific users can be given access to a particular academic institution. This can also be permission list based.