Introduction
As organizations adopt Sparx Enterprise Architect (EA) for large-scale modeling initiatives, security becomes a central concern—especially when multiple teams and domains coexist within a shared repository. Whether managing requirements, architecture, or business models, robust access control is key to protecting sensitive content and ensuring modeling discipline. In this article, we explore how to design and implement user security models in Sparx EA using both traditional Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and emerging Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) approaches in multi-project environments.
1. The Basics of EA Security
Sparx EA supports a built-in security model that enables controlled access to model elements, diagrams, packages, and even user actions. It works by enabling the security feature (via Configure > Security > Enable Security) and defining:
- Users: Individual modelers or external accounts (can be integrated with Windows Active Directory or OpenID)
- Groups/Roles: Logical grouping of users with shared privileges
- Permissions: Fine-grained rights such as “Update Diagrams”, “Manage Users”, “Export XMI”, etc.
EA security is enforced when editing the model, checking out packages, or viewing secured diagrams. This foundational RBAC model maps users to roles and roles to permissions.
2. Understanding Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) in EA
RBAC is widely used in Sparx EA because it’s simple to manage and scales well for defined teams. A typical structure includes roles such as:
- Model Administrator: Full access to model structure, security, versioning
- Enterprise Architect: Can design frameworks, baseline versions, and integrate systems
- Business Analyst: Create/edit use cases, requirements, BPMN
- Developer: View-only rights or limited editing in implementation packages
- Reviewer: Commenting privileges but cannot edit diagrams
Roles are assigned to groups and enforced through EA’s security interface. This enables project leads to lock packages or set diagram-level permissions with traceable access logs.
3. Multi-Project Repository Security
In a multi-project environment (shared EA repository across departments or domains), security must consider:
- Scoped access: Different teams access only their domain packages
- Read vs. write isolation: Stakeholders may need view rights across domains but edit rights only in theirs
- Change accountability: Logs and audits by team/project domain
Use EA's Package Locking feature in conjunction with security to enforce domain boundaries. Each package can be locked for a specific user or group, preventing accidental edits from unrelated projects.
4. Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): The Next Step
While EA does not natively support ABAC, architects and admins can simulate it using:
- Tagged values: Label users, packages, or diagrams with attributes such as “domain=HR” or “level=Confidential”
- Scripts or add-ins: Evaluate these tags to enforce rules dynamically (e.g., only allow update if user domain matches package domain)
- Prolaborate dashboards: Filter visibility based on user context (e.g., region, role, clearance)
ABAC becomes essential in federated governance models where users span external vendors, regulators, or geographically distributed teams.
5. Integrating with Active Directory and OpenID
For enterprise environments, EA allows integration with:
- Active Directory (AD): Seamlessly authenticate and assign users based on AD groups
- OpenID Connect: For modern web SSO, particularly with Pro Cloud Server or Prolaborate
These integrations reduce manual provisioning, enable automatic role mapping, and align EA security with broader IAM policies.
6. Security in Pro Cloud Server and Prolaborate
When deploying via Pro Cloud Server (PCS) and using Prolaborate for stakeholder collaboration:
- PCS supports Windows and OpenID-based authentication
- Security permissions are respected in WebEA and API usage
- Prolaborate can define custom roles per dashboard or data domain
This ensures non-modelers (e.g., business users, executives) can access curated views without compromising model integrity.
7. Security Auditing and Logs
EA includes an audit log feature that records:
- Who changed what and when
- Details of property edits, deletions, or diagram changes
These logs are essential in regulated environments (e.g., pharma, finance) and can be filtered by user, object type, or date.
8. Best Practices for Modeling Governance
- Design roles and access early—align with business org chart or TOGAF governance structure
- Use separate views/packages per domain and control access per team
- Enforce package locking on critical model areas (e.g., integrations, regulatory layers)
- Document and review access privileges quarterly
- Use Prolaborate to expose stakeholder views while protecting underlying models
Conclusion
User security in Sparx EA is a cornerstone of sustainable modeling at scale. By implementing strong RBAC practices and exploring ABAC extensions, organizations can enforce modeling discipline, ensure data integrity, and comply with regulatory standards. Whether you are managing one repository or hundreds of interlinked models, a thoughtful security strategy supported by EA’s native features and enterprise integrations sets the foundation for confident digital architecture.
Keywords
Sparx EA User Security, EA Role-Based Access Control, EA Attribute-Based Access Control, EA Multi-Project Governance, EA Security Best Practices, Pro Cloud Server Access Control, EA and AD Integration, Sparx EA RBAC, EA ABAC Scripting, EA Audit Logs