Basic Configurations of Odoo

You can acquire Odoo through any of the methods mentioned in the previous chapter (i.e.
Introduction). The very next step is setting up your database. Whether you are using online
version or onsite version, you must create your database first. It is in this Database all your data
and operations are performed. You can create multiple databases if needed, and you can have
different administrators for each of them. An administrator account (super user) will be created
automatically when you create your first DB. This Administrator account is very important as he
enjoys complete control over ERP system. Odoo provides an extra level security called Master
Password to protect your database from unauthorized modifying. You may have multiple
databases and administrators but only the administrator with Master Password can modify the
entire database. Once you have configured a database, Odoo provides the option to delete,
Backup, Restore the databases. Backup and Restore option is a useful feature provided by Odoo
to protect your database.

After setting up your database, it is time to install the modules you needed from Odoo Apps. In
upcoming chapters, you can find the detailed description about the apps you need to install to
run a module.

In the next step, you have to create the system users. System users mean all the persons who
can login and access different sections of ERP. For example, accountant, project manager, section
head, department head, team lead etc. This depends upon the business and organizational
hierarchy you run. Obviously, you can set access restrictions on this users. The menu and settings
visible to each user are based on the access right he possesses. For example, the menu to create
a manufacturing order will be visible to a user with ‘Manager’ privileges in manufacturing. In
each module, Odoo by default provides at least two type of users with different access
permission. However, the administrator can grant custom permission to these users if needed.
In fact, admin can create a user with custom privileges. Another useful feature you can find in
Odoo is the ‘Group’. You can add multiple users under a Group and apply access restriction on
the group. In other words, if you have a lot of users to manage, then the group is an efficient
method.

Odoo has multilayer security system. At the top level, the administrator can restrict an individual
user from accessing any module or application in Odoo by using Access Right mechanism in the
user profile. Further down, the administrator can Impost Read, Write, Delete, Create permissions
on Groups (i.e. any Department or a group of people) using Access control to fields. Record Rules
is another feature to establish customized security.

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Database Management
Create Database

When we install Odoo in our system we automatically redirected to database creation page.
In that page, Odoo provides basic instructions for creating your database.

Note: - Tick the checkbox Load Demonstration data to fill your apps with sample data.

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Click <Create Database> and you will be redirected to Odoo Apps. You can see the Apps from the
app list, install any module according to your need.

Note: - You can create any number of database later from the same window.

Delete Database

 Manage Database -> Delete

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Backup and Restore Database

To Backup a Database

 Manage Database -> Backup

 Select the Backup format and click on <Backup>.

To Restore a Backup, Follow the steps

 Manage Database -> Restore

Choose the database to be restored, Give the database a new name and click on
<continue.>

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And after successful restoration we can see the restored database listed in the database
management page.

Duplicate Database

 Manage Database -> Duplicate

And After a few seconds, we can see the duplicated database in the database list.

Master Password

Master Password is the key-stone element which controls entire Odoo Databases. Database
creation, deletion, duplication etc. actions can’t be performed without the master password.
So it is advisable to create a strong master password for your Odoo system .

USER Management
Types of user

Basically, there are two types of user in Odoo ERP, Administrator, and normal user. Administrator is
the default user created at first and he has complete access over Odoo system. As the administrator
of your database, you are responsible for its usage. This includes the Apps you install as well as the
number of users currently in use etc. Admin can create as many as users and assign their permissions
and access rights within the application. By this method, admin can create organizational hierarchy
and restrict users only to their own domain.

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Creating user

 Login to the system as administrator

 Settings -> Users -> Create


 Fill the field with user information
 Set Access Rights to each application for the user from dropdown
 Find more customization for the user in ‘Oauth’, ‘Preferences’, ‘Point
of sale’ tabs.
 ‘Change Password’ button can be used to set a password for the user

Note: - you can restrict a user from accessing a particular application by changing Access Right for
that application from above form.

Note: - Admin can edit any user details from the same menu (i.e. More->Settings->Users) by
Clicking on the user name from list.

Delete User

 Login to the system as administrator

 Settings -> Users
 Select a user from list

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  Action->Delete

Note: - Admin can perform other tasks like ‘Edit user info’, ‘Duplicate’ user etc. from the same window.

Groups

Groups are very important security modules in Odoo. They are created to achieve organizational
hierarchy as well as impost access control to a group of users. Admin can set access control for a group
of people rather than an individual.

Assign user to groups

 Settings > Groups

Once you know about groups, you can select groups from list of groups as shown in above figure.

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Here you can add as many as users under the Users tab so that all the security rules in that group will be
applied to the user. Access Rights and Rules are very effective methods to implement security measures
in Odoo, they are discussed in coming pages.

External user Sign Up

What if we wish to allow an external user (like your client) to view something in your system.
He can sign in to your system and view allowed areas. To enable this settings.

 Settings -> General Settings

Under The portal access there is a check-box indicated Allow external users to sign up .Tick
that checkbox and click on <Apply> button. Now you can see a signup option is enabled near
login portal

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Click on <Signup> and you will be redirected to a new Sign Up page.

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Security Rules
Other than the access permission applied during the profile creation, admin can make use of
following security measures to achieve high-level system security.

Access control to fields

In Odoo, all menus and views are not viewable to all users, by default only administrator has
the permission to view and control all the fields and views. Following are the major access levels
an administrator can enforce on Groups. For example if you want to restrict some users in
inventory from editing inventory details such settings can be established with this option.
1) perm_read

If this is set, it means that all users that are in this group have read access on this model. If
it is not set, it means that the users don’t have read rights.

2) perm_write

If this is set, it means that all users that are in this group have write access on this model.

3) perm_create

If this is set, it means that all users that are in this group have create access on this model.

4) perm_unlink

If this is set, it means that all users that are in this group have delete access on this model.

This settings can be found on following tabs

 Settings > Groups > Access Rights

 Settings > Groups > Rules

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Record Rules

This control mechanism is applied when we need more customization in access rights other
than the one which are available. These are generally done by technical persons.

 Settings > Security > Record Rules

A record rule has:

 A model
 A set of permissions (e.g. if perm_read is set, the rule will only be checked
when reading a record)
 User groups (no group means global rule)
 A domain for filtering data (If filter matches: It is accessible, If filter does not matches:
It is not accessible )

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