iFIX Electronic Signatures and Change Management

When checking out and checking in files to the Change Management Server, you can require that the user provide an electronic signature before the action occurs. With iFIX Electronic Signatures enabled, the Electronic Signature dialog box appears, before the Change Management Check Out or Check In dialog box appears. This is the same Electronic Signature dialog box that appears in the iFIX product, like the ones described in the Examining the Electronic Signature Dialog Box section of the Using Electronic Signatures electronic book.

If the user name and password entered for the electronic signature is rejected, iFIX does not perform the check out or check in file command on the Change Management Server.

Comments can be entered into both the Electronic Signature dialog box and Check In/Out dialog box. The comments included with the Electronic Signature dialog box are tracked with other iFIX electronic signatures, and appear in the same audit trail.

If you want to use electronic signatures for checking in files to the Change Management Server from the iFIX WorkSpace, open the User Preferences dialog box, click the Change Management tab, and enter the options you want in the Electronic Signature Options area.

For more information about electronic signatures in iFIX, refer to the What are Electronic Signatures? section in the Using Electronic Signatures electronic book.

To configure electronic signatures for Change Management actions in iFIX:

  1. If the iFIX WorkSpace is open and you are logged into the Change Management Server, log off. To do this, right-click the node name in the system tree, select Manage and then click Logoff.

    2. NOTE: You cannot make changes to the Change Management setting in iFIX while logged on to the Change Management Server.

  2. In Classic view, on the WorkSpace menu, click User Preferences.

-Or-

In Ribbon view, on the Home tab, in the WorkSpace group, click Settings, and then click User Preferences.

  1. Click the Change Management tab.
  2. Confirm the Enable Change Management Server Connection check box is selected. If it is not, select it. Otherwise, you cannot modify the Electronic Signature Options.
  3. Optionally, if you want to require that the user enter comments when checking in or checking out files (in the Check In and Check Out dialog boxes), select the Require comments to check in and check out files check box.

    4. NOTE: This option can be enabled with or without the electronic signature option.

  4. In the Electronic Signature Options area, select the type of type of electronic signature you want to enable:
    • Perform Only – the operator (the "performer") that initiated the action must electronically sign for that action.
    • Perform and Verify – the operator (the "performer") that initiated the action must electronically sign for that action and another individual (the "verifier") must electronically sign to validate the action.

    By default, the electronic signature Type is set to None.

  1. If you want to allow the operator to repeatedly sign for successive actions by supplying only a password, when electronic signatures are enabled, select the Allow Continuous Use check box.

    Continuous use applies only to the person performing an action and does not affect the person verifying an action.

  1. If you want to provide a different set of predefined comments in the drop-down list, do the following:
    • For the Perform Only comments, click Create Default Perform Comments Table
    • For the Perform and Verify comments, click Create Default Perform Comments Table

    Alternatively, you can enter a name for the table in each of these fields.

  1. If you created your own comment tables, configure them. Refer to the steps in the Comment Tables, Electronic Signatures, and Change Management section for more information.
  2. Click OK.
  3. Restart the iFIX WorkSpace.

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