Update of /home/cvsd/slony1/slony1-engine/doc/adminguide
In directory main:/tmp/cvs-serv8746/doc/adminguide

Modified Files:
	bestpractices.sgml testbed.sgml 
Log Message:
Add tests to the testbed that confirm the minimal permissions required
by those Slony-I connections stored in sl_path.


Index: testbed.sgml
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RCS file: /home/cvsd/slony1/slony1-engine/doc/adminguide/testbed.sgml,v
retrieving revision 1.10
retrieving revision 1.11
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*** testbed.sgml	2 Aug 2006 18:34:59 -0000	1.10
--- testbed.sgml	1 Mar 2007 21:02:31 -0000	1.11
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  to be a &postgres; <quote>superuser.</quote> </para>  </glossdef> </glossentry>
  
+ <glossentry><glossterm> <envar>WEAKUSER</envar> </glossterm>
+ <glossdef><para> By default, the user <filename>postgres</filename> is
+ used; this is taken as the default user ID to use for the <xref linkend="stmtstorepath"> connections to all of the
+ databases. </para>
+ 
+ <para> There are also variables <envar>WEAKUSER1</envar> thru
+ <envar>WEAKUSER13</envar> which allow specifying a separate user name
+ for each database instance.  This user <emphasis> does not </emphasis>
+ need to be a &postgres; <quote>superuser.</quote> This user can start
+ out with no permissions; it winds up granted read permissions on the
+ tables that the test uses, plus read access throughout the &slony1;
+ schema, plus write access to one table and sequence used to manage
+ node locks. </para> </glossdef> </glossentry>
+ 
  <glossentry><glossterm> <envar>HOST</envar> </glossterm>
  <glossdef><para> By default, <filename>localhost</filename> is used.

Index: bestpractices.sgml
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RCS file: /home/cvsd/slony1/slony1-engine/doc/adminguide/bestpractices.sgml,v
retrieving revision 1.24
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*** bestpractices.sgml	17 Oct 2006 18:45:15 -0000	1.24
--- bestpractices.sgml	1 Mar 2007 21:02:31 -0000	1.25
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  </listitem>
  
+ <listitem><para> Lowering Authority </para>
+ 
+ <para> Traditionally, it has been stated that <quote>&slony; needs to
+ use superuser connections.</quote> It turns out that this is not
+ entirely true, and and if there are particular concerns about
+ excessive use of superuser accounts, it is possible to reduce this
+ considerably. </para>
+ 
+ <para> It is true to say that each &lslon; <emphasis>must</emphasis>
+ have a superuser connection in order to manage the node that it is
+ assigned to.  It needs to be able to alter the system catalogue in
+ order to set up subscriptions and to process alterations
+ (<emphasis>e.g</emphasis> - to run <xref linkend="stmtddlscript"> and
+ other events that may alter the role of replicated tables on the local
+ node).  </para>
+ 
+ <para> However, the connections that &lslon; processes open to other
+ nodes to access events and process subcriptions do not need to have
+ nearly so much permission.  Indeed, one could set up a <quote>weak
+ user</quote> assigned to all <xref linkend="stmtstorepath"> requests.
+ The minimal permissions that this user, let's call it
+ <command>weakuser</command>, requires are as follows:</para>
+ 
+ <itemizedlist>
+ <listitem><para> It must have read access to the &slony1;-specific namespace </para> </listitem>
+ <listitem><para> It must have read access to all tables and sequences in that namespace</para> </listitem>
+ <listitem><para> It must have write access to the &slony1; table <envar>sl_nodelock</envar> and sequence <envar>sl_nodelock_nl_conncnt_seq</envar> </para> </listitem>
+ <listitem><para> At subscribe time, it must have read access to all of the replicated tables. </para> 
+ <para> Outside of subscription time, there is no need for access to access to the replicated tables. </para> </listitem>
+ <listitem><para> There is some need for read access to tables in pg_catalog; it has not been verified how little access would be suitable. </para> </listitem>
+ </itemizedlist>
+ 
+ <para> In version 1.3, the tests in the <xref linkend="testbed">
+ support using a <envar>WEAKUSER</envar> so that testing can regularly
+ confirm the minimal set of permissions needed to support
+ replication.</para>
+ 
+ </listitem>
+ 
  <listitem><para> The section on <link linkend="listenpaths"> listen
  paths </link> discusses the issues surrounding the table <xref