XFOR: Levels of Access for Microsoft Exchange Chat Service (184207)

SUMMARY

The Microsoft Exchange Chat Service implements several new accounts that support a range of access levels for managing chat networks, servers, channels, and users specifically. These accounts and their permissions are as follows:

Windows NT Administrator

This person has administrator permissions on the Windows NT Server computer that runs the Chat Service. The administrator can use the Chat Service Manager or Chatcmd utilities to manage and configure Chat Service on the server. The Windows NT administrator can also use the Chat Web Administrator utility to manage persistent channels, ban chat users, and modify server messages.

Chat Sysop Manager

This person manages a chat server's sysops and controls the Chat Service from the Chat Service Manager or Chatcmd utilities. This gives the sysop manager full administrative control over the service without requiring Windows NT administrator permissions. The sysop manager can also use the Chat Web Administrator utility to manage persistent channels, ban chat users, and modify server messages.

A sysop manager can also temporarily grant or deny access to the server or network. The sysop manager assumes ownership of any channel that the manager joins and cannot be denied access to or removed from any channel. The sysop manager can also override any action enacted by a sysop, such as a user ban.

Chat Sysop

The person monitors and controls a server's dynamic channels from a chat client, and any persistent channels the sysop has been granted access to. A chat sysop has no special permissions in a channel unless the sysop owner option in the Modes property sheet of the channel is selected. A sysop can also close channels using the IRC KILL command or the chatcmd /KillChannel option. Like the chat sysop manager, a chat sysop can temporarily grant or deny access to the server or network and administer dynamic or persistent channels.

Channel Owner

This person owns a channel, manages channel hosts and members, and participates in conversations on that channel from a chat client. In addition to having the ability to do everything that a channel host can do, a channel owner can remove ("kick") channel hosts and other channel owners from a channel. However, like a channel host, a channel owner cannot ban anyone from a channel who uses the host or owner password to join the channel.

NOTE: A channel host manages a channel and its members and can participate in conversations on that channel from a chat client. A channel host can ban users from joining the channel, change the channel topic, and use the IRC KICK command to remove members and other hosts from the channel. However, a channel host cannot remove ("kick") the channel owner from a channel. Also, a channel host cannot ban anyone from a channel who uses the host or owner password to join the channel.

Channel Member

This person participates in channel conversations from a chat client.

Chat User

This person logs on to the Chat Service from a chat client as an authenticated or anonymous user. An authenticated user's identity is verified using a clear-text password, NTLM authentication (Windows NT Challenge\Response), or an SSPI authentication package, such as Distributed Password Authentication (DPA). An anonymous user provides only a nickname, a real name, and an IP address, all of which can be forged.