Record Locking

This document describes how to enable the record locking functionality and how to lock and unlock records.

The record locking functionality allows you to control access on a level between the Data Authority Security and the Field Access Security.

With the record locking functionality, a record can be locked from being edited or deleted in interactive programs and APIs. When a record has been locked options 2='Change' and 4='Delete' are not allowed for any user. The same applies if there is any related option that updates the record. If you try to update or delete a locked record an error message is displayed indicating that the record is locked in the specific program. Automated updates of records, where you have no direct interaction with the record itself, such as batch programs and auto jobs, are exempt from this validation.

Example of situations when it is useful to be able to lock records are when they are connected to an ongoing workflow in ION or a pending e-signature. The functionality could also be used to lock template records that users should not be allowed to change, for example templates for items, suppliers or customers.

Limitations

A maximum of 390 characters can be handled for a key string (KEYS).

Enable record locking functionality

Follow these steps to enable the record locking functionality for a program:

Start 'List and Printer programs. Configure' (CMS005).
Filter on 4-'Record lock possible'.
Find the program you want to enable and select option 2='Change'.
Select the check box 'Enable rec lock' and click 'Next' to save.

Note: Not all programs can be enabled for record locking. If that is the case the program is not found when filtering on 4-'Record lock possible' and the check box is not available.

With filter 5-'Record lock activated' you can search for programs where the functionality has already been activated.

This table shows examples of programs and APIs where the record locking functionality has been implemented:


Program ID	Program name	Table	API
CRS610	Customer. Open	OCUSMA	CRS610MI
CRS620	Supplier. Open	CIDMAS	CRS620MI
CRS624	Supplier. Define Purchase Financial	CIDVEN	CRS620MI
MMS001	Item. Open	MITMAS	MMS200MI
MMS002	Item. Connect Warehouse	MITBAL	MMS200MI
MMS003	Item. Connect Facility	MITFAC	MMS200MI
MMS200	Item. Open Toolbox	-	MMS200MI

Note: The same API can have transactions that update or delete records in other programs or tables than the ones specified in the table and are therefore excluded.

The verification process for locked records added in (MMS200) is performed when you go directly from (MMS200) to a detail panel (for example, the E panel) in (MMS001), (MMS002) or (MMS003), and the record locking functionality has been enabled for the applicable program in (CMS005). This applies even if (MMS200) does not exist in (CMS005) and therefore cannot be enabled there.

Define reason codes

It is mandatory to specify a reason code for every locked record. The reason codes are defined in 'Reason Codes. Open' (CMS432). They are used as a selection criterion, and also in the information message that informs a user why a record is locked from changes.

This table shows the predefined reason codes and their purpose:


Transaction	Purpose
1='Workflow'	For records that are locked by an ongoing workflow in ION.
2='E-signature'	For records that are locked because of a pending e-signature.
3='Manual'	When an exception occurs that requires you to lock a record manually and not as part of an automated process. For this alternative the user ID of the user who locked the record is automatically specified as the external reference connected to the locked record.

There is no built-in automation for workflows or e-signatures, only recommendations of how the reason codes are to be used.

The predefined codes cannot be changed or deleted, but name and description can be specified in alternate languages in 'Language Handling. Open' (CRS830) by clicking 'Language' in (CMS432).

Reason codes 700 - 999 can be user-defined if more alternatives are required.

The records in (CMS432), CERECD table, can also be managed through API CMS432MI (Reason code interface).

Lock and unlock records

Records that should be locked from being edited or deleted are specified in 'Locked Records. Open' (CMS430). Only one record can exist in (CMS430) with the same table and key string, so a record can only be locked once at a time.

Locked records are unlocked by deleting them from (CMS430), as the number of records may otherwise grow over time. If you only want to unlock a record temporarily, the parameter 'Lock' can be set to 0 and then changed back to 1 again. The related options 20='Lock' and 21='Unlock' can be used for this purpose or it can be done using corresponding API transactions.

This table describes the different fields in (CMS430) and how they are used:


Field	Description
Table	The field indicates the name of the table where the locked record is stored.
Key string	The field indicates several key value pairs (field name and a value) which uniquely identify a record in the specified table. In (CMS430) the key values for a record are automatically converted to a key string in URL encoded format, since this is how the key values are stored in the CELOCK table when creating a new locked record.
Reason code	The field indicates the reason why a record is locked and must be specified when creating a locked record. The following alternatives are predefined: 1='Workflow' 2='E-signature' 3='Manual' For alternative 3, the user ID of the person who locked or unlocked the record in the CELOCK table is automatically assigned as the external reference (EXRE). See Define reason codes for more information.
External reference	The field indicates the identity of a reference connected to the locked record. For example, a workflow ID of a workflow started in Infor ION or an e-signature number of an e-signature record. The reference could also be the user ID of the user who locked or unlocked the record in (CMS430) if reason code 3-'Manual' was selected.
Lock	The field indicates if a record is locked from being edited or deleted in the applicable program. 0 = Unlocked 1= Locked Note: The program where this record can be edited must be enabled for record locking in (CMS005) for this parameter to have effect.
Field / Name	The field indicates the name and description of the key fields, which is displayed according to the primary key for the specified table.
Value	The field indicates the key value connected to each key field for a record in the specified table. The values must correspond to an existing record in the specified table to create the record in (CMS430). 'Company' (CONO) is set as default to current company for the logged-on user, if applicable for the table. Guidance of how to specify different type of values: If a value in the key is a date this must be specified in the database format YYYYMMDD. If a value in the key is a decimal field, the decimal separator must be specified as a dot '.'

In (CMS430) manual record locks are specified. For example, to lock template records.

Example – Locking a template

You want to lock a supplier template from being edited or deleted in 'Supplier. Open' (CRS620).

Start (CMS430).
Browse (F4) in the field 'Table' in the list and select table CIDMAS because that is the main table connected to (CRS620).
Select option 1='Create'.
On the E panel, select 3-'Manual' in the 'Reason code' field (if no specific reason code used for templates exists). For reason code 3, the 'External ref' field is left blank, otherwise a reference of your choice can be specified in that field.
Select the ‘Lock’ check box.
Specify the name of your supplier, for example TEMPSUP-US, in the 'Value' field connected to the Field 'IDSUNO'.
Click 'Next' to save and lock the record.

Example – Unlock template

You want to unlock a locked supplier template so it can be edited or deleted.

Start (CMS430).
Locate the record that you want to unlock.
Select option 4='Delete' and click 'Next' to confirm. If you only want a temporary unlocking and still keep the record in (CMS430), select related option 21='Unlock' instead.

Lock and unlock records through API

Locking records is usually done through API in an automated process, for example, a workflow in ION. Steps must then be added to the workflow to lock and unlock the records. The API CMS430MI (Record locking interface) has been created to manage records in (CMS430), for the CELOCK table.

This table shows the transactions available in CMS430MI:


Transaction	Description
AddRecordLock	Adds a locked record
DltMultiRecLock	Deletes multiple records from table CELOCK
DltRecordLock	Deletes a locked record
GetRecordLock	Gets data for a locked record
LstRecordLock	Lists data for locked records
SetLock	Sets a record to locked
SetUnlock	Sets a record to unlocked
UpdRecordLock	Updates data for a locked record

Note: In the API, the key values must be specified in the 'Key string' field as a bookmark key string in URL encoded format UTF-8.

Only one record can exist in the CELOCK table with the same table and key string. But if a record is unlocked (BLOC = 0) this record can be taken over by another external reference and reason code, and set to locked with the 'AddRecordLock' transaction.

We recommend that you clear the CELOCK table from obsolete records on a regular basis. The API transaction 'DltMultiRecLock' has been created for this purpose.

These are descriptions of some of the fields in the transaction and how they are used:

'To change date' is mandatory and records prior or equal to this are deleted.
If 'Table' is not specified, records for all tables are deleted.
If 'Allow delete when blocked from edit' is left blank, only unlocked records (BLOC = 0) are deleted.
If ADWB is set to 1, even locked records (BLOC = 1) are deleted.
The number of deleted transactions is displayed as output for the transaction.