Using account aliases for NT

If a user has multiple accounts in Crystal Enterprise, you can link them using the assign alias feature. This is useful when you are aware of a user who has an NT account mapped to Enterprise and an Enterprise account. By using an alias, the user is able to use either an NT user name and password or an Enterprise user name and password to log on. Thus, an alias enables a user to log on via more than one authentication type.

You can also reassign an alias in Crystal Enterprise. For example, when you map your NT accounts to Crystal Enterprise, if an alias is auto-mapped incorrectly, you can use the Reassign Alias feature to update the mapped account information. This occurs when the NT user name is different from the Enterprise account user name; that is, if a user has the name "Test User 1" in NT and the name "1234 User Test" in Crystal Enterprise, the auto-mapping feature (when you map your NT account to Crystal Enterprise) will not assign "Test User 1" the "1234 User Test" alias. This scenario only occurs when you choose the "Assign each added NT alias to an account with the same name" option when you map your NT accounts to Crystal Enterprise.

This section describes how to assign an NT alias, reassign an NT alias, and view alias information.

To assign an NT alias

1. Go to the Users management area of the CMC.
2. Select the user you want to create an alias for.
3. Click the Assign Alias button.
4. Select the appropriate NT alias or aliases.
5. Click the > arrow.

   Tip:    

   • To select multiple users, use the SHIFT+click or CTRL+click combination.
   • To search for a specific user, use the Look For field.
   • If there are many users on your system, click the Previous and Next buttons to navigate through the list of users.
6. Click OK.

   Note:    If the user you choose from the Available aliases list has only one assigned alias, you will receive a message asking you to confirm that you wish to continue. By continuing, the user's account will be deleted.

   The Properties tab appears with the new alias listed. By default, NT, LDAP, AD, and Enterprise authentication methods are available.

To reassign an NT alias

1. Go to the Users management area of the CMC.
2. Select the user whose alias you would like to change.
3. Click the Reassign Alias button.

   Note:    If there is only one alias for the user, you will receive a message asking you to confirm that you wish to continue.

4. Click either Assign the Alias to a new user or select an existing user.

   Note:    

   • If you choose to assign the alias to a different user, and the original user has only one NT alias and does not have other aliases, the user's account and original favorites folder will be deleted. As a result, the user will not be able to access any reports that used to be in the original favorites folder.
   • When you assign an alias, you are moving an alias to the current user; when you reassign an alias, you are moving the alias away from the current user.

   Tip:    

   • To select multiple users, use the SHIFT+click or CTRL+click combination.
   • To search for a specific user, use the Look For field.
   • If there are many users on your system, click the Previous and Next buttons to navigate through the list of users.
5. Click OK.

To view alias information

1. In the Account Management area, click Users.
2. Select the user whose alias information you would like to view.

   The bottom portion of the properties page contains the alias information. A user can have any combination of Crystal Enterprise aliases, NT aliases, LDAP aliases, or AD aliases. A Crystal Enterprise alias is generated when a new account is created. An NT alias is created when users are mapped from NT to Crystal Enterprise. Users will have both a Crystal Enterprise alias and an NT alias when their NT accounts have been assigned to a Crystal Enterprise user.