Access Control Backends

[OmarIthawi]

This is the base access control plugin system. Although it's intended to be used with the Course Access Group app it can be used for other purposes as well.

TODO

• Create the base plugin system
• Manually test the plugin system
• Write tests for the plugin system
• Write some code docs
• Get a quick review
• Get a detailed review

Background

Please do read the full proposal at the edX Discuss. The full design and discussion can be found there.

How to Review?

• Read the Pluggable access control both viewing and enrolling in a course proposal at edX Discuss
• Review the code and tests
• Test it on your devstack:

• Checkout this branch
• Update the lms.env.json to match what's in https://github.com/appsembler/edx-configs/pull/723
• Clone the course-access-groups repository inside the devstack/src directory
• Pip install it from within the LMS: $ pip install -e /edx/src/course-access-groups
• Reload the lms python process to refresh the settings: $ cd devstack; make lms-restart

How to do manual testing on devstack?

• Create a Red.yourlocaldomain microsite
• Create a course with the id course-v1:Red+Red+Red2020
• Create a user in the @example.com domain
• Login with the @example.com user
• The course should disappear from the http://red.yourlocaldomain/courses page
• Logout
• The course should appear again for the anonymous users

Why?

The end goal is to a Course Access Groups backend. This also makes it possible to implement more interesting stuff like soft course deletion.

[johnbaldwin]

@OmarIthawi For review criteria, you request downloading and running tests and trying out the edx-configs settings. Which environment should we use for testing? the new cloud devstack? And how do you suggest incorporating the new edx-configs changes into cloud devstack if that is what we should use for review?

[OmarIthawi]

@OmarIthawi For review criteria, you request downloading and running tests and trying out the edx-configs settings. Which environment should we use for testing? the new cloud devstack? And how do you suggest incorporating the new edx-configs changes into cloud devstack if that is what we should use for review?

Great question @johnbaldwin. Running the tests is no longer a concern because it's being ran on TravisCI as of #479 .

Regarding testing this locally, I didn't use the new devstack (Sultan) because the local devstack on Linux works well, so I might not be able to provide an accurate idea of how the plugins should be installed.

So, perhaps we should just go with a detailed on-GitHub review and then merge and test on staging. What do you think?

[johnbaldwin]

@OmarIthawi Overall loos great! I haven't done a deep review, but I don't see tests for AccessControlBackends methods backends and query. Am I missing something?

Awesome work!

[OmarIthawi]

Thanks @johnbaldwin

I don't see tests for AccessControlBackends methods backends and query. Am I missing something?

I think you missed the second tests file. I've now changed the names so it's less confusing:

1. Tests for the integration with the has_access method: lms/djangoapps/courseware/tests/test_access_control_backends_integration.py

2. Tests the module in detail: lms/lib/tests/test_access_control_backends.py

[johnbaldwin]

'exiting' or 'existing' ?

[johnbaldwin]

@OmarIthawi Was the lms/lib test missing? I now see it. Don't recall seeing it before. Anyway, thanks!

Only thing I saw right now looks like a typo test_query_exiting_backend. Should this be test_query_existing_backend? I commented inline

Otherwise, I don't see any reason not to merge this in and start working with it / proving it

Thanks!

[OmarIthawi]

Thanks @johnbaldwin!

Was the lms/lib test missing? I now see it. Don't recall seeing it before. Anyway, thanks!

It was there 🤷‍♂️

Only thing I saw right now looks like a typo test_query_exiting_backend. Should this be test_query_existing_backend? I commented inline

Good catch. I've corrected it.

Otherwise, I don't see any reason not to merge this in and start working with it / proving it

Will do! Thanks!

cc: @melvinsoft