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Common Permission Error Scenarios

Permission errors in TestAuto2 typically manifest in four ways:
  1. Document Access Denied: “You do not have permission to access this document”
  2. Work Item Edit Denied: “You cannot modify this work item due to insufficient permissions”
  3. Risksheet/PowerSheet Loading Errors: Widget loads but shows empty grid or permission warnings
  4. Configuration Access Denied: Cannot view or edit .polarion/nextedy/ configuration files

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Diagnostic Decision Tree

Permission Denied Error
    |
    ├─ Opening Document/Page?
    |   ├─ Check: Project Role Assignment
    |   ├─ Check: Document Space Permissions
    |   └─ Check: Document Workflow State
    |
    ├─ Editing Work Item?
    |   ├─ Check: Work Item Type Permissions
    |   ├─ Check: Workflow Transition Rules
    |   └─ Check: Field-Level Restrictions
    |
    ├─ Loading Risksheet/PowerSheet?
    |   ├─ Check: Widget Execution Permissions
    |   ├─ Check: Underlying Query Permissions
    |   └─ Check: Attachment Access Rights
    |
    └─ Accessing Configuration Files?
        ├─ Check: Project Admin Role
        └─ Check: SVN Repository Permissions

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Step 1: Verify Your Project Role

Your Polarion project role determines your base permissions. Navigate to User Menu → Project Settings → Members. Verify your assigned role:
RoleTypical Permissions
Project AdminFull access: documents, work items, configuration files
Safety EngineerHARA, HAZID, Safety Goals, Risks Space documents
Design EngineerDesign requirements, DFMEA, Design Space documents
V&V EngineerTest cases, verification evidence, Testing Space
Configuration ManagerRequirements, traceability, workflow transitions
StakeholderRead-only access to published documents
If you don’t see your username in the Members list, contact your Project Admin. The TestAuto2 solution requires explicit role assignment — global Polarion permissions are not sufficient.

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Step 2: Check Document-Level Permissions

Each document in TestAuto2 has space-specific and workflow-state permissions. Check document space permissions:
  1. Navigate to the document showing the error
  2. Check the document location (e.g., Risks/HARA_VehicleSystem)
  3. Go to Project Settings → Permissions → Spaces
  4. Verify your role has permissions for that space (Risks, Requirements, Design, Testing, Documentation)
Common space restrictions:
  • Risks Space: Safety Engineer, Project Admin only
  • Requirements Space: All engineering roles (read), Configuration Manager (write)
  • Design Space: Design Engineer, Project Admin
  • Testing Space: V&V Engineer, Project Admin
Documents in “Under Review” or “Approved” workflow states may restrict editing even if you have space permissions. Check the document’s workflow status badge at the top of the page.

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Step 3: Diagnose Work Item Edit Permissions

If you can view but not edit work items within a document: Check work item type permissions:
  1. Open Project Settings → Permissions → Work Items
  2. Find your work item type (e.g., hazard, failureMode, systemRequirement)
  3. Verify your role has “Modify” permission (not just “Read”)
Check workflow transition permissions: Many work items use the Risk Specification Workflow: Users with “Engineer” roles can edit in Draft state but not Approved or Baseline. Only Configuration Managers or Project Admins can modify approved work items.
Work items in “Baseline” workflow state are read-only for ALL users except Project Admins. This is intentional for compliance traceability. Create a new revision if changes are needed.

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Step 4: Troubleshoot Risksheet/PowerSheet Permission Errors

If a risksheet or powersheet widget loads but shows “Permission Denied” or empty data: Check underlying query permissions: Risksheets and PowerSheets execute Lucene queries to load work items. If the query includes work item types or custom fields you cannot access, the widget fails silently.
  1. Open the document in edit mode
  2. View page source (browser DevTools)
  3. Find the risksheet/powersheet widget macro call
  4. Note the query parameter (e.g., type:hazard AND status:open)
  5. Navigate to Work Items → Advanced Search
  6. Paste the query and execute
  7. If you get “Permission Denied” on the search, you lack access to those work item types
Fix: Request permission to the work item types referenced in the query Check attachment access (for risksheet JSON configs): Risksheet configurations are stored as .json attachments to documents. If you cannot read attachments:
  1. Go to Project Settings → Permissions → Documents
  2. Verify your role has “Read Attachments” permission
  3. Request the permission if missing
Risksheet and PowerSheet widgets execute with YOUR user permissions, not the document author’s permissions. This prevents privilege escalation but means you need explicit access to all queried work items.

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Step 5: Verify Configuration File Access

If you receive “Access Denied” when trying to view or edit files in .polarion/nextedy/: Configuration files require Project Admin or specific SVN permissions:
  • RTM Model YAML (.polarion/nextedy/models/*.yaml)
  • Risksheet/PowerSheet Configs (.polarion/nextedy/sheet-configurations/*.yaml)
  • Velocity Macro Library (.polarion/pages/nextedy_solutions.vm)
To check your SVN permissions:
  1. Use Polarion’s built-in SVN browser: Project → Repository Browser
  2. Navigate to .polarion/nextedy/
  3. If you see “403 Forbidden”, contact your Polarion administrator
  4. SVN permissions are managed outside Polarion in the repository access control
Unlike document editing, configuration file access is NOT role-based within Polarion. You must have SVN write access to the project repository, typically granted only to Project Admins and DevOps roles.

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Verification

After resolving permission issues, verify access:
  • Documents: You should see the document content load within 3 seconds (not a red error banner)
  • Work Items: The edit button appears when hovering over fields in risksheet/powersheet grids
  • Risksheet/PowerSheet: Widgets display traffic light indicators, interactive controls, and all configured columns
  • Configuration Files: Repository Browser shows file contents (not “Access Denied” message)

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See Also