Roles

Couchbase roles each have a fixed association with a set of one or more privileges. Each privilege is associated with a resource. Privileges are actions such as Read, Write, Execute, Manage, Flush, and List; or a combination of some or all of these.

Roles are of the following kinds:

When a user (meaning either an administrator or an application) attempts to access a resource, they must authenticate. The roles and privileges associated with the user-credentials thereby presented are checked by Couchbase Server. If the associated roles contain privileges that support the kind of access that is being attempted, access is granted; otherwise, it is denied.

The Full Admin role (an Administrative role) supports full access to all Couchbase-Server features and resources, including those of security. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, and allows the reading and writing of bucket-data.

This role is also available in Couchbase Server Community Edition.

The Cluster Admin role (an Administrative role) allows the management of all cluster features except security. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, but does not permit the writing of data.

The Local User Security Admin role (an Administrative role) allows the management of local user roles and the reading of all cluster statistics. The role does not permit the granting of the Full Admin, the Read-Only Admin, the Local User Security Admin, or the External User Security Admin role; and does not permit the administrator to change their own role (which therefore remains Local User Security Admin). The role supports access to Couchbase Web Console, but does not support the reading of data.

The External User Security Admin role (an Administrative role) allows the management of external user roles and the reading of all cluster statistics. The role does not permit the granting of the Full Admin, the Read-Only Admin, the Local User Security Admin, or the External User Security Admin role; and does not permit the administrator to change their own role (which therefore remains External User Security Admin). The role supports access to Couchbase Web Console, but does not support the reading of data.

The Read-Only Admin role (an Administrative role) supports the reading of Couchbase Server statistics. This information includes registered usernames with roles and authentication domains, but excludes passwords. Since Couchbase Server version 7.6.2, users with this role can also read Backup Service data to monitor backup plans and tasks. The role allows access to Couchbase Server Web Console.

This role is also available in Couchbase Server Community Edition.

The External Stats Reader role (an Administrative role) grants access to the /metrics and /prometheus_sd_config endpoints for Prometheus integration. All statistics for all services can be read. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console.

The XDCR Admin role (an XDCR role) allows use of XDCR features, to create cluster references and replication streams. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console and allows the reading of data.

The Query Curl Access role (a Query & Index role) allows the SQL++ CURL function to be executed by an externally authenticated user. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data, other than that returned by the SQL++ CURL function.

Note that the Query Curl Access role should be assigned with caution, since it entails risk: CURL runs within the local Couchbase Server network; therefore, the assignee of the Query Curl Access role is permitted to run GET and POST requests on the internal network, while being themselves externally located.

For an account of limitations on CURL, see CURL Function.

In versions of Couchbase Server prior to 5.5, this role was referred to as Query External Access.

The Query System Catalog role (a Query & Index role) allows information to be looked up by means of SQL++ in the system catalog: this includes system:indexes, system:prepareds, and tables listing current and past queries. This role is designed for troubleshooters, who need to debug queries. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, but does not permit the reading of bucket-items.

The Manage Global Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows global SQL++ functions to be managed. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Execute Global Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows global SQL++ functions to be executed. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Manage Scope Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows SQL++ and user defined functions to be managed for a given scope, given corresponding specification of bucket. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Execute Scope Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows SQL++ and user defined functions to be executed for a given scope, given corresponding specification of bucket. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Manage Global External Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows global external language functions to be managed. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Execute Global External Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows global SQL++ functions to be executed. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Manage Scope External Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows external language functions to be managed for a given scope, given corresponding specification of bucket. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Execute Scope External Functions role (a Query & Index role) allows external language functions to be executed for a given scope, given corresponding specification of bucket. The user can access Couchbase Web Console, but cannot read data.

The Analytics Reader role (an Analytics role) allows querying of shadow data-sets. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, and permits the reading of data.

The Analytics Admin role (an Analytics role) allows management of dataverses; management of all Analytics Service links; and management of all datasets. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, but does not permit the reading of data.

The Bucket Admin role (which is a Bucket role) allows the management of all per bucket features (including starting and stopping XDCR). The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, but does not permit the reading or writing of data.

The Manage Scopes role (a Bucket role) allows the creation and deletion of scopes, and the creation and deletion of collections per scope, given the corresponding specification of bucket. The role allows no access to data, and does not permit access to Couchbase Web Console. The role is intended for application use only.

The Application Access role (a Bucket role) provides read and write access to data, per bucket. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console: it is intended for applications, rather than users. Note that this role is also available in the Community Edition of Couchbase Server.

The role is provided in support of buckets that were created on versions of Couchbase Server prior to 5.0. Such buckets were accessed by specifying bucket-name and bucket-password: however, bucket-passwords are not recognized by Couchbase Server 5.0 and after. Therefore, for each pre-existing bucket, the upgrade-process for 5.0 and after creates a new user, whose username is identical to the bucket-name; and whose password is identical to the former bucket-password, if one existed. If no bucket-password existed, the user is created with no password. This migration-process allows the same name-combination as before to be used in authentication. To ensure backwards compatibility, each system-created user is assigned the Application Access role, which authorizes the same read-write access to bucket-data as was granted before 5.0.

Use of the Application Access role is deprecated for buckets created on Couchbase Server 5.0 and after: use the other bucket-access roles provided. Note that in versions of Couchbase Server prior to 5.5, this role was referred to as Bucket Full Access.

The XDCR Inbound role (which is an XDCR role) allows the creation of inbound XDCR streams, per bucket. It does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console, and does not permit the reading of data.

In versions of Couchbase Server prior to 5.5, this role was referred to as Replication Target.

The Sync Gateway role (which is a Mobile role) allows full access to data per bucket, as required by Sync Gateway. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console. The user can, by means of Sync Gateway, read and write data, manage indexes and views, and read some cluster information.

The Sync Gateway Architect role (which is a Mobile role) allows management of Sync Gateway databases; and of Sync Gateway users and roles; and allows access to Sync Gateway’s /metrics endpoint. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console; and does not allow reading of application data. For information on Sync Gateway users and roles, see Access Control Concepts.

The Sync Gateway Application role (which is a Mobile role) allows management of Sync Gateway users and roles; and allows application data to be read and written through Sync Gateway. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console. For information on Sync Gateway users and roles, see Access Control Concepts.

The Sync Gateway Application Read Only role (which is a Mobile role) allows reading of Sync Gateway users and roles; and allows application data to be read through Sync Gateway. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console. For information on Sync Gateway users and roles, see Access Control Concepts.

The Sync Gateway Replicator role (which is a Mobile role) allows management of Sync Gateway replications. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console.

The Sync Gateway Dev Ops role (which is a Mobile role) allows management of Sync Gateway node-level configuration; and allows access to Syn Gateway’s /metrics endpoint, for Prometheus integration. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console.

The Data Reader role (which is a Data role) allows data to be read per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. Note that the role does not permit the running of SQL++ queries (such as SELECT) against data. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console: it is intended to support applications, rather than users.

The Data Writer role (which is a Data role) allows data to be written per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console: it is intended to support applications, rather than users.

The Data DCP Reader role (which is a Data role) allows DCP streams to be initiated per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console: it is intended to support applications, rather than users. The role does allow the reading of data.

The Data Backup & Restore role (which is a Data role) allows data to be backed up and restored, per bucket. The role supports the reading of data. The role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console: it is intended to support applications, rather than users.

The privileges represented in this table are, from left to right, Read, Write, Execute, Manage, Select, Backup, Create, List, and Build.

The Data Monitor role (which is a Data role) allows statistics to be read for a given bucket, scope, or collection. It does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console, and does not permit the reading of data. This role is intended to support application-access, rather than user-access.

In versions of Couchbase Server prior to 5.5, this role was referred to as Data Monitoring.

The Views Admin role (which is a Views role) allows the management of views, per bucket. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console.

The Views Reader role (which is an Administrative role) allows data to be read from views, per bucket. This role does not allow access to Couchbase Web Console, and is intended to support applications, rather than users.

The Query Select role (which is a Query & Index role) allows the SELECT statement to be executed per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. This role allows access to Couchbase Web Console; it also supports the reading of data, and of bucket settings.

The Query Update role (which is a Query & Index role) allows the UPDATE statement to be executed per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. The role supports access to Couchbase Web Console, and allows the writing (but not the reading) of data. It allows the reading of bucket settings.

The Query Insert role (which is a Query & Index role) allows the INSERT statement to be executed per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. The role supports access to Couchbase Web Console, and allows the writing (but not the reading) of data. It allows the reading of bucket settings.

The Query Delete role (which is a Query & Index role) allows the DELETE statement to be executed per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. The role supports access to Couchbase Server Web Console, and allows the deletion of data. It allows the reading of bucket settings.

The Query Use Sequential Scan role, located under Query & Index in the Web Console’s roles list, allows users' queries to perform a sequential scan of a keyspace. The query planner only decides to use a sequential scan when there is no suitable index for the keyspace. Only queries by users with this role can use a sequential scan to access data because scanning a large unindexed keyspace can be expensive. This role does not grant the user the ability to read or mutate data or access to the Web Console. Administrators' queries automatically have permission to perform sequential scans when necessary.

The Query Manage Index role (which is a Query & Index role) allows indexes to be managed per collection, given corresponding specifications for bucket and scope. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, but does not permit the reading of data.

The Eventing Full Admin role (which is an Eventing role) allows creation and management of eventing functions. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console.

The Manage Scope Functions role (which is an Eventing role) allows eventing functions for a given scope to be managed. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console.

The Backup Full Admin role (which is a Backup role) allows performance of backup-related tasks. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console.

The Search Admin role (which is a Search role) allows management of all features of the Search Service, per bucket. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console.

In versions of Couchbase Server prior to 5.5, this role was referred to as FTS Admin.

The role Search Reader (which is a Search role) allows Full Text Search indexes to be searched for bucket, scope, and collection. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, and supports the reading of data.

In versions of Couchbase Server prior to 5.5, this role was referred to as FTS Searcher.

The Analytics Select role (which is an Analytics role) allows the querying of datasets for bucket, scope. and collection. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, and permits the reading of some data.

The Analytics Manager role (which is an Analytics role) allows the management and querying of datasets created per bucket; and the management of Analytics Service local links. The role allows access to Couchbase Web Console, and permits the reading of some data.