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Last updated: September 14, 2026tiCrypt 2.17.9

Groups and Access Control

A VM group is a set of users inside a running virtual machine, and an access directory is a folder whose contents are governed by an access control list. Groups say who people are; access directories say what those people can reach. Together they are how a VM Owner subdivides a machine so that several people can work on it without all seeing the same data.

An access directory is not a separate kind of storage. It is an ACL applied to a directory on a read-write drive, scoping which users and groups on the VM can read or write inside it. The data stays where it is; what changes is who can reach it.

Why groups exist alongside VM roles​

Roles decide authority; groups decide reach. A VM role (Owner, Co-Owner, Manager, User) determines what someone can administer. It does not by itself determine which files they can open. A user with the plain User role has access governed entirely by their group membership and the access directories configured on the machine.

This is how one machine serves several collaborators. Without groups, sharing a VM would mean sharing everything mounted on it. Access directories let an Owner give a statistician the de-identified extract and nothing else, on the same machine, without provisioning a second VM and a second copy of the data.

Access control list templates make the arrangement repeatable. A template captures a directory layout and its permissions so the same structure can be applied to another machine, rather than rebuilt by hand each time a new VM is started from the same configuration.

Before you begin​

  • The VM is running and you are its Owner, or a Co-Owner or Manager with group permissions.
  • The users you intend to add already exist in the VM. See VM User Management.

Create a Group in a Virtual Machine​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to create a VM group.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Groups section in the left panel.
  6. Click the Create group button in the top right panel.
  7. In the pop-up, enter the group name.
  8. Click Create group.

Sync Multiple Groups in a Virtual Machine​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to sync its VM groups.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Groups section in the left panel.
  6. Click the Sync all groups button in the top right panel.
note

Syncing groups created by other admins helps you configure VM access for multiple users at once.

Add Members to a Virtual Machine Group​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose group you want to add members to.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Groups section in the left panel.
  6. Select the existing group to add new members.
  7. Click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  8. Select Edit membership.
  9. In the prompt, enter the user names to add to the group.
  10. Click Update membership.
info

You can only add members who belong to the virtual machine.

tip

If you accidentally add a user to the virtual machine group, click Undo to reverse the action.

Remove Members from a Virtual Machine Group​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose group you want to remove members from.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Groups section in the left panel.
  6. Select the existing group to remove its members.
  7. Click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  8. Select Edit membership.
  9. In the prompt, click Delete next to the user names you want to remove.
  10. Click Update membership.
caution

Removing a user from a virtual machine group does not revoke their access to the virtual machine.

Open Access Control List Templates in a Virtual Machine​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose access control list templates you want to view.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. View the access control list templates.

Create an Access Control List Template in a Virtual Machine​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine for which you want to create access control list templates.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. Click the Add ACL template button in the top right panel.
  7. In the pop-up, enter the ACL name and optional description.
  8. Select the appropriate permissions.
  9. Click Save.

Import an Access Control List Template from an Existing Virtual Machine​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine for which you want to import access control list templates.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. Click the Add ACL template button in the top right panel.
  7. In the pop-up, tick Import templates from same or other VM.
  8. Next, select an existing ACL template from the list.
  9. Update the ACL name, description and permissions.
  10. Click Save.
note

Importing an ACL template helps you create similar templates quickly.

Edit an Access Control List Template in a Virtual Machine​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose access control list templates you want to edit.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access control list template to edit.
  7. Click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  8. Select Edit.
  9. In the pop-up, edit the access control list template name and optional description.
  10. Click Save.

View Details of Access Control List Templates in a Virtual Machine​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose access control list templates you want to view.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access control list template to view.
  7. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  8. In the new window, view the name, description and built-in status of the access control list template.

Refresh Details of Access Control List Templates in a Virtual Machine​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose access control list templates you want to refresh.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access control list template to refresh.
  7. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  8. In the new window, click the Refresh button in the top right panel.

Replace Access Control List Templates in Virtual Machines​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose access control list templates you want to replace.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access control list template you want to replace.
  7. Click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  8. Select Replace ACL Template.
  9. In the prompt, select the Read-write, Read-only, or Full control option.
  10. Click Replace.
note
  • Your ACL template must have at least one access directory to replace another ACL template.
  • Replacing ACL templates allows you to change permissions consistently across all access directories using a similar ACL template. This helps you make changes at scale.

Delete Access Control List Templates in a Virtual Machine​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine whose access control list templates you want to delete.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access Control List (ACL) templates section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access control list template to delete.
  7. Click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  8. Select Delete ACL template.
  9. In the prompt, type "Delete" followed by the name of the access control list.
  10. Click Delete.

View an Access Directory for a Virtual Machine Group​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to view the access directory.
  4. Next, click the Access Directories button.
  5. In the new window, select the access directory to view.
  6. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  7. In the new window, view the access directory's basic information, owner, and group.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Access Directories Button is Inactive in Virtual Machine

The Access Directories button is inactive in Virtual Machines' right panel.

Ask Access Directories Permissions from VM Owner

Ask the VM owner to allow you to open the VM access directories.



To Virtual Machine Owner
To grant VM users permissions to VM access directories:  
  1. In the VMs section, click the virtual machine where you want to update a user's access directory permissions.
  2. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  3. In the new window, select the Users section in the left panel.
  4. Next, select the appropriate user, then click the Open full menu button in the top-right panel.
  5. Select Edit user access.
  6. In the pop-up, set the profile to Custom.
  7. Scroll down under Permissions, and tick Access Directories View access directories.
  8. Click Save.
Failed to Look Up Drive in Access Directory

Failed to look up drive name:insufficient permissions: drives:list:missing permissions: {PermDrives}

Ask Drive Permissions from Your Admin

Ask the VM owner to allow you to view drives.



To Virtual Machine Owner
To grant VM users permissions to VM access directories:  
  1. In the VMs section, click the virtual machine where you want to update a user's access directory permissions.
  2. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  3. In the new window, select the Users section in the left panel.
  4. Next, select the appropriate user, then click the Open full menu button in the top-right panel.
  5. Select Edit user access.
  6. In the pop-up, set the profile to Custom.
  7. Scroll down under Permissions, and tick Access Directories View access directories.
  8. Click Save.

Refresh Access Directory Data for a Virtual Machine Group​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to view the access directory.
  4. Next, click the Access Directories button.
  5. In the new window, select the access directory whose data you want to refresh.
  6. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  7. In the new window, click the Refresh button in the top right panel.

Repair Permissions in an Access Directory for a Virtual Machine Group​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to view the access directory.
  4. Next, click the Access Directories button.
  5. In the new window, select the access directory whose permissions you want to repair.
  6. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  7. In the new window, click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  8. Select Repair Permissions.
note

The Repair Permissions option only displays when there is an issue with permissions in the access directory.

Create an Access Directory for a Virtual Machine Group​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to create an access directory in.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access directories section in the left panel.
  6. Click Create access directory in the top right panel.
  7. In the prompt, select the access directory location.
  8. Next, enter the directory name and owner.
  9. Optionally, for Windows and Linux OS, enter the user and group permissions associated with the access control list.
  10. Click Create.
info

To create a new group for the access directory from scratch, click the Create new group button in the prompt.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Created Access Directory Successfully

Created access directory.

Failed to Enter Access Directory Name

You must enter a name.

Enter Access Directory Name

Enter the access directory name in the Name field.

Failed to Select an Access Directory Owner

You must select an owner.

Select an Access Directory Owner

Under the Owner field, select an access directory owner.

Failed to Select an ACL Template

ACL template not selected.

Select an ACL Template

Under the Users and/or Groups field, select an access control list template if needed.

Failed to Create Access Directory

Failed to create access directory: [restricted-action]: action is restricted: accessDirectories:create.

Ask an Owner, Co-Owner, or Manager to Create the Access Directory

restricted-action means your account is not permitted to perform accessDirectories:create on this VM. It is a permissions error rather than a problem with the drive you selected.



An access directory can be created by any Owner, Co-Owner, or Manager on the VM who holds the permission to manage access directories.



To Owner, Co-Owner, or Manager
Create the access directory and add the user to a group that reaches it, or grant them the permission to manage access directories on this VM.

Sync All Permissions for Access Directories in a Virtual Machine​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to sync its access directory permissions.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access directories section in the left panel.
  6. Click Sync all permissions in the top right panel.
Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Created Access Directory Successfully

Sync permissions for access-directory-name (total-syncing-time).

Edit an Access Directory for a Virtual Machine Group​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to edit its access directory.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access directories section in the left panel.
  6. Click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  7. Select Edit access directory.
  8. In the prompt, update the directory name and owner.
  9. Optionally, for Windows and Linux OS, enter the user and group permissions associated with the access control list.
  10. Click Update.
note

You cannot edit your Home access directory.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Created Access Directory Successfully

Update access directory access-directory-name (total-updating-time).

Refresh Access Directory Data for a Virtual Machine Group​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to refresh its access directory.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access directories section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access directory whose data you want to refresh.
  7. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  8. In the new window, click the Refresh button in the top right corner.

Repair Permissions in an Access Directory for a Virtual Machine Group​

bulk-action

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to repair its access directory.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access directories section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access directory whose data you want to repair.
  7. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  8. In the new window, click the Repair Permissions button in the top right corner.

Delete an Access Directory for a Virtual Machine Group​

Method One​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to delete its access directory.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access directories section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access directory you want to delete.
  7. Click the Open Full Menu button in the top right panel.
  8. Select Remove access directory.

Method Two​

  1. Go to the Virtual Machines icon in the top left taskbar.
  2. Click the VMs section on the top left panel.
  3. In the left panel, click the virtual machine to delete its access directory.
  4. Click the VM Settings and Details option in the bottom center.
  5. In the new window, click the Access directories section in the left panel.
  6. Select the access directory you want to delete.
  7. Click the View button in the top right panel.
  8. In the new window, click Delete in the top right panel.
  9. In the pop-up, click Delete access directory.
caution

When you delete an access directory, all its members lose access to it until you create another access directory. You cannot delete your Home access directory.

Confirmations, Errors & Solutions
Created Access Directory Successfully

Delete total-number-of-access-directories access directories (total-deletion-time).