To activate the Portal for ArcGIS software, use an Esri-provided authorization file. The number of named users per membership level that you can add to your portal is limited by this authorization file. If the maximum number of registered members per membership level exceeds your license entitlement, you are no longer in compliance with the license.
Throughout the documentation, within the portal website, and in ArcGIS applications, named users are typically referred to as ArcGIS organizational accounts or members of the ArcGIS organization.
In Portal for ArcGIS, the software enforces the named user licensing model by doing the following:
- Preventing your portal from accepting more ArcGIS organizational accounts than licensed within each membership level
- Disabling access to the portal website for all members without administrator privileges if the portal already has more members than licensed
You can determine the number of members your portal is licensed for and the current number of registered members per membership level by logging in to the portal website as an administrator and accessing the Organization page. This is useful for monitoring portal membership and assessing whether your organization should consider increasing the membership capacity of your portal deployment.
While the number of members allowed in the organization is limited by your authorization file, an unlimited number of users can use your portal without membership. To learn more about the added privileges and functionality that accessing a portal as a member of the ArcGIS organization provides, see Understanding access privileges.
If you are not in compliance with your licensing, the following occurs:
- Accessing the portal website with an account that has administrative privileges displays the membership level that has been exceeded with red text indicating the number of registered members per membership level. This indication is displayed each time the portal website is accessed by an administrator.
- Accessing the portal website, the ArcGIS Portal Directory, and the portal through ArcGIS Desktop with a non-administrative account displays a sign-in error message stating the member cannot sign in to the portal because of a software authorization error. The member is directed to contact the portal administrator for assistance. The member cannot access the portal until the software authorization error is resolved.
- New member accounts cannot be created through the portal website or the ArcGIS Portal Directory. If a user attempts to create a member account, an error message displays stating the account could not be created because of a software authorization error. The user is directed to contact the portal administrator for assistance.
Reaching capacity within membership levels
Beginning at 10.5, Portal for ArcGIS administrators can leverage two membership levels when assigning organizational roles and privileges to members.
In the event where a level 1 member requests additional privileges while membership is at capacity for both membership levels, the portal administrator will need to do the following to accommodate the request while maintaining portal access for all members:
- Temporarily demote another registered member from level 2 to level 1 in order to accommodate the request and promote the level 1 member to level 2.
An ArcGIS organization is authorized and currently at capacity for a total membership of 30 members (named users). Of those, (25) are designated and currently used as level 1 named users and (5) are designated and currently used as level 2 named users. While at capacity, the portal administrator receives an urgent request from a level 1 member whom requires temporary access to create content. In order to handle this request, the administrator will need to complete the following steps to ensure portal access for her members is maintained:
- Identify another level 2 member whom can be demoted temporarily to accommodate the level 1 member's urgent request for additional privileges.
- After logging in to the portal website with an administrator account, click the action button
and Change Member Level in the row of the member whose privileges will be temporarily demoted. - Change the membership level for the selected member to Level 1 and click Change Member Level.
- Change the membership level for the member whom has requested additional privileges to Level 2.
- Once the privileges are no longer needed for the urgent request, both members can be returned to their original status.
Caution:
The maximum value for membership level 1 can be exceeded by 1 member at a given time. Membership in level 2 cannot be exceeded.