Create UMG (User Management Group) for PSU Course

The UMG utility is a good way to manage access to certain Penn State online tools such as protected blogs. For instance, the UMG allows you to connect a protected blog to a course roster which updates itself automatically. Details about UMGs can be found at http://kb.its.psu.edu/node/1010

However, you have to first activate the UMG before it can be used, and while the process is easy, it’s not entirely transparent…so I thought I would blog it.

Activate UMG for a Course

1. Log in to https://umg.its.psu.edu/
2. Click Course Groups on the right.
3. Select an appropriate course from the menu. The menu should be pre-populated with any course in the current semester that you are an instructor of record for.
4. Click Submit and the UMg will be created for you. The UMG will automatically be assigned a name based on campus, course and section numbers (e.g. “umg/course.up.ling497b.001”)

Create Protected Blog

1. Log in to http://blogs.psu.edu and create a blogs following instructions on http://kb.its.psu.edu/article/1315
2. On the Blog creation screen, make sure check the Protected option
3. When you create the protected blog it will be stored in your personal PASS space and only be accessible to you. You will have to link it to the course UMG to give students to view it.

Connect UMG to Protected Blog

1. Log in to https://protected.personal.psu.edu/ or go to https://www.work.psu.edu/, then click Manage Protected Personal Web Space in the left menu.
2. In the Protected Web Space area, click Access Control Manager Wizard in the left menu.
3. On the next screen, click the plus sign next to the blogs folder icon.
4. Click the directory name of your protected blog (e.g. “ling497b”), then click the Next button.
5. Check the option “Restrict access to blogs/… using Access Account userids,” then click the Next button.
6. Check the option “Restrict access to blogs/… using class lists, roles and/or groups.,” then click the Next button.
7. A list of activated UMGs from all semesters will be displayed. The list may also include lists based on your work units. For each course, a UMG for owners and admins will be created alongside the main UMG.
8. Select the appropriate UMG (e.g. “umg/course.up.ling497b.001”) in the left hand text box, then click Add, then click Next). You should see a summary of the permissions for that blog.

Note: Although the roster of the UMG is automatically updated, you can also add grant permission to individual users to a protected blog or UMG by adding user names. The protected blog can also be assigned to individual FPS accounts.