Connectivity check operation

[wenerme]

After build a db instance , there is no guarantee that the configuration is correct, I try to use db.getVersion() as Ping method, but the user don't have the permission, is this require _system access ?

And why these operation need _system access ?

db.getVersion()
db.getAccessibleDatabases()
db.getLogLevel()
db.getUser(properties.getUser()) // Current user

Give me
Response: 401, Error: 11 - not authorized to execute this request

PS: driver version 4.1.10, server version 3.1

[mvollmary]

Yes, generally every db call needs a database as context. The db calls in the class ArangoDB requires the database _system and therefore also a user with permissions to that database.

[wenerme]

So, how can I know which db is accessible by current user ? How to check am I admin user(by access _system ?) ? How to check the connectivity ?

[mvollmary]

To check which dbs are accessible by current user you could make a new connection with a separate user (which has permissions to _system) and call ArangoDB.getAccessibleDatabasesFor(properties.getUser()).

To check connectivity with a user which hasn't permissions to _system in case you now a db which he has permissions to, you could call ArangoDB.db("<db-name>").getInfo().

[wenerme]

If user can access _system, doesn't let user become a root user ?
I don't want to put a root user and app user in single application.That makes permission useless.

[mvollmary]

If a user has access to _system he can change the user permissions and therefore he can give himself access to every other database or simple to * which means access to all databases. So yes, a user with access to _system is a root user.

[wenerme]

That's the problem, non-root user is limited too much, so, dose arangodb suggest to use root user everywhere ?

[mvollmary]

I talked with a colleague about that. There was a misunderstanding of our docu on my side. It is indeed possible to call getVersion or getAccessibleDatabases on another database than _system within our HTTP api. I will changes this in the java driver today.

[mvollmary]

I added the methods getVersion() and getAccessibleDatabases() in the class ArangoDatabase in version 4.1.11-SNAPsHOT. I will release version 4.1.11 within this week.

Usage:

ArangoDB db = new ArangoDB.Builder().build();
db.db("myDB").getVersion();

You still have to know at least one database the current user has access to.

[wenerme]

It's better than nothing, I already config a database for current user, I will treat the getVersion() as the cheapest connection check operation.

[mvollmary]

version 4.1.11 is now available

it includes the methods getVersion() and getAccessibleDatabases() in the class ArangoDatabase