DevExpress XAF — Security System

The XAF Security System provides role-based access control with type-, object-, and member-level permissions, multiple authentication methods, and audit trail capabilities. EF Core is the recommended ORM; all examples default to EF Core patterns. XPO equivalents are noted where they differ.

Prerequisites & Installation

NuGet Packages

Package	Purpose	Project
DevExpress.ExpressApp.Security	SecurityStrategy, SecurityModule, authentication providers, IsGrantedExtensions, SecurityOperations	MySolution.Module
DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.EF	PermissionPolicyRole, PermissionPolicyUser, ApplicationUser, ApplicationUserLoginInfo (EF Core)	MySolution.Module
DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.Xpo	PermissionPolicyRole, PermissionPolicyUser (XPO)	MySolution.Module (XPO only)
DevExpress.ExpressApp.EFCore	Secured EF Core object space (.AddSecuredEFCore())	MySolution.Blazor.Server / MySolution.Win
DevExpress.ExpressApp.Xpo	Secured XPO object space (.AddSecuredXpo())	MySolution.Blazor.Server / MySolution.Win (XPO only)

Security Registration

Blazor — MySolution.Blazor.Server\Startup.cs:

using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Security;
using DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.EF.PermissionPolicy;

services.AddXaf(Configuration, builder => {
    builder.ObjectSpaceProviders
        .AddSecuredEFCore()  // Use instead of .AddEFCore() when security is enabled
        .WithDbContext<MySolutionEFCoreDbContext>((serviceProvider, options) => {
            options.UseSqlServer(connectionString);
            options.UseChangeTrackingProxies();
            options.UseObjectSpaceLinkProxies();
        })
        .AddNonPersistent();

    builder.Security
        .UseIntegratedMode(options => {
            options.RoleType = typeof(PermissionPolicyRole);
            options.UserType = typeof(ApplicationUser);
            options.UserLoginInfoType = typeof(ApplicationUserLoginInfo);
        })
        .AddPasswordAuthentication(options => {
            options.IsSupportChangePassword = true;
        });
});

WinForms — MySolution.Win\Startup.cs: same pattern with builder.Security.UseIntegratedMode(...).

For XPO, use .AddSecuredXpo() instead of .AddSecuredEFCore().

EF Core DbContext Registration

Add security-related DbSet entries — MySolution.Module\BusinessObjects\MySolutionEFCoreDbContext.cs:

public DbSet<PermissionPolicyRole> Roles { get; set; }
public DbSet<ApplicationUser> Users { get; set; }
public DbSet<ApplicationUserLoginInfo> UserLoginInfos { get; set; }

Seed Users and Roles

Create default admin/user roles in MySolution.Module\DatabaseUpdate\Updater.cs via UpdateDatabaseAfterUpdateSchema().

---

Security Architecture Overview

Security System
├── Authentication          — WHO is the user?
│   ├── Standard (password)
│   ├── Windows (Active Directory)
│   ├── OAuth2 (Google, Azure, GitHub, etc.)
│   └── Custom
├── Authorization            — WHAT can they do?
│   ├── Permission Policy    — default allow/deny behavior
│   ├── Type Permissions     — CRUD on entire types
│   ├── Object Permissions   — CRUD on objects matching criteria
│   ├── Member Permissions   — CRUD on specific properties
│   ├── Navigation Permissions — show/hide nav items
│   └── Action Permissions   — deny specific Actions
└── Security Tiers
    ├── Integrated Mode      — security in same process
    ├── Middle Tier           — separate security server
    └── UI Level (legacy)    — client-side only

---

Configuring Security in Startup

Refer to references/security-setup.md

When you need to:

• Configure UseIntegratedMode with RoleType, UserType, and UserLoginInfoType in Blazor or WinForms
• Add password authentication via AddPasswordAuthentication
• Add Windows authentication for domain/intranet scenarios
• Configure OAuth2 providers with ClientId, ClientSecret, callback path, and scopes
• Set up authentication middleware (UseAuthentication / UseAuthorization)
• Register security-related DbSet entries in an EF Core DbContext

builder.Security
    .UseIntegratedMode(options => {
        options.RoleType = typeof(PermissionPolicyRole);
        options.UserType = typeof(ApplicationUser);
        options.UserLoginInfoType = typeof(ApplicationUserLoginInfo); // EF Core path
    })
    .AddPasswordAuthentication(options => {
        options.IsSupportChangePassword = true;
    })
    .AddWindowsAuthentication(options => {
        options.CreateUserAutomatically();
    });

For XPO integrated setup, configure RoleType and UserType without UserLoginInfoType.

---

Security Object Model

User & Role Types

ORM	User Type	Role Type
EF Core	DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.EF.PermissionPolicy.PermissionPolicyUser	DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.EF.PermissionPolicy.PermissionPolicyRole
XPO	DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.PermissionPolicy.PermissionPolicyUser	DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.PermissionPolicy.PermissionPolicyRole

Template Kit generates ApplicationUser extending PermissionPolicyUser and implementing ISecurityUserWithLoginInfo (for multi-provider auth support).

Required EF Core DbContext Sets

public DbSet<ApplicationUser> Users { get; set; }
public DbSet<ApplicationUserLoginInfo> UserLoginInfos { get; set; }
public DbSet<PermissionPolicyRole> Roles { get; set; }
public DbSet<ModelDifference> ModelDifferences { get; set; }
public DbSet<ModelDifferenceAspect> ModelDifferenceAspects { get; set; }

Missing these sets causes runtime failures or incomplete security behavior.

EF Core vs XPO Notes

• EF Core: ApplicationUser + ApplicationUserLoginInfo are mapped in DbContext.
• XPO: ApplicationUser extends PermissionPolicyUser; exported persistent types are registered in module type export methods.
• Owner bypass API exists in both ORMs (SetPropertyValueWithSecurityBypass), with SecuredPropertySetter static fallback for non-BaseObject entities.

Permission Policy

Set on each role via IPermissionPolicyRole.PermissionPolicy:

Policy	Behavior
SecurityPermissionPolicy.DenyAllByDefault	Everything denied unless explicitly allowed
SecurityPermissionPolicy.AllowAllByDefault	Everything allowed unless explicitly denied
SecurityPermissionPolicy.ReadOnlyAllByDefault	Read allowed, write denied unless explicitly allowed

Priority order (highest to lowest):

1. Object Permission
2. Member Permission
3. Type Permission
4. Role's Permission Policy (default)

Most specific permission wins when rules conflict.

---

Creating Predefined Users, Roles & Permissions

Refer to references/users-roles-permissions.md

When you need to:

• Create an administrative user with SetPassword and CreateUserLoginInfo in Updater.cs
• Create a non-administrative role with PermissionPolicy, type/object/member/navigation permissions
• Guard against duplicates with FirstOrDefault/FindObject before create
• Understand the CommitChanges → CreateUserLoginInfo ordering requirement

var adminRole = ObjectSpace.FirstOrDefault<PermissionPolicyRole>(r => r.Name == "Administrators");
if (adminRole == null) {
    adminRole = ObjectSpace.CreateObject<PermissionPolicyRole>();
    adminRole.Name = "Administrators";
    adminRole.PermissionPolicy = SecurityPermissionPolicy.DenyAllByDefault;
    adminRole.IsAdministrative = true;
}

var adminUser = ObjectSpace.FirstOrDefault<ApplicationUser>(u => u.UserName == "admin");
if (adminUser == null) {
    adminUser = ObjectSpace.CreateObject<ApplicationUser>();
    adminUser.UserName = "admin";
    adminUser.SetPassword("ChangeMe123$");
    ObjectSpace.CommitChanges();
    ((ISecurityUserWithLoginInfo)adminUser).CreateUserLoginInfo(
        SecurityDefaults.PasswordAuthentication,
        ObjectSpace.GetKeyValueAsString(adminUser));
}

adminUser.Roles.Add(adminRole);
ObjectSpace.CommitChanges();

SecurityOperations Constants

Constant	Value
SecurityOperations.Read	"Read"
SecurityOperations.Write	"Write"
SecurityOperations.Create	"Create"
SecurityOperations.Delete	"Delete"
SecurityOperations.Navigate	"Navigate"
SecurityOperations.ReadWriteAccess	"Read;Write"
SecurityOperations.FullAccess	"Create;Read;Write;Delete;Navigate"
SecurityOperations.CRUDAccess	"Create;Read;Write;Delete"
SecurityOperations.ReadOnlyAccess	"Read;Navigate"

---

Permission API Methods

Refer to references/permission-api.md

When you need to:

• Add type-level permissions with AddTypePermission<T> or SetTypePermission<T>
• Add object-level permissions with criteria strings (AddObjectPermission) or lambdas (AddObjectPermissionFromLambda)
• Add member-level permissions with AddMemberPermission (semicolon-separated member names) or AddMemberPermissionFromLambda
• Add navigation permissions with AddNavigationPermission

SecurityPermissionState.Allow grants access, SecurityPermissionState.Deny blocks access.

role.AddTypePermission<Order>(SecurityOperations.CRUDAccess, SecurityPermissionState.Allow);
role.AddObjectPermission<Order>(SecurityOperations.ReadOnlyAccess, "[AssignedTo] = CurrentUserId()", SecurityPermissionState.Allow);
role.AddObjectPermissionFromLambda<Order>(SecurityOperations.ReadOnlyAccess, o => o.AssignedTo.ID == (Guid)CurrentUserIdOperator.CurrentUserId(), SecurityPermissionState.Allow);
role.AddMemberPermission<Employee>(SecurityOperations.ReadWriteAccess, "Salary;PerformanceRating", null, SecurityPermissionState.Allow);
role.AddMemberPermissionFromLambda<Employee>(SecurityOperations.Read, nameof(Employee.LastName), e => e.Department != null, SecurityPermissionState.Allow);
role.AddNavigationPermission(@"Application/NavigationItems/Items/Reporting", SecurityPermissionState.Deny);

---

Getting the Current User & Checking Permissions

Refer to references/current-user-and-checks.md

When you need to:

• Get the current user in a Controller via SecuritySystem.CurrentUser
• Get the current user via DI with ISecurityProvider in Blazor services
• Use CurrentUserId() or IsCurrentUserInRole() in criteria expressions
• Check type/object/member permissions with CanRead, CanWrite, CanCreate, CanDelete
• Check role membership with IsUserInRole

var currentUser = SecuritySystem.CurrentUser as ApplicationUser;
var trackedUser = ObjectSpace.GetObjectByKey<ApplicationUser>((Guid)SecuritySystem.CurrentUserId);

ISecurityStrategyBase security = Application.GetSecurityStrategy();
bool canCreateInvoice = security.CanCreate<Invoice>();
bool canReadInvoice = security.CanRead<Invoice>();

var userWithRoles = (ISecurityUserWithRoles)security.User;
bool isAdmin = userWithRoles.IsUserInRole("Administrators");

public class PermissionAwareService {
    private readonly ISecurityStrategyBase security;

    public PermissionAwareService(ISecurityStrategyBase security) {
        this.security = security;
    }

    public ApplicationUser GetCurrentUser() {
        return security.User as ApplicationUser;
    }
}

---

CreatedBy / UpdatedBy Owner Pattern

Refer to references/owner-pattern.md

When you need to:

• Track which user created or last modified a business object
• Use SetPropertyValueWithSecurityBypass to set owner fields without triggering write restrictions (EF Core and XPO)
• Use static SecuredPropertySetter.SetPropertyValueWithSecurityBypass for non-BaseObject EF Core entities
• Filter data so users can only see their own objects via CurrentUserIdOperator.CurrentUserId()

In Middle Tier mode, call bypass setters from OnSaving.

---

Authentication Providers, Security Tiers & Audit Trail

Refer to references/auth-tiers-audit.md

When you need to:

• Add OAuth2 providers (Microsoft, Google) or Windows Authentication with CreateUserAutomatically
• Choose between Integrated Mode (default), Middle Tier, or UI Level security tiers
• Configure UseMiddleTierMode for EF Core or XPO clients needing server-side security enforcement
• Enable the Audit Trail module to log object creation, changes, and deletion

builder.Modules.AddAuditTrailEFCore();
// or
builder.Modules.AddAuditTrailXpo();

builder.Modules.AddAuditTrailEFCore(options => {
    options.AuditDataItemPersistentType = typeof(AuditDataItemPersistent);
});

UI Level can hide UI elements but does not protect data from direct DB/API access.

Audit Trail tracks object creation, modification (including before/after values), deletion, and can include authentication events depending on configuration.

---

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Solution
Permissions denied unexpectedly	Role uses strict default policy and missing grants	Verify PermissionPolicy, role assignment, and specific grants
Admin cannot log in	Seed user or password/login info not created correctly	Use duplicate guards, SetPassword, commit, then CreateUserLoginInfo
Object-level rule seems ignored	Permission specificity misunderstood	Remember priority: Object > Member > Type
SecuritySystem.CurrentUser is null	Accessed too early in lifecycle	Access current user in activated controller/service scope after authentication
Bypass setter missing in EF Core entity	Wrong entity/API path	Use BaseObject.SetPropertyValueWithSecurityBypass or static SecuredPropertySetter
Sensitive fields hidden but still reachable	UI-only restrictions used as primary protection	Use Integrated or Middle Tier for actual data protection

Constraints & Rules

1. Code-first configuration only: Configure security via C# code in Startup.cs and Updater.cs.
2. Always use SetPropertyValueWithSecurityBypass for CreatedBy/UpdatedBy to bypass write restrictions.
3. Commit before CreateUserLoginInfo: The user object must be persisted first.
4. Version consistency: All DevExpress packages must use the same version.

Common Namespaces

• SecuritySystem, ISecurityStrategyBase: DevExpress.ExpressApp.Security
• PermissionPolicyRole, PermissionPolicyUser (XPO): DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.PermissionPolicy
• PermissionPolicyRole, PermissionPolicyUser (EF Core): DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.EF.PermissionPolicy
• SecurityOperations, SecurityPermissionState: DevExpress.Persistent.Base

Using DevExpress Documentation MCP

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• Search: devexpress_docs_search(technologies=["eXpressAppFramework"], question="")

• Fetch: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="")

• Security overview: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/113366/data-security-and-safety/security-system?md=true")

• Permissions: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/404633/data-security-and-safety/security-system/security-object-model/type-object-and-member-permissions?md=true")

• Predefined users/roles: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/119065/data-security-and-safety/security-system/security-object-model/predefined-users-roles-and-permissions?md=true")

• Get current user: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/113152/data-security-and-safety/security-system/authorization-and-data-protection/filter-secured-data-based-on-object-owner/get-the-current-user-in-code?md=true")

• Check permissions: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/403824/data-security-and-safety/security-system/authorization-and-data-protection/check-access-permissions/determine-if-a-current-user-has-particular-permissions?md=true")

• OAuth2 Blazor: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/402197/data-security-and-safety/security-system/authentication/oauth-and-custom-authentication/active-directory-and-oauth2-authentication-providers-in-blazor-applications?md=true")

• Permission policy: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/116172/data-security-and-safety/security-system/security-object-model/permission-policy?md=true")

• Audit Trail: devexpress_docs_get_content(url="https://docs.devexpress.com/content/eXpressAppFramework/112782/data-security-and-safety/audit-trail-module-overview?md=true")

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