User Criteria group - does it include child groups?

[davilu]

If we create a user criteria that has a parent group, does that also include all the child groups?  For example we have a Parent Group that includes 3 child groups.  We created a user criteria that includes just the Parent Group.  If we apply that user criteria to a Content Item's Available For, will users in the child groups also have access?  

Initial tests seem to be yes, all child group users will also have access, but wanted to be 100% sure.

Thanks!

[OlaN]

Hi,

Just tested the same, and Yes I can confirm, that it does work like that.

All child groups will have access if the parent group is given access to the user criteria.

[Allen Andreas]

Hi,

Interesting question. I'd trust OlaN's testing, but then I saw this, from just 4 months back: https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community_question&sys_id=1f2e8effdb298150fd6325091396...

They may not be talking about literal SN parent and child groups, but just throwing that out there from an alternate perspective.

Please mark reply as Helpful, if applicable. Thanks!

[OlaN · Accepted solution]

Interesting reading!

Made me a bit unsure, so I just had to dig a little deeper. 🙂

And what do you know, there is a difference in how it's handled.

If the user criteria is created by giving access to a group, like this:

Then it's handled as I stated above, the member of the subgroups (if any) are also included, and will have access to that Catalog item.

But if you go and instead add a department in a user criteria, like this:

Then it's handled a bit different. Then the users who are member in the selected department are included, and will have access. But any users that belong to a department that is a child department to IT (in my example) will NOT be included.

[Allen Andreas]

Ah, good to know.

Last thing would be curious how it works if you use GlideSystem in script for MemberOf and that group, does the child work that way for groups (which may be silly to do because you have access to the group field, but you never know).

Thanks for testing again!

Please mark reply as Helpful, if applicable. Thanks!