LEARN. PRACTICE. GROW.Concept and mechanism
A knowledge base organizes reusable information; the catalog allows service requests or process initiation through a structured experience. A WebSphere recovery article needs an owner, usage conditions, and review as well as an authorized audience. User criteria can govern reading and contribution at the base level and reading at the article level. For a reader without special privileges, matching Cannot Read can prevent access even when Can Read also matches. Special privileges and properties affect certain evaluations, so an administrator’s test does not necessarily represent an end user. Use criteria diagnostics to confirm the decision in the correct context.
Guided application
To onboard a new APS colleague, an order guide can bundle related requests such as equipment and workplace access while retaining each item’s fulfillment. A record producer can directly create its configured task type; do not choose it merely because all requests look like forms. Define the intended outcome before presentation: article read, request created, or operational record initiated. Check Requested For when someone requests on another person’s behalf. In a file-transfer failure example, published guidance can support diagnosis, but does not demonstrate that an access request was approved or fulfilled. Measure completion using the corresponding record and process state.
Reading an article and approving access are different outcomes.
Common pitfalls
Administrator-only test; grouped requests treated as one task; creator treated as beneficiary.
Related topics: Instance, navigation, and context · Configuration, access, and interfaces · Records, collaboration, and analytics
Choose the mechanism by outcome and validate access with the right identity.
Reference: Managing access to knowledge bases and knowledge articles · CSA blueprint January 2026