c77_rbac Complete Hands-On Tutorial - Part 1: Getting Started

Welcome to the comprehensive tutorial for the c77_rbac PostgreSQL extension! This multi-part tutorial will walk you through every aspect of setting up and using database-level authorization, from installation to advanced real-world scenarios.

Tutorial Structure:

Part 1: Getting Started (this document) - Prerequisites, installation, and basic setup
Part 2: Building the TechCorp Database - Creating realistic company data and schema
Part 3: Implementing RBAC - Setting up roles, features, and permissions
Part 4: Row-Level Security - Applying sophisticated access controls
Part 5: Testing and Validation - Comprehensive security testing
Part 6: Advanced Features - Bulk operations, web integration, and monitoring

By the end of this complete tutorial, you'll have:

✅ Installed and configured c77_rbac
✅ Created a complete multi-department company system
✅ Implemented role-based access control with row-level security
✅ Tested various permission scenarios
✅ Integrated with a web application framework
✅ Set up monitoring and troubleshooting

Prerequisites

PostgreSQL 14+ installed and running
Basic SQL knowledge
Command line access
Superuser access to PostgreSQL

Tutorial Overview

We'll build a complete TechCorp Employee Management System with these features:

Multiple departments (Engineering, Sales, HR, Finance)
Different user roles (Admin, Manager, Employee, Contractor)
Secure document sharing
Project management with team access
Expense tracking with approval workflows

Chapter 1: Installation and Basic Setup

Step 1: Verify PostgreSQL Installation

# Check PostgreSQL version
psql --version
# Should show PostgreSQL 14 or later

# Test connection
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SELECT version();"

Step 2: Create Tutorial Database

# Connect as postgres superuser
sudo -u postgres psql

# Create our tutorial database
CREATE DATABASE techcorp_tutorial;

# Create application user
CREATE USER techcorp_app WITH PASSWORD 'secure_tutorial_password';

# Connect to our tutorial database
\c techcorp_tutorial

Step 3: Install c77_rbac Extension

First, copy the extension files (assuming you have them):

# Copy extension files to PostgreSQL directory
# (Adjust paths based on your PostgreSQL version)
sudo cp c77_rbac.control /usr/share/postgresql/14/extension/
sudo cp c77_rbac--1.1.sql /usr/share/postgresql/14/extension/

Now install the extension:

-- Install the extension
CREATE EXTENSION c77_rbac;

-- Verify installation
SELECT extname, extversion FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'c77_rbac';
-- Should show: c77_rbac | 1.1

-- Grant necessary privileges to application user
GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE techcorp_tutorial TO techcorp_app;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO techcorp_app;
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO techcorp_app;
GRANT EXECUTE ON ALL FUNCTIONS IN SCHEMA public TO techcorp_app;
GRANT USAGE, SELECT ON ALL SEQUENCES IN SCHEMA public TO techcorp_app;

-- Set default privileges
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public 
    GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO techcorp_app;
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public 
    GRANT EXECUTE ON FUNCTIONS TO techcorp_app;

Step 4: Verify RBAC Installation

-- Check RBAC tables were created
\dt public.c77_rbac_*

-- Check RBAC functions are available
\df public.c77_rbac_*

-- Test basic functionality
SELECT public.c77_rbac_grant_feature('test_role', 'test_feature');
SELECT public.c77_rbac_assign_subject('test_user', 'test_role', 'global', 'all');
SELECT public.c77_rbac_can_access('test_feature', 'test_user', 'global', 'all');
-- Should return: true

-- Clean up test data
SELECT public.c77_rbac_revoke_subject_role('test_user', 'test_role', 'global', 'all');
SELECT public.c77_rbac_revoke_feature('test_role', 'test_feature');

✅ Checkpoint 1: You should now have c77_rbac installed and working!

What's Next?

In Part 2, we'll create the complete TechCorp database schema with:

Multiple departments and users
Projects and team structures
Document management with security levels
Expense tracking system
Realistic sample data

Continue to Part 2: Building the TechCorp Database

Quick Reference

Key Extension Files

c77_rbac.control - Extension metadata
c77_rbac--1.1.sql - Main installation script
c77_rbac--1.0--1.1.sql - Upgrade script (if upgrading from v1.0)

Basic Commands

-- Create extension
CREATE EXTENSION c77_rbac;

-- Check installation
SELECT extname, extversion FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'c77_rbac';

-- Basic test
SELECT public.c77_rbac_can_access('feature', 'user', 'scope_type', 'scope_id');

Troubleshooting Installation

If you encounter issues:

Permission denied copying files: Use sudo for file operations
Extension directory not found: Check your PostgreSQL version and paths
Extension creation fails: Verify files are in correct location with proper permissions

For detailed troubleshooting, see the INSTALL.md guide.

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