Multitenancy in Totara Perform
  • 26 Nov 2024
  • 6 minutes to read

Multitenancy in Totara Perform


Article summary

In Totara Perform you may have access to performance activities, competencies, goals and the evidence bank.

However, when using multitenancy on your site there are restrictions on how users from different tenants can interact, and the Totara Perform content available to users.

Use casePerformance activitiesCompetenciesGoalsEvidenceLearning plans

Multiple groups within an organisation

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

Child organisations of a parent organisation

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

Separate but shared services site

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Individual training provider

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

Key: Available with Multitenancy  YES or NO

Multitenancy use cases

Use caseDescription

Multiple groups within an organisation

One clear use case for multitenancy is when a single organisation requires separation between groups, where parts of the organisation have completely different learning and administrative requirements but share a site. This would allow for tenants to access content specific to their group as well as organisation-wide content. Users could still see users from other tenants (i.e. other parts of their organisation), but administrators and Course Creators could be assigned to individual tenants.

Child organisations of a parent organisation

Multitenancy is also a good solution for organisations with multiple child organisations with different requirements. This could include discrete business units operating under one parent company with different functions and governance, or a franchise structure. A single site could be shared across the organisation, but content would comprise a mix of site-wide and tenant-only items. Again, administration could be delegated to tenant-specific administrators while global Site Administrators handle site-wide user administration. Here users can see the details of users from other tenants within shared courses.

Separate but shared services site

Another possible use case is a single site shared by multiple organisations, each with their own learning environments. Courses and other learning content is created within each separate area by Course Creators and Editing Trainers for their respective organisations. Site Administrators can handle global user administration if required, but administrators can be designated for each tenant to administer users within the tenant.

Individual training provider

Some sites will be managed by a single training provider offering training to multiple separate organisations. This type of site would be a good use of multitenancy, as a single site could be shared while learning catalogue items are strictly divided by tenants. Users would only be enrolled on courses aimed at their organisation. Additionally, administrators could be assigned on a tenant-by-tenant basis, reducing the workload for global Site Administrators. 

Multitenancy rules

As a general rule, users in different tenants will not have any access to Totara Perform content from other tenants, while Site Administrators can access content from all tenants. Guest users, however, cannot access any Totara Perform content that has been created within a tenant, or see tenant users. 

Competencies

Competencies are not compatible with multitenancy. As a consequence competencies are stored at the system level and can only be used at the system level.

If you have both multitenancy and tenant isolation enabled then tenant members' access to competencies can be inconsistent because of the way tenancy and site permissions interact. We do not recommend using isolation mode on Totara sites using competencies.

Specifically, users are unable to self-assign competencies when isolation mode is turned on.

Use caseTenant isolationNotes

Competency framework creation and management

N/A

Competency frameworks are created and managed at the system level. Only system admin users are able to access these features. 

Competency creation and management

N/A

Competencies are created and managed at the system level. Only system admin users are able to access these features.

Competency user

OFF

Users that are assigned (site-level) competencies are able to access and rate (where relevant).

Users are able to self-assign competencies.

Competency user

ON

Users are unable to self-assign competencies.

Goals

Goals cannot be created and managed at the tenant level, but goals can be managed by Site Administrators at the system level. These goals can be assigned to tenant users, and tenant users can also create and assign personal goals.

Use case
Tenant isolation
Notes

Company goal framework creation and management

N/A

Goal frameworks are created and managed at the system level. Only system-level administrators are able to access these features. Tenant users cannot view the goal framework or details of a company goal.

Personal goal creation and management

N/A

Tenant users can create personal goals for themselves or their team.

Company goal assignment

N/A

Company goals can be assigned to tenant users.

Using goals

N/A

Tenant users can use goals but cannot access the full company goal details.

Learning plan

Learning plans are not compatible with multitenancy. As a consequence learning plans are stored at the system level, and can only be used at the system level.

If you have both multitenancy and tenant isolation enabled then tenant members' access to learning plans can be inconsistent because of the way tenancy and site permissions interact. We do not recommend using isolation mode where the site uses learning plans.

Use caseTenant isolation onTenant isolation off

Learning plan creation and management

Learning plans are unavailable to tenant members with isolation on. 

Learning plans are created and managed at the system level. Only system admin users are able to access these features. 

Learning plan user

Learning plans are unavailable to tenant members with isolation on. 

As tenant members, users can create, assign for approval and use learning plans.

Learning plan manager

Learning plans are unavailable to tenant members with isolation on. 

As tenant members users' managers can approve and use learning plans.

Performance activities

Performance activities support multitenancy. As a consequence performance activities created at the system level will be visible to system users, and performance activities at the tenant level will be visible to tenant users.

If you have both multitenancy and tenant isolation enabled then tenant members will only be able to access the performance activities created within their tenant. When the performance activity subject is a tenant member, site-level users will not be able to participate in their activities. When the performance activity subject is a site-level user, tenant members are able to participate in the activity.

Use caseTenant isolation onTenant isolation off

Performance activity creation and assignment

With appropriate permissions (e.g. performance activity creator), performance activities can be created at the tenant level.

Tenant users can only be assigned and interact with performance activities from their tenancy.

For each subject's activity instances, participants can only be selected from that user's tenant.

With appropriate permissions (e.g. performance activity creator), performance activities can be created at the tenant level, or at the system level.

Tenant users can be assigned performance activities from both levels.

For each subject's activity instances, participants can only be selected from that user's tenant.

Performance activity participation

With appropriate permissions, performance activities can be used at the tenant level.

Tenant users can only be assigned and interact with performance activities from their tenancy.

For each subject's activity instances, participants can only be selected from that user's tenant.

With appropriate permissions, performance activities can be used at the tenant level, or at the system level.

Tenant users can be assigned performance activities from both levels.

For each subject's activity instances, participants can only be selected from that user's tenant.

Performance reporting

With appropriate permissions, performance activity response data can be viewed at the tenant level.

Activity responses can only be reported from performance activities from their tenancy.

With appropriate permissions, performance activity response data can be viewed at the tenant level, or at the system level.

Activity responses can be reported from both levels.

The Totara Academy has a whole course dedicated to using Multitenancy in Totara. Here you can learn more on how to set up and use tenants, see best practice, and give it a go yourself.

Can't find what you're looking for? Contact us at documentation@totara.com. Alternatively, book a call to have a chat about your Totara platform with a dedicated Customer Success Manager.

© Copyright 2024 Totara Learning Solutions. All rights reserved.

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