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User roles

The Azure TRE solution has 8 different user roles defined. The roles are modeled around a set of tasks for each role. The roles are not mutually exclusive, and one person can have multiple roles assigned to be able to carry out a broader set of tasks.

Before you deploy a Trusted Research Environment based on the Azure TRE solution, you should consider your scenario and have an understanding of which of these roles that needs to be staffed.

Role overview

While we have defined 8 different user roles for the Azure TRE solution, not all of them are required in all scenarios. Three of the roles support role-based access control (RBAC) within the TRE.

Role Key task TRE RBAC
Azure administrator Deploy the TRE
TRE administrator Administer the TRE ✔
TRE workspace owner Own a workspace ✔
Researcher Perform research on the data ✔
Airlock Manager Approves data import & export ✔
TRE service integrator Integrate additional workspace services
Azure TRE developer Extend the TRE OSS solution
Data engineer Move data to and potentially from the TRE
Information security officer Validate and sign-off TRE deployment

Info

More granular RBAC information is available here.

Azure administrator

Provisions the Azure TRE solution in an Azure subscription and performs tasks that require knowledge of Azure operations and has access to the Azure subscription.

Example tasks:

  • Provision Azure TRE solution instances.
  • Second line support for TRE administrators, TRE workspace owners and Researchers when Azure TRE troubleshooting is required.
  • Work with the data engineer to connect the Azure TRE with the data platform.
  • Troubleshoot provisioning issues and failed deployments.
  • Manage TRE administrator users.
  • Manage data backups and restores.
  • Update the Azure TRE instances.
  • Configure log and metrics alerts.

Expected skills:

  • Azure administration and operations.
  • Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM, Git)
  • PowerShell, Bash

TRE administrator

Day-to-day running and operations of the Azure TRE instance without touching Azure resources.

Example tasks:

  • Manage workspace owner users.
  • Provision workspaces.
  • Manage shared services e.g., available packages in package mirror shared service.
  • Monitor workspace usage and billing.
  • Set and manage quotas.
  • Create and manage workspaces

Expected skills:

  • Limited or no Azure knowledge expected.

TRE workspace owner

Owns a specific workspace and has additional privileges than the researcher within the workspace. Is most likely also a Researcher.

Example tasks:

  • Manage Researcher users.
  • Export data from workspace.
  • Import data and make it available within the workspace.
  • Enable services within the workspace.
  • Monitor billing and usage of the workspace.
  • Create and manage workspace services

Expected skills:

  • Limited or no Azure knowledge expected.

Researcher

Has access to one specific workspace and can use all the services provisioned within that workspace.

Example tasks:

  • Import software packages needed to conduct research (PyPi, Conda, Apt).
  • Perform research using the services in the workspace.
  • Create and manage user resources

Expected skills:

  • Python, R
  • Git
  • Linux

Airlock Manager

Approves (and reviews in some instances) the data that is being imported to and exported from a TRE Workspace

Example tasks:

  • Approve Airlock import requests
  • Approve Airlock export requests
  • Review the data being imported to and exported from a TRE Workspace

TRE service integrator

Integrates workspace service types with an Azure TRE instance. This involves extending the Azure Infrastructure as Code templates to make a workspace service available within an Azure TRE instance.

Example tasks:

  • Integrate a workspace service type with your Azure TRE instance.
  • Implement Infrastructure as Code templates for new workspace service types.

Expected skills:

  • Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM, Git)
  • Python, Bash
  • Azure administration

Azure TRE developer

Software developer who contributes to the development of the Azure TRE solution.

Example tasks:

  • Modify the deployment service, API and other components of the Azure TRE solution.
  • Contribute to the Azure TRE OSS solution.

Expected skills:

  • Python, Bash
  • Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM, Git
  • Azure administration

Data engineer

Supporting role that is expected to build data movement pipelines between the data platform (not part of the TRE), and the TRE instance.

Example tasks:

  • Transfer data from the data platform to the TRE and potentially back.
  • Create data movement and transformation pipelines.

Expected skills:

  • Python, Bash, Linux
  • Azure Data Factory, Other ETL tools.

Information Security Officer

Needs to understand the security posture of the TRE to ensure that the organization is compliant with the information governance framework and additional relevant regulations.

Example tasks:

  • Use the Azure TRE documentation to understand the security posture of the TRE.
  • Work with Azure administrator and TRE administrator to enforce the required security and privacy controls on the TRE.
  • Commission penetration testing.
  • Work with organization Information Governance committee to validate and sign-off Azure TRE deployment