Grouper: Group Management

What is Grouper?

Grouper is a tool that helps manage access to services through group membership. Groups can be created automatically based on data from other Tufts systems and/or manual input. Those groups are then published to services, where access to content, privileges, etc. is based on membership in the right group. In other words, if you are in the right group, you get access. See examples below.

  • Grouper Example #1 – Card access to a room: A room on the Boston campus is locked and requires a valid keycard to access. A Grouper group is created that is composed of Boston faculty and staff. Members of that group are granted access.
  • Grouper Example #2 – Software licensing: A limited number of licenses for specialized software are purchased for students in a particular school. A Grouper group is created that is composed of students of that school. Members of that group are granted access to download and use that software.

To access Grouper, visit grouper.tufts.edu and log in with your Tufts credentials. (If you are not on campus, you will need to use the Tufts VPN for access!)

It’s important to know Grouper is not immediately available to everyone at the University. You must be granted access. Furthermore, even after you create some groups, those groups don’t do anything on their own. They have to be published to other services, which typically involves assistance from TTS.

The typical workflow for a new Grouper user is outlined below.

grouper workflow
  • Step 1 – Consultation & Training: If you think you have a valid use case for Grouper, request a consultation by emailing it@tufts.edu. During this consultation, the following will be discussed:
    • Is Grouper a good fit for your needs?
    • Is it possible to use Grouper groups with the other service you are using?
    • What additional preparation, if any, is required by TTS to make your use case a success?
    • Basic Grouper training - If your use of Grouper is approved, you’ll need to learn how to use it! Basic use of Grouper will be explained in your consultation, but you should also refer to the documentation in this guide as needed!
  • Step 2 – Group Setup: Use Grouper to set up your groups!
  • Step 3 – Implementation: Once your groups are ready, they can be published to a service for use. How this is done will depend on your specific use case. This will be discussed during your consultation and may require follow-up with TTS.

Grouper is NOT:

  • A database for generating reports on Tufts personnel, their roles, work locations, etc.
  • A communication platform, like Elist.
  • A storage location, like Box or OneDrive.