IDEALIT Passport
Menu

Passport search

Find a lesson or fix

Type at least two characters.

    Browse help by symptomBrowse all references
    How to start
    Public course previewThis is not your assigned passport. No identity, answers, or completion progress are stored here.How to start your passport
    Guided lesson
    02 / 03About 30 minutesdata handling

    Design Safe Shared Data Collaboration

    Decide how two fictional collaborators work without overwriting shared inputs. This is a design exercise; grant or repair no real permissions.

    Where you will workOn this web page
    1. 1Understand
    2. 2Try it yourself
    3. 3Check and submit

    Before you start#

    Code and data are shared differently. Each editor has a separate Git clone. Its Git working tree holds that person's branch, staged and uncommitted changes. Shared data instead has a named information owner and approved location.

    Mira analyses beam measurements; Leo reviews her report.

    Area Mira Leo Boundary
    Main input Read Read only if approved for review Neither replaces it
    Mira's run output Write Read the agreed report Separate outputs for concurrent runs
    Code Own clone Own clone if editing Reviewed changes through GitHub

    Permissions state who may read or change files. An access-control list (ACL) expresses detailed permissions. A readable folder is not automatically writable.

    Leo cannot edit the main input. Is that a defect if his task is to review the report? Decide the necessary boundary before opening the explanation.

    Why read and write roles differ

    The reviewer needs the agreed report and provenance, not permission to replace measurements. Diagnose owner, group, ACL and intended boundary before a narrow authorized repair. Preserve conflicting outputs for the owner to resolve; never use shared credentials or make everything writable.

    Keep separate Git working trees. Diagnose a failed permission before asking for a narrow owner-approved repair.

    Start the practice

    Practice

    Work through the decisions

    Follow in order

    Steps

    Use only Mira and Leo's fictional collaboration. Decide the required boundaries; do not apply real permissions or share credentials.

    1. 01

      Name the dataset owner

      Read and answer on this web page

      The fictional owner approves access and retention. Mira analyses the input; Leo reviews the report. Neither needs permission to replace the main input simply to do those tasks.

      Look forOne accountable information owner is named.

      Explanation and help
      What this means
      List the collaborators' actual tasks.
      Safe recovery
      Do not grant access until ownership is clear.
    2. 02

      Grant only needed access

      Read and answer on this web page

      Decide the read/write access each role needs. An access-control list expresses permissions, not authorization to broaden them. Change no actual permissions.

      Look forNo collaborator receives broader access than needed.

      Explanation and help
      What this means
      Define the write boundary.
      Safe recovery
      Reduce the proposed permission or obtain owner approval.
    3. 03

      Define where writes occur

      Read and answer on this web page

      Keep the main input read-only to analysts and reviewers. Each analysis writes its own run output. A write boundary names exactly which folders each person/program may change.

      Look forConcurrent work cannot silently overwrite the main approved inputs.

      Explanation and help
      What this means
      Separate code collaboration from data sharing.
      Safe recovery
      Make source files read-only or use clearly versioned copies before collaboration starts.
    4. 04

      Use separate Git clones

      Read and answer on this web page

      Each editor uses their own Git working tree: a checkout with its own branch, staged and uncommitted changes. Reviewed changes travel through GitHub; shared data does not require a shared writable checkout.

      Look forGit ownership and file permissions cannot collide inside one shared checkout.

      Explanation and help
      What this means
      Define names and record where generated data came from and how it was produced.
      Safe recovery
      Move the repository out of the shared writable data directory.
    5. 05

      Define conflict and recovery rules

      Read and answer on this web page

      If reports conflict, preserve both copies and identifiers, then ask the owner which is authoritative. Do not overwrite one merely because its timestamp is newer.

      Look forA collaborator can recover without guessing which copy is the main approved one.

      Explanation and help
      What this means
      Complete the structured questions.
      Safe recovery
      Do not start shared writes until the main approved copy is named.
    6. 06

      Complete the collaboration plan

      Read and answer on this web page

      Answer six scenario decisions. A private plan may support discussion, but this assessment submits choices and creates no access.

      Look forThe plan uses minimum access and separate code clones.

      Explanation and help
      What this means
      Run Check my work.
      Safe recovery
      Use the feedback to correct the unsafe decision.

    Finish the lesson

    Check and submit

    Answer these 6 questions, then confirm the work you checked.

    To pass: 80% and every safety question. Completion appears after the automatic GitHub check passes.

    01How should several students collaborate on code?
    02What is the safe response to a shared-folder permission problem?Safety-critical
    03Several workflows derive results from the same source dataset. What is the safe layout?Safety-critical
    04A collaborator needs write access. How should access be granted?Safety-critical
    05Two collaborators may produce files with the same name. What prevents silent replacement?
    06Two outputs now disagree and ownership is unclear. What should the team do first?Safety-critical
    Before submitting
    Open my real passport first

    You can check sample answers here. Open your local Passport to check your practice files and submit the lesson.

    Preview onlyYou can try the questions here. This page does not store or submit your answers.
    Need help?Open recovery steps and AI-review guidance

    If Blocked#

    Do not guess numeric group IDs or apply broad recursive commands. Ask the storage owner to inspect the smallest affected directory. Use Euler storage for the maintained setgid/default ACL procedure when Euler is the approved system.

    Useful references:

    Understand Before Accepting AI Output#

    An agent must not apply recursive permission changes based only on a pasted path. Verify system, owner, group, inheritance, existing contents, and rollback before any real change.