ACL using BACKEND-as-a-SERVICE [BaaS] Platforms

15 May, 2023

Are you trying to manage multiple types of users with varying levels of access in a vast / complex application?

Simplify your task by using Parse ACL to enable role based access control, on data, in a granular way.

ACL (Access Control List) allows developers to define user roles and permissions, and to control access to data and resources based on those roles and permissions. This can help to ensure that sensitive data is protected and that users can only access the data and resources they are authorized to access. ACL is a feature that is commonly used in many different types of software systems, however a few unique aspects of using ACLs with Backend as a Service (BaaS) are worth noting…

BaaS providers often offer pre-built ACL functionality as part of their platform. This means that developers can easily implement access control for their applications without having to build and manage the underlying infrastructure themselves. This can save time and reduce development costs.
BaaS providers typically offer a range of options for defining user roles and permissions, including custom roles and permissions that can be tailored to the specific needs of the application. This can provide more granular control over access to data and resources than would be possible with a more generic ACL system.
BaaS providers often integrate with other cloud services, such as identity and access management (IAM) platforms, to provide a seamless and secure end-to-end solution for managing user access to resources. This can help to simplify the overall architecture of the application and reduce the risk of security vulnerabilities.

Overall, ACLs are an important feature for securing applications built with BaaS, and the pre-built ACL functionality provided by BaaS providers can make it easier and more efficient for developers to implement access control in their applications.

Many BaaS providers offer ACLs as part of their platform, including Firebase, AWS Amplify, and Parse. These platforms often provide tools and APIs that allow developers to easily implement and manage ACLs within their applications.

We will compare popular BaaS platforms in the purview of the ACL support they offer…

Parse Acl – Role Based Access Control On Data In A Granular Way

Parse ACL (Access Control List) is a powerful feature in the Parse Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) ecosystem that allows developers to control access to their data in a granular way. It provides a flexible mechanism for managing read and write access to Parse Server data by defining who can access or modify data in the Parse Server.

With Parse ACL, we can set permissions for Users or Roles to read, write, or perform other actions on specific objects in the Parse database. For example, our Node JS developers created a Parse ACL to allow only a specific role of users, the ADMIN, to access or modify certain data, while denying access to others.

To use Parse ACL, developers need to create an ACL object and attach it to the object that they want to control access to. The ACL object contains a set of permissions that define who can access or modify the object. Developers can set permissions for individual users or roles, or they can use the default permissions to apply to all users.

Overall, Parse ACL provides a flexible and powerful way to manage access to Parse Server data, making it easier for developers to create secure and robust applications.

Firebase

Firebase is another BaaS platform developed by Google that provides a suite of tools for mobile and web app development, including real-time databases, authentication, and cloud messaging. Firebase also provides a flexible security rules engine that allows developers to control access to data in their Firebase database by defining rules based on user roles and permissions.

AWS Amplify

AWS Amplify is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) for Web and Mobile applications development. It includes features such as user authentication, data storage, and APIs, and also provides a fine-grained access control system for managing user access to resources.

Kinvey

Kinvey is also a backend-as-a-service platform that provides tools and services for building mobile and web applications. It includes features such as data storage, authentication, and push notifications, and also provides a flexible access control system that allows developers to define granular permissions for accessing data in their Kinvey app.

Overall, these platforms and services provide similar functionality to Parse Server’s ACL feature, allowing developers to create secure and scalable applications with fine-grained access control over their data.

Microsoft Azure

Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, and it also provides a range of tools and services for building mobile and web applications.

Azure provides a service called Azure Cosmos DB, which is a fully managed, globally distributed NoSQL database service that supports multiple data models. Azure Cosmos DB allows developers to define access policies to control access to specific data collections or partitions within a database. This can be done using the Azure Portal or through programmatic APIs.

Additionally, Azure provides a range of other security features and services, such as Azure Active Directory, which can be used to manage user identities and access to Azure resources, including Azure Cosmos DB. Azure Active Directory allows developers to define fine-grained access control policies for their applications and data, and it supports a variety of authentication methods and protocols.

Casbin

Casbin is an open-source access control framework that provides a flexible and powerful way to enforce access control policies in applications. It is written in the Go programming language and supports multiple programming languages and platforms.

Casbin is designed to provide a generic approach to access control that can be used in a variety of applications, including web applications, databases, and microservices. It uses an access control model based on a set of rules that define what actions are allowed or denied for a given user or role. These rules can be defined in a configuration file or in code, and can be easily customized to meet the specific requirements of an application.

Casbin supports a wide range of access control models, including role-based access control (RBAC), attribute-based access control (ABAC), and multi-tenant access control. It also provides a range of integrations with popular frameworks and platforms, such as Gin, Echo, and Kubernetes, making it easy to integrate Casbin into existing applications.

This authorization library supports Golang, Node.js, Javascript, PHP, Laravel, Python, .NET (C#), Swift (Objective-C), Dart (Flutter) and even Elixir.

Hybrid access control models, Flexible policy storage, Cross-languages & cross-platforms are its key features. Overall, Casbin is a powerful and flexible access control framework that can be used to enforce access control policies in a wide range of applications. Its support for multiple programming languages and platforms, as well as its customizable access control models, make it a popular choice for developers looking to build secure and scalable applications.

And here’s a comparison of Parse ACL and Azure Active Directory

Languages Supported For Parse Development

Parse development can be done using a variety of programming languages and platforms, depending on the specific needs of the application. Here are some of the most common options:

JavaScript: Parse provides an open-source JavaScript SDK that can be used to interact with a Parse Server backend from any web or mobile application. This SDK can be used with a variety of front-end frameworks, such as React, Angular, or Vue, as well as with server-side frameworks like Node.js.
Swift and Objective-C: For iOS application development, Parse provides a native iOS SDK that can be used with Swift or Objective-C to interact with a Parse Server backend.
Java and Kotlin: For Android application development, Parse provides a native Android SDK that can be used with Java or Kotlin to interact with a Parse Server backend.
Unity: For game development, Parse provides a Unity SDK that can be used to integrate Parse Server into a Unity game.
.NET: Parse also provides a .NET SDK that can be used with C# or VB.NET development to interact with a Parse Server backend.

In addition to these options, Parse Server can be used with any programming language or platform that can make HTTP requests, since it provides a REST API for accessing its functionality. This means that Parse Server canbe used by Python developers, PHP developers, or Go developers, as well as by React Native developers and Xamarin developers.

Parse is popularly used in Angular JS development and React JS development as also in Node Js development. While Node.js would normally be used to build the server-side of the application, Parse could be used to provide cloud-based backend services such as user authentication, data storage, and push notifications. This combination provides a full-stack development environment for building modern web applications.