SLM System Module Global Configuration Guide
SLM global configuration provides administrators with application-wide settings that control how Safety Lifecycle Manager behaves across the system. Unlike settings associated with an individual user or object, global configurations can influence the entire SLM environment.
Administrators access these settings through the System module under Global Configurations. From here, configuration variables are organized into areas covering the application environment, interface defaults, performance, security and user/module behaviour.
This guide explains the major SLM global configuration settings demonstrated in the training and shows how they affect auditing, file storage, licensing, interface behaviour, authentication, security, calculations and functionality across SLM.
Understanding SLM Global Configuration
Global configuration refers to settings that apply broadly across SLM rather than being limited to an individual user or instance of an object.
Administrators can access these settings through:
System Module → Global Configurations
The configuration variables demonstrated in the training are organized into five principal groups:
- Environment settings
- Interface defaults
- Performance parameters
- Security settings
- User and module settings
Because these settings can affect behaviour throughout the application, changes should be made with an understanding of the wider impact rather than treating each variable as an isolated preference.
SLM Global Configuration for Environment Settings
The environment settings within SLM global configuration control several application-wide operational functions, including audit logging, file locations, licensing and data retention.
When audit logging is enabled, SLM creates an audit file within the configured Audit Log path. The training demonstrates this as a CSV file organized by year and month.
The audit information shown includes:
- Action date
- Action by
- Context
- Type and subtype
- Component
- Description
- Request URL
For example, adding or deleting a dropdown option creates an entry describing that administrative action.
This provides administrators with a record of important interactions performed within the application, particularly within the System module.
Licensing, Documents and Storage Paths
SLM global configuration includes several environment variables that define where application files are stored and where administrative requests are directed.
The Document Management System file path identifies the physical folder used to store documents attached to SLM objects. The training demonstrates that uploaded documents are stored using transformed filenames rather than their original readable names.
The License Email Request setting identifies the email address that receives requests when additional licensing is required. In the demonstrated concurrent-user scenario, a user who encounters the license limit can submit a request that is delivered to this configured address.
The License Path identifies the folder in which uploaded SLM license files are stored.
Other path-based settings demonstrated in the training include:
- SAML configuration path
- Temporary file path
- Usage report path
- Video file sharing location
These paths should correspond to the storage structure and permissions configured for the deployed SLM environment.
For information about the wider server environment supporting these paths, see the SLM On-Premise Hardware and Software Requirements guide.
Data Retention and System Cleanup Settings
SLM global configuration also includes retention settings that determine how long selected system information is retained.
The training demonstrates settings controlling:
- Usage-log retention
- Deleted notification retention
- Completed background-task retention
For example, a usage-log retention value of 30 days causes records older than that configured period to be removed.
A similar setting controls when notifications placed in the notification trash are deleted.
The completed-task retention value determines how old a finished background task must be before it is removed from the Background Queue Monitor.
These values allow administrators to manage the accumulation of operational records according to the requirements of the SLM environment.
For more information about background processing and the queue, see the SLM Background Task Manager Guide.
SLM Global Configuration for Interface Defaults
The interface-default settings allow administrators to control aspects of the appearance and default behaviour of SLM.
The training demonstrates configurable font families including Verdana, Helvetica, Sans Serif, Roboto and San Francisco.
Administrators can also configure:
- Body font size
- H1 font size
- H2 font size
- H3 font size
- H4 font size
- Font weight
Changing these settings affects the presentation of the application interface after it is refreshed.
The Translate variable determines whether the SLM translation control is available from the toolbar. When translation is disabled globally, the translation option is no longer displayed to users.
Default Views and Revision Visibility
SLM global configuration can also control which views are automatically available when users work with SLM objects.
The Always Show Default Views setting displays a default view containing the fields associated with the selected object data type.
Depending on the object, this can include:
- Required data
- Recommended data
- Optional data
- Related objects
- Child objects
- Related documents
The Always Show Revisions View setting determines whether the Revisions tab is visible for applicable objects.
A related environment setting can also control use of the revision system. The training demonstrates the Revisions tab becoming visible or hidden when the corresponding configuration is changed.
Performance and Analytics Settings in SLM
The performance-parameter section demonstrated in the training includes the Google Analytics ID configuration.
An administrator can provide the appropriate analytics identifier when Google Analytics measurement is required for the application environment.
Analytics can then provide information about application traffic and user behaviour according to the analytics implementation being used.
This configuration should use the identifier associated with the organization’s intended analytics property rather than an identifier copied from another SLM environment.
SLM Global Security Settings
Security settings form one of the most important areas of SLM global configuration because they can affect authentication and access throughout the application.
The training demonstrates controls covering:
- Amazon SES email configuration
- Maximum failed login attempts
- Automatic creation of SSO accounts
- Local-login availability
- Allowed domains
- Idle-session handling
- Electronic signatures
- Password policies
- SSO button text
Administrators should evaluate these settings as part of the organization’s wider authentication and security requirements because changes can affect all applicable SLM users.
Failed Logins, SSO and Domain Controls
The maximum failed-login setting determines how many unsuccessful authentication attempts can occur before an account is locked.SLM global configuration includes several authentication controls that affect failed logins, SSO access and trusted domains across the application.
In the training example, the value is set to three. After three incorrect password attempts, a subsequent login attempt shows that the account has been locked and requires password recovery.
SLM can also automatically create an application account for a user who has already been authenticated through an identity provider. Enabling this setting removes the need for an administrator to manually create every corresponding SLM account before an authenticated SSO user can enter the application.
The Local Login Disable setting can remove username-and-password login from the application so that authentication is performed through SSO.
Domains Allowed provides another security control by defining trusted domains permitted to send applicable requests to SLM. The training demonstrates how an identity-federation domain must be allowed before the corresponding authentication request succeeds.
Idle Sessions and Concurrent Licensing
SLM global configuration includes settings that can automatically log out inactive accounts when concurrent licensing is being used.
Idle Time Enabled and Idle Max Time work together to determine whether idle-session handling is active and how long an account can remain inactive.
The training demonstrates a one-minute configuration. After the user remains inactive for that period and subsequently attempts another action, SLM logs the account out and requires the user to authenticate again.
This can help release a concurrent license associated with an inactive session so that the available license capacity can be used appropriately.
Electronic Signatures and Token Expiration
SLM global configuration also controls electronic-signature behaviour and the validity period of approval tokens.
When electronic signatures are enabled, an approver can be required to obtain a verification token through email or text message before completing an approval.
The E-Signature Token Expiration setting determines how long that token remains valid.
The training demonstrates a token with a three-minute expiration period. If the correct token is entered within that period, the approval can proceed. If the configured period expires first, the token can no longer be used to complete the approval.
The appropriate expiration period should be determined according to the organization’s approval and security requirements rather than treating the training value as a universal recommendation.
Password Policy Configuration
SLM global configuration provides several controls for application password behaviour and credential-management requirements.
The training demonstrates three principal password settings:
- Password lifetime
- Restricted password reuse
- Minimum password size
Password Lifetime specifies the number of days for which a password remains active before a reset is required. In the demonstrated configuration, a value of zero means that the password does not expire.
Restricted Password Reuse determines whether users can reuse previous passwords, while Minimum Password Size establishes the minimum number of characters required.
These values should be selected according to the authentication and security policy governing the deployed SLM environment.
SLM Global Configuration for Users and Modules
The user/module section of SLM global configuration contains settings that influence functionality within specific SLM modules.
The training demonstrates configuration affecting:
- Automated Event Record module location
- Applicable IPL calculations
- Bypass Tier calculations
- PFD and RRF calculations
- Enterprise Projects
- HAZOP likelihood sources
- LOPA overall RRF calculations
- HAZOP Dynamic Risk Matrix orientation
- LOPA Dynamic Risk Matrix orientation
Unlike simple interface settings, some of these variables directly influence calculations or the way engineering information is interpreted within SLM. They should therefore be configured with particular care.
Applicable IPL and Function Status
The User Applicable IPL Calculation setting determines whether a barrier associated with a function remains applicable in a LOPA worksheet according to the operating status of that function.
In the training example, a barrier is related to a function whose conditions result in a non-operating status.
When the setting is disabled, SLM continues to display the barrier and take credit for it in the worksheet calculation.
When the setting is enabled and applicable values are refreshed, the barrier is removed because its associated function is non-operational.
This demonstrates how a global configuration variable can directly affect the protection layers used within an SLM calculation.
Bypass Tier Settings and Availability
The Bypass Tier setting determines which bypass information is considered when calculating time in service for a function.
The training demonstrates three available approaches:
- Bypass Authorization
- Bypass Activation
- Both
Changing this setting affects which bypass records are displayed and which dates contribute to function-availability calculations.
When Both is selected, the demonstrated calculation considers both authorization and activation information, with the older applicable bypass affecting the resulting time period.
For additional information about these calculations, see the Tier 3 Metrics Guide.
PFD and RRF Calculation Behaviour
SLM global configuration determines whether PFD or RRF is used as the input value from which its corresponding risk-reduction measure is calculated.
The training demonstrates that when RRF is configured as the calculated value, users enter the PFD and SLM derives the corresponding RRF.
When PFD is configured as the calculated value, users enter the RRF and SLM calculates the corresponding PFD.
This setting therefore determines which value is editable and which value is derived by the application.
Because PFD and RRF are mathematically related, administrators should ensure that this global configuration aligns with the calculation workflow expected by the organization.
HAZOP Likelihood Configuration
The HAZOP Likelihood Source setting determines whether likelihood is managed at the HAZOP cause level or independently at the scenario level.
When Cause is selected, scenarios sharing the same cause use the likelihood associated with that cause. Updating the cause likelihood therefore affects the other scenarios using the same cause.
When Scenario is selected, each scenario can have its own likelihood value without changing the likelihood stored against the underlying cause.
This distinction is important because the selected source determines which likelihood information is used by the corresponding HAZOP calculations.
Administrators working with HAZOP configuration can also refer to the HAZOP Administration Guide for related configuration guidance.
LOPA Overall RRF Calculation Methods
SLM global configuration provides three methods for determining the overall LOPA worksheet RRF calculation demonstrated in the training:
- Individual
- Summing
- Hybrid
The Individual method uses the maximum LOPA gap from the applicable scenarios.
The Summing method adds the LOPA gaps across the scenarios.
The Hybrid method demonstrated in the training behaves like the Individual method when the combined initiating-cause value is below the configured threshold described in the training, but switches to the summing approach when that condition is exceeded.
The examples demonstrate that changing this global setting can materially change the overall LOPA gap reported by the worksheet.
Because this setting directly affects calculation behaviour, it should correspond to the LOPA methodology adopted for the SLM environment rather than being changed simply as a display preference.
HAZOP and LOPA Risk Matrix Orientation
SLM global configuration also provides settings for transposing the HAZOP and LOPA Dynamic Risk Matrices.
In the demonstrated default orientation, severity appears along one axis and frequency along the other.
Enabling the corresponding transpose setting reverses the orientation of those axes.
Separate configuration variables are available for the HAZOP and LOPA Dynamic Risk Matrices, allowing their presentation to be controlled independently.
This changes the orientation of the matrix rather than the underlying meaning of the severity and frequency values.
Managing Global Configuration Safely
SLM global configuration reaches across many different areas of the application. Some settings change interface presentation, while others affect authentication, licensing, retention, engineering calculations or the availability of entire modules and features.
Before changing a global setting, administrators should understand:
- Which users or modules will be affected.
- Whether the setting changes presentation or functional behaviour.
- Whether it affects security or authentication.
- Whether it changes an engineering calculation.
- Whether supporting paths, services or integrations must also be configured.
Where global settings affect authentication, passwords or access control, administrators can refer to the NIST Digital Identity Guidelines: Authentication and Authenticator Management for broader identity and authentication guidance. SLM-specific security settings should continue to follow MSS documentation and the requirements of the deployed environment.
Careful management of these variables helps ensure that application-wide behaviour remains consistent with the organization’s SLM deployment, security controls and functional-safety workflows.
