A user group collects user accounts to make managing permissions easier. For example, you might create a user group called "hr_users" and add user accounts for people in the human resources department. The existence of user groups isn't visible in the application's user interface.
User groups are made up of members and admins. Unless they have access to the admin console, members typically aren't aware that they're in a user group. The account simply defines (at least partly) their access to the application's features. Group admins have access to the area of the admin console through which they can manage settings and membership for a group they're administering. By default, they get to this feature by directing their browser to a URL as described in Starting the Admin Console. Unless they have other types of admin access, they'll only be able to access account management pages for the account they're administering.
Be sure to see Managing User Accounts and User Groups for overview information on how accounts work.
Note that if your community uses an external database (such as LDAP or Active Directory) to manage user identities, you won't by default be able to use the admin console to edit information managed there. Also, it's possible for your community to use an external data store for user account information, but not for user groups (which you can instead create and manage with the admin console). For more information about using LDAP or Active Directory with Jive SBS, take a look at the ) LDAP and Active Directory Guide.
Admin Console: People > Management > Group Summary
Admin Console: People > Management > Create Group
Admin Console: People > Management > Create Group
Try defining user groups before launching the community. For example, you can group users according to employee job function or department. User and Group permissions can be assigned on a space or sub-space basis.
When you're adding or editing the membership list of a user group, you use the Group Members page. You can reach this page while you're creating the group by clicking the Add Members or Add Admins link on the Group Settings page. For a group that's been created already, go to the Group Summary page, then click the group's name in the list to get to its settings page. On the settings page, click the appropriate Edit link to edit membership.
Add members to the group by typing their name in the Add Member box, then clicking the Add button. If you don't know the name, click User Picker to browse or search a list of users, then select the check box for the user you want to add. Unless they have access to the admin console, users won't know which user groups they're a part of.
Add administrators in the same way you add members. User group administrators have access to the portions of the admin console where they can manage settings and membership for the group they're administering.
Admin Console: People > Management > Group Summary
Group settings are simple, including the group's name and description, along with group properties. You can edit a group's settings in the admin console by going to the Group Summary page, then clicking the group's name.
Group properties are simple name-value pairs that programmers can use to work with the group in their code. Group properties are often used as a way to keep track of extra information about the group. For example, if groups are defined based on company departments, each could have a departmentID property whose value is the department's internal billing ID. A group can have multiple properties. When you're working with properties, remember that entering the name and value for an existing property will update that property's value to the one you entered.