Introduction

Welcome to Atslegas (ARS)

Atslegas (Access Registry System) is a purpose-built web application designed for Riga State German Grammar School (Rīgas Valsts vācu ģimnāzija). It serves as a centralized platform for managing physical key inventories, user authentication, and access auditing.

Originally developed as a capstone project for the Programming I course, the system provides school administrators and staff with a secure, concurrent environment to track key assignments and system access.

Core Capabilities

The system is structured to handle the daily operations of a large educational institution:

• Key Management: Organize keys by categories, floors, and groups (e.g., "Old Building").
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Distinct interfaces and permissions for admin, person, and user roles.
• Audit Logging: Automatic tracking of key issuance and returns, including timestamps and user comments.
• Session Security: Server-side session management with configurable timeouts to protect sensitive data.
• Live Dashboard: A visual interface for administrators to monitor key states and recent activities in real-time.

System Architecture

Atslegas is built on a modular Python/Flask backend with a responsive JavaScript frontend.

• Backend: A RESTful API built with Flask Blueprints. It handles business logic, session validation, and database interactions.
• Database: A high-concurrency SQLite backend utilizing Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) and automated retry logic to ensure stability during simultaneous access.
• Frontend: A split interface architecture:
  • User Interface: Focused on key availability and personal status.
  • Admin Dashboard: Dedicated tools for user management, log editing, and group configuration.

Quick Start for Developers

To get the application running locally for development or school deployment:

1. Environment Setup

Clone the repository and install the required dependencies:

git clone https://github.com/JamesAce60/ARS.git
cd ARS
pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Configuration

Create a .env file in the root directory to store your secret key:

FLASK_SECRET_KEY=your_secure_random_string

3. Launching the Application

Run the main entry point. On the first run, the system will automatically initialize the SQLite database using the provided schema and create a default root user.

python3 main.py

• Default URL: http://localhost:5000
• Default Credentials:
  • Username: root
  • Password: root

[!IMPORTANT] Immediately change the default root password upon first login via the Admin Dashboard to ensure system security.

API Overview

For advanced integration, Atslegas exposes a JSON-based API. All requests to the API (except login) require an active session cookie.

Example: Authenticating a session

POST /api/login
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "username": "admin_user",
    "password": "your_password"
}

Example: Listing Key Groups

GET /api/keyGroup/list

For detailed endpoint documentation, please refer to the API Documentation section.