Super Admin Guide

This guide is for super administrators who have elevated privileges to manage the entire R's PlacePrep platform, including system configuration, user role management, and platform-wide settings.

Super Admin vs Admin

Super Admin has additional capabilities beyond regular admins:

• Assign and revoke admin roles
• Access system-level configuration
• Manage platform-wide settings
• View and manage all users and data
• Configure integrations and API access
• Monitor system health and performance

Regular Admin focuses on:

• Creating and managing exams
• Evaluating student submissions
• Viewing analytics for their exams
• Managing content and questions

Access Requirements

Obtaining Super Admin Access

Super admin role is assigned at the database level. To become a super admin:

1. Access the Appwrite console
2. Navigate to the Users collection
3. Find your user document
4. Update the role field to super_admin

Security Considerations

• Keep super admin credentials extremely secure
• Use strong, unique passwords
• Enable two-factor authentication if available
• Never share super admin access
• Regularly audit admin activities
• Maintain access logs

User Role Management

Assigning Admin Roles

To promote a user to admin:

1. Navigate to Admin Panel → Users
2. Find the user you want to promote
3. Click on their profile
4. Select "Assign Admin Role"
5. Confirm the action

Revoking Admin Roles

To demote an admin to student:

1. Navigate to Admin Panel → Users
2. Filter by role: "Admin"
3. Select the admin user
4. Click "Revoke Admin Role"
5. Confirm the action

Role Hierarchy

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Super Admin (highest privileges)
    ↓
Admin (exam management, evaluation)
    ↓
Student (exam taking, practice)

System Configuration

Database Management

Access and configure database settings:

• Collections: Manage data structures
• Indexes: Optimize query performance
• Permissions: Set access controls
• Backups: Schedule automatic backups

Platform Settings

Configure global platform settings:

General Settings

• Platform Name: Customize branding
• Logo: Upload platform logo
• Theme: Default theme settings
• Timezone: Set platform timezone
• Language: Default language

Exam Settings

• Default Duration: Standard exam length
• Max Questions: Maximum questions per exam
• Question Pool Size: Total questions available
• Auto-Archive: Archive old exams automatically

Security Settings

• Session Timeout: Auto-logout duration
• Password Policy: Minimum requirements
• Failed Login Attempts: Account lockout threshold
• IP Whitelisting: Restrict access by IP
• CAPTCHA: Enable/disable verification

Email Configuration

• SMTP Server: Email server settings
• Notification Templates: Customize emails
• Send Grid API: Alternative email service
• Email Frequency: Rate limiting

Platform Monitoring

System Health Dashboard

Monitor platform performance:

• Server Status: Uptime and availability
• Response Time: API latency metrics
• Active Users: Current concurrent users
• Error Rate: Failed requests percentage
• Database Load: Query performance

Usage Analytics

Track platform usage:

• Total Users: Registered accounts
• Active Users: Daily/weekly/monthly active users
• Exam Attempts: Total submissions
• Storage Usage: Content and data size
• API Calls: Request volume

Error Monitoring

Review and resolve errors:

1. Navigate to System Logs
2. Filter by error severity
3. Review stack traces
4. Identify patterns
5. Implement fixes
6. Monitor resolution

Data Management

Bulk Operations

Perform operations at scale:

Bulk User Import

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1. Prepare CSV file with user data
2. Navigate to Users → Import
3. Upload CSV file
4. Map columns to fields
5. Review preview
6. Confirm import

CSV Format:

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name,email,role
John Doe,john@example.com,student
Jane Admin,jane@example.com,admin

Bulk Exam Creation

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1. Create exam template JSON
2. Navigate to Exams → Bulk Import
3. Upload JSON file
4. Review exam configurations
5. Confirm creation

Bulk Data Export

Export all platform data:

• User data (with privacy compliance)
• Exam configurations
• Question pools
• Submission history
• Analytics data

Data Cleanup

Maintain database health:

• Archive Old Exams: Move completed exams to archive
• Delete Inactive Users: Remove users inactive >1 year
• Prune Logs: Clean up old system logs
• Optimize Database: Run optimization queries
• Clear Cache: Reset cached data

Backup and Recovery

Ensure data safety:

Automated Backups

• Daily Backups: Automatic database snapshots
• Retention: Keep backups for 30 days
• Location: Secure cloud storage
• Verification: Regular backup integrity checks

Manual Backup

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1. Navigate to Database → Backup
2. Select collections to backup
3. Choose backup location
4. Initiate backup process
5. Verify completion

Data Recovery

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1. Access Backup Management
2. Select backup point
3. Choose recovery scope (full/partial)
4. Verify recovery data
5. Initiate restoration
6. Monitor progress

Integration Management

AI Evaluation Settings

Super admins have full access to AI evaluation configuration. Access AI Settings from the admin sidebar to configure:

AI Provider Configuration

• Default Provider: Select Groq (Llama) or Gemini as the primary AI evaluator
• Auto-Fallback: Enable automatic switching to backup provider on failures or rate limits
• Partial Mark Increment: Configure how partial marks are awarded (0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 increments)

Custom API Keys

Super admins can configure their own API keys:

1. Navigate to Admin Panel → AI Settings
2. Enter your API key for Groq or Gemini
3. The key is encrypted before storage
4. Platform uses your key instead of default environment keys

Bulk AI Evaluation

Process all pending coding evaluations at once:

1. Go to Admin Panel → Evaluate
2. Click "AI Evaluate All"
3. Monitor progress with built-in rate limiting:
   • 5-10 second delays between evaluations
   • Automatic 1-minute pause on rate limits
   • Maximum 2 rate limit retries before stopping

AI Evaluation Database Fields

Ensure these fields exist in student_answers collection:

• ai_evaluated: Boolean tracking AI evaluation status
• ai_provider: String storing which AI provider was used
• ai_feedback: String containing AI-generated feedback

API Configuration

Manage platform API:

• API Keys: Generate and revoke keys
• Rate Limits: Set request quotas
• Webhooks: Configure event notifications
• CORS: Cross-origin settings
• Documentation: API reference access

Third-Party Integrations

Configure external services:

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

• Single Sign-On (SSO) setup
• Grade synchronization
• User provisioning
• Course mapping

Authentication Providers

• Google OAuth
• Microsoft Azure AD
• SAML 2.0
• LDAP integration

Analytics Platforms

• Google Analytics
• Mixpanel
• Custom analytics endpoints

Advanced Features

Custom Branding

Personalize the platform:

• Upload custom logo
• Configure color scheme
• Customize email templates
• Set custom domain
• Add footer links

Multi-Tenancy (if supported)

Manage multiple organizations:

• Create tenant instances
• Isolate data by tenant
• Configure tenant-specific settings
• Manage cross-tenant access
• Tenant analytics

Scheduled Tasks

Automate routine operations:

• Exam auto-publishing
• Result notifications
• Reminder emails
• Data archiving
• Report generation

Security Management

Access Control

Configure security policies:

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Define permissions
• Session Management: Control user sessions
• IP Restrictions: Whitelist/blacklist IPs
• Device Tracking: Monitor login devices

Audit Logging

Track all admin actions:

• User role changes
• Configuration modifications
• Data exports
• System settings updates
• Security events

Review audit logs:

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1. Navigate to Security → Audit Logs
2. Filter by date range, user, or action
3. Export logs for compliance
4. Set up alert triggers

Compliance

Ensure regulatory compliance:

• GDPR: Data privacy controls
• Data Retention: Automated cleanup policies
• User Consent: Manage consent records
• Right to Deletion: Process deletion requests
• Data Portability: Export user data

Super Admin vs Admin — What You Can Do

Here is a quick comparison of what admins and super admins can do on the platform:

TNP / Placement Management (Super Admin)

As a super admin, you have full control over the TNP (Training and Placement) module across all colleges.

What Super Admins Can Do

• Create posts for any college: When creating a placement post, you can select specific target colleges or choose "All" to make the post visible to every college
• View all posts: You see every placement post on the platform, regardless of which college it was created for
• Filter by college: Use the college filter dropdown to view posts targeted to a specific college
• Delete any post: You can delete any placement post (all attached documents and student applications are automatically deleted too)
• Edit any post: You can modify any placement post's details

Creating a Placement Post

1. Go to Admin Panel → TNP / Placements in the sidebar
2. Click "Create New Post"
3. Fill in the details:
   • Title — a short name for the placement
   • Company Name — the recruiting company
   • Apply Link — URL for students to apply
   • Deadline — last date to apply
   • Target Colleges — select specific colleges from the dropdown, or choose "All" to target every college
   • Eligible Branches — select the branches that can apply
4. Optional: add role offered, package, description, and file attachments
5. Click "Create Post"

How College Targeting Works

• If you select "All" as the target, every student on the platform (matching the branch criteria) will see the post
• If you select specific colleges, only students from those colleges will see the post
• Admins from targeted colleges will also see the post in their TNP panel

College-wise Feedback

Exam feedback submitted by students is automatically organized by college in your Google Spreadsheet:

• A separate sheet (tab) is created for each college
• An "All Responses" sheet contains every feedback entry
• Each row includes the student's college name and college code
• This helps you compare feedback across colleges easily

Note: You must update the Google Apps Script code in your spreadsheet to use this feature. The updated code is available in src/lib/feedback/sheets.ts.

Troubleshooting

Common Super Admin Issues

Cannot Access Super Admin Panel

• Verify database role is super_admin
• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Check user session
• Verify authentication token

Bulk Operations Failing

• Check file format and encoding
• Verify data validation
• Review server logs
• Check resource limits

Integration Errors

• Verify API credentials
• Check network connectivity
• Review rate limits
• Validate webhook endpoints

Emergency Procedures

Platform Down

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1. Check server status
2. Review error logs
3. Verify database connectivity
4. Check third-party services
5. Implement failover if needed
6. Communicate with users

Data Breach Response

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1. Isolate affected systems
2. Revoke compromised credentials
3. Review audit logs
4. Notify affected users
5. Implement security patches
6. Document incident

Performance Degradation

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1. Monitor resource usage
2. Identify bottlenecks
3. Scale resources if needed
4. Optimize database queries
5. Clear caches
6. Review recent changes

Best Practices

System Administration

1. Regular Monitoring: Check system health daily
2. Backup Verification: Test restore procedures monthly
3. Security Audits: Review access logs weekly
4. Update Schedule: Apply patches promptly
5. Documentation: Maintain configuration docs

User Management

1. Regular Cleanup: Remove inactive accounts quarterly
2. Role Review: Audit admin permissions monthly
3. Access Requests: Process within 24 hours
4. Training: Onboard new admins properly
5. Communication: Keep users informed of changes

Performance Optimization

1. Database Optimization: Run monthly maintenance
2. Cache Strategy: Implement effective caching
3. CDN Usage: Serve static assets via CDN
4. Code Reviews: Regular performance audits
5. Load Testing: Test under peak conditions

Security Hardening

1. Principle of Least Privilege: Minimum necessary access
2. Regular Updates: Keep all systems current
3. Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit
4. Monitoring: Real-time security monitoring
5. Incident Response: Documented procedures

Getting Help

Super Admin Resources

• System Documentation: Technical architecture docs
• API Reference: Complete API documentation
• Security Guidelines: Best security practices
• Community Forum: Connect with other admins

Support Escalation

For critical issues:

1. Check system status page
2. Review documentation and logs
3. Contact technical support
4. Provide detailed error information
5. Follow escalation procedures

Emergency Contacts

Maintain a list of:

• Technical support hotline
• Database administrator
• Security team
• Infrastructure team
• Legal/compliance team