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+---
+title: RFD 0170 - Nested Access lists
+authors: Alex McGrath (alex.mcgrath@goteleport.com)
+state: in development
+---
+
+# Related
+  * Partial implementation PR: https://github.com/gravitational/teleport/pull/38738
+
+# What
+
+This RFD proposes adding support for including owners and
+members in access lists from other access lists
+
+# Why
+
+This allows a hierarchical access list structure for organizations
+which is supported by access list implementations being integrated
+with, for example Azure Entra supports including groups in other
+groups which we want to be able to mimic the structure of in Teleport
+access lists.
+
+Users in an access list hierarchy will inherit the granted roles and
+traits for members and owners from access lists referencing the lists
+they're in.
+
+# Implementation
+
+New fields will be introduced into the access_list type:
+
+```yaml
+kind: access_list
+metadata:
+  name: e69aa529-2a7f-4de2-87be-97fd94309a9f
+spec:
+  grants:
+    roles:
+    - access
+    - auditor
+    traits: {}
+  dynamic_members:
+    - access_list_members:
+      #  A user becomes an access list member if its a member of the access list
+      - ea4cbbc7-bee1-49b3-bf78-734b4b27ea38
+  dynamic_owners:
+    access_list_owners:
+      # A user becomes an access list owner if its a member of the access list
+      - 3e9df1e7-0b8a-4984-b2e8-5bc0d7b356a9
+  title: access-list-a
+version: v1
+```
+
+These fields will contain a list of other access lists that will be
+included in the access list.
+
+Access lists included in `dynamic_members.access_list_members` and
+`dynamic_members.access_list_owners` will take the membership only
+from the list of members in the included access list.
+
+# Implementation considerations
+
+## Cycles within lists
+
+The implementation will not support cycles within the heirarchy as
+this would introduce confusing options for configuration. Teleport
+will return an error if a cycle are introduced. It will also only look
+10 layers deep before exiting a lookup to avoid overly complex
+heirarchies.
+
+Errors over cycles in the heirarchy will be detected and returned at
+access list insertion/update time.
+
+### Nesting depth
+
+Access list heirarchys will only recurse up to 10 layers deep
+initially.
+
+## Access list reviews
+
+Access list periodic reviews will include in the member review page,
+the list of nested access lists and an indicator to suggest that its
+an access list not an individual member, but not the full list of
+users.
+
+## Impact on access requests
+
+Access request suggested reviewers will include members included in
+the `dynamic_access_lists.access_list_owners` field.
+
+The suggested lists field will remain operating as it presently does,
+only showing the list that actually grants the resource.
+
+## Membership and Ownership requires
+
+A user in a nested access list will only become a member/owner if the
+user passes the respective membership/ownership requirements
+
+## Other considerations
+
+Access lists will need to be allowed to have empty grants so access
+lists can represent only users and permisisons can be assigned purely
+through membership in other lists.
+
+# Examples
+
+
+User Alice is in the below access list which does not include any
+other access lists
+
+```yaml
+kind: access_list
+metadata:
+  name: acl-a
+spec:
+  grants:
+    roles:
+    - some-role
+    traits: {}
+
+  title: access-list-a
+version: v1
+```
+- `acl-c` includes members in `acl-a`, grants them `manager`
+- `acl-b` includes members in `acl-c`, and grants them `auditor` and `reviewer`
+
+```yaml
+kind: access_list
+metadata:
+  name: acl-b
+spec:
+  grants:
+    roles:
+    - auditor
+    - reviewer
+    traits: {}
+  # list of references to other access lists, for users to include in this access list
+  dynamic_members:
+    access_list_members: "acl-c"
+  title: access-list-a
+version: v1
+---
+kind: access_list
+metadata:
+  name: acl-c
+spec:
+  grants:
+    roles:
+    - manager
+    traits: {}
+  # list of references to other access lists, for users to include in this access list
+  dynamic_members:
+    access_list_members: "acl-a"
+  title: access-list-a
+version: v1
+
+```
+
+When calculating a users access roles, the tree of access lists will
+be traversed and so upon login, user Alice will have been granted
+
+- `some-role` from `acl-a`
+- `manager` from `acl-c` as it includes members of `acl-a`
+- `auditor` and `reviewer` from `acl-b` as it includes members of
+  `acl-c`, who also include members of `acl-a`
+
+# Future considerations
+
+Further development of membership reviews should be considered to
+expand reviews to include members of nested lists and to include
+information in the UI that nested may need to be separately reviewed