Abstract: A technique for determining which permissions are required to perform certain administrative tasks efficiently records the required permissions between record and stop signals. An administrator presses a record button on a graphical user interface (GUI) and subsequently enters commands to perform the administrative tasks. After the last command is entered, the administrator presses a stop button on the GUI. Commands need not actually execute between the record and stop signals, but rather permissions for each command need to be recorded by an administration application, which is able to organize sets of permissions as roles. When a given user is associated with a particular role, the user is assigned all permissions for the role. Using this technique, the administrator may delegate administrative tasks to the user without the inefficiencies of conventional trial and error methods.