# Accessing the Gladstone Management Console (GMC)

HTML version: [Accessing the Gladstone Management Console (GMC)](https://support.gladstonesoftware.cloud/gladstone360/accessing-the-gladstone-management-console-gmc)

## Problem
Managers and administrators need to open the Gladstone Management Console (GMC) to manage Gladstone 360 permissions and settings, and to understand when saved changes reach other users.

## Resolution

1. **Open Gladstone 360**
   - Open 360 in the browser and log in, normally with the same user ID and password as Plus2.

2. **Select the GMC tile**
   - Select the **GMC** tile on the 360 home page.
   - If the tile is missing, the user lacks the GMC role; contact the administrator.

3. **Make and save your changes**
   - Settings saved in the GMC are stored with the Plus2 system settings and pushed to all users. Users see them at their next login or after a browser refresh (see [Using the GMC Configuration Manager](using-the-gmc-configuration-manager.md) for clearing the cache).

4. **Log out**
   - **Log Out** / **Log Off** is at the top of the screen. Leaving without logging out ends the session automatically.

## Notes

- The GMC and the 360 home page don't need a hardware service. Staff who only manage permissions or settings (for example managers or finance) can use the GMC without front-of-house access.
- The GMC logs out automatically after a period of inactivity. Documentation differs on the timeout: the current 360 Configuration Manager documentation gives **15 minutes**, returning the user to 360 Home; older Security Configuration documentation (2013) gives **20 minutes**, configurable by Gladstone, returning the user to the login page. The value may be configured per install.
- Related: [Assigning and Creating Security Roles in the GMC](assigning-and-creating-security-roles-in-the-gmc.md); [Gladstone 360 – Permissions and GMC Configuration](gladstone-360-permissions-and-gmc-configuration.md).