Filr 3 Release Notes

October 2018

Micro Focus Filr allows you to easily access all your files and folders from your desktop, browser, or a mobile device. In addition, you can promote collaboration around your files by sharing files and folders with others. For a detailed overview of Filr, see the Filr 3.4: Understanding How Filr Works.

1.0 Product Overview

Filr lets you easily access all your files and folders from your desktop, browser, or a mobile device. In addition, you can promote collaboration around your files by sharing files and folders with others. For a detailed overview of Filr, see the Filr 3.4: Understanding How Filr Works.

2.0 What’s New in Filr 3?

2.1 What’s New (Filr 3.4.3 - February 2019 Patch)

Restricting Sharing Files by Group of Users

You can restrict a group of users from sharing files to others. For more information, see Restricting Sharing Files by Group of Users in the Filr 3.4: Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.

2.2 What’s New (Filr 3.4.2 - October 2018 Patch)

Support for Windows Long Path Names and Short Name Creation

Long Path and Short Name Creation features are enabled on Filr Windows Desktop Client. For more information, refer to the Filr Desktop Application for Windows Guide.

Support For Roaming Profile

The roaming user profile is now enabled for Filr Office and Outlook plugin. The supported platforms are Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows 10, Microsoft Office and Outlook 2013, and Microsoft Office and Outlook 2016.

The benefits are:

  • When a user logs in and sets a policy for the Outlook plugin the policies are retained when the user logs in to another workstation.

  • If a user installs Filr Office and Outlook plugin on a workstation it will be available to all the users who log in to that workstation.

For more information, refer to the Filr 3.4: Using Micro Focus Filr with Microsoft Office and Outlook Applications guide.

2.3 What’s New (Filr 3.4.1 - September 2018 Patch)

Mac Desktop

Filr 3.4.1 supports Mac OS X 10.14 (macOS Mojave).

Mobile Apps

Filr app for Android and iOS is enabled for AppConfig.

2.4 What’s New in Filr 3.4?

Granular Controls for Net Folder Access From Filr Desktop Client

Filr 3.4 provides a granular control for displaying the Net Folders on the user’s desktop in an Online mode or both in an Online and Offline mode.

IMPORTANT:On upgrading to Filr 3.4, Net Folders will be automatically visible through the Filr Desktop client.

For example, on Filr 3.3 server, if you had disabled access to Net Folders through Filr Desktop client, your settings are reset and users will be able to see these Net Folders. If there are Net Folders that you do not want the users to access, then do the following:

  1. Make a list of Net Folders that are disabled on the Filr 3.3 server.

  2. Upgrade to the Filr 3.4 server.

  3. Log in to Filr Administration Console (https://appliance_ip_or_dns:8443).

  4. In the Administration Console - Management > Net Folders > Click the Net Folders that you want to disable from synchronizing with the Desktop client.

  5. In the Data Synchronization tab, deselect the option This folder can be accessed from the user's desktop.

    The Net Folders will no longer be visible to the 3.4 Desktop client users.

The following table covers the changes to the Net Folder on upgrading to the Filr 3.4 server.

Table 1 Behavior of Net Folder Feature on Upgrading to Filr 3.4

Net Folder Options on Filr 3.3 Server

On Upgrading to Filr 3.4 Server

Filr Server 3.4 with Filr 3.3 Desktop Client

Filr Server 3.4 with Filr 3.4 Desktop Client

The Allow synchronization of data by Desktop Application option is enabled

The setting enabled by default is:

This folder can be accessed from the user’s desktop

  • Users can access this folder both in online and offline mode

Desktop users can access Net Folders both in an online and offline mode

Desktop users can access Net Folders both in an online and offline mode

The Allow synchronization of data by Desktop Application option is disabled

The setting enabled by default is:

This folder can be accessed from the user’s desktop

  • Users can access this folder only in online mode

Desktop users can access Net Folders both in an online and offline mode

The older Desktop clients are unable to interpret the new setting of the Filr 3.4 server

The Make available offline option is not available for the Desktop users.

The following setting is disabled on Filr 3.4 server:

This folder can be accessed from the user’s desktop

Desktop users cannot access Net Folders

Desktop users cannot access Net Folders

Using the Filr Administration Console, you can manage Net Folders. For more information, see Creating a Net Folder in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

Downloading Email Attachments Without Authentication Through Outlook Plugin

With the earlier releases of Filr, when an email was sent to an external user, the external user was required to register to Filr for downloading the attachments.

From Filr 3.4 onwards, the Filr administrator can enable an option to allow the external users to download the attachments without registering to Filr. This option is in the Office and Outlook Settings page. For more information, see Using the Outlook Settings dialog in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

Concealing LDAP ID to Reduce Security Threats

Displaying the LDAP ID can cause security threats to the directory service such as unauthorized access to data and modification of configuration. A configurable option is available in the ssf-ext.properties file to hide the LDAP IDs.

For more information, see Conceal LDAP ID in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

Default Expiry of New and Modified Shares to 30 Days

This feature sets the default share expiry for the user’s files and folders to 30 days. The Never option is still available though its no longer the default option.

Email Notification and Share Access Report on Accessing the Shares (Advanced-Edition License Only)

The sharer receives an email notification when the file is accessed by the sharee for the first time. For folders, an email notification is received when any file from the shared folder is accessed for the first time. No notification is received on renaming, deleting, or adding any file to the shared folder.

This functionality is available to:

  • Users having Filr 3.4 Advanced Edition license

  • File or folder shared with Filr 3.4 or later

The email notification includes the following information:

<sharee> has accessed <name of file> on <Filr access time> from the IP address <IP of sharee device>. To view the access details of all the users, click here

For example,

Albert has accessed filr.doc on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 2:53:13 PM from the IP address 172.16.16.132. To view the access details of all the users, click here

The click here displays the Share Access Report. The report covers the details of all users who have accessed the specific share. This report can also be accessed from the Share window of that file or folder.

The Access report displays the following information:

  • User: Name of the user who has accessed the share

  • IP Address: The IP address of the device that was used to access the share

  • First Access Time: The date, time, and timezone when the share was first accessed. No information is received when the share is accessed again.

  • Group: If the user has shared to a group, then the name of the group is displayed that the user is part of.

Ability to Detect User’s Locale

Filr now has the ability to detect the user’s locale and display the Filr web interface in the language set by the user. If the browser language is not supported by Filr, it defaults to the language set on the Filr server. To change to a supported language, see Modifying Your Profile in the Filr: User Access Guide.

Linux Client on Ubuntu (Technical Preview)

Filr 3.4 introduces support for Ubuntu 16.04.4 LTS (Xenial Xerus) on your Linux desktop.

To install Filr Linux client on Ubuntu, you must use the bash shell command: sudo bash filrClient.sh --install

Files App Integration with Filr

Filr files can be browsed through Files App on iOS 11 and above devices. You can perform various operations on the Filr files such as browse files, copy, paste, and so on from the Files app.

2.5 What’s New in Filr 3.3?

Filr 3.3 provides the following enhancements:

Platform Support

Filr 3.3 introduces support for Mac 10.13 (High Sierra).

Support for Multi-tenancy Using Filr Zones

Filr 3.3 introduces support for multi-tenancy using Filr zones. Filr Administrators can now set Filr zones to create multiple virtual Filr sites within a single physical Filr site. Each Filr zone is completely independent and can be accessed using its own unique URL.This functionality is only available on Filr Advanced Edition.

For more information, see Management Zones in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

Ability to Request for Files

Filr 3.3 provides an easy way for your users to request and receive files from other users even outside Filr system.

The user to whom the file request is sent receives an email with an upload request link pointing to the location where you want the file to be uploaded. On receiving the email, the recipient can just click the link in the email to upload the requested file without having to log in to the Filr server. All the file upload restrictions set on the Filr server are applicable for uploading the file. This functionality is only available on Filr Advanced Edition.

For information about enabling users to request for files, see File Request Settings tab in Managing Sharing, License Terms, and Comments in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

For information about requesting for files, see Requesting a File in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide.

Ability to Restrict Filr Clients to Use TLS 1.2 Protocol for Server Communications

Filr 3.3 introduces a new network configuration option, Enable TLS v1.2 Protocol ONLY, that lets you restrict the Filr clients (Desktop, Mobile, Web) to use only TLS 1.2 protocol for communicating with the Filr server. See Network Configuration in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

Access Filr Files and Folders from a Linux Desktop

Filr 3.3 provides a technical preview of the Linux Desktop Application. You can now easily access and synchronize all your Filr files and folders from your Linux desktop.

For more information, see Desktop Application Guide for Linux.

Enhanced Filr Plugin to Work with Filr Files Directly from Microsoft Office

The integration with Microsoft Office as a Storage Service feature that was introduced in Filr 3.2 is now deprecated. Filr 3.3 enhances the Micro Focus Filr Plugin to include support for working directly with Microsoft Office files in addition to the existing support for Microsoft Outlook.

You can use the enhanced Micro Focus Filr Plugin for Microsoft Office and Outlook plugin to work with files in your My Files area of the Filr server directly from a Microsoft Office 2013 and 2016 application such as Excel, Word, or PowerPoint.

For more information, see Using Micro Focus Filr with Microsoft Office and Outlook Applications.

IMPORTANT:Before you update the Windows Desktop client from Filr 3.2 to Filr 3.3, you MUST manually remove Filr as a Storage Service from the Microsoft Office application if it has been already added:

  1. Launch the Microsoft Office application from which you want to remove Filr as a Storage Service.

  2. Click File > Account.

  3. In the Connected Services section, select Filr and click Remove.

Enhanced User Interface That Integrates Filr with Microsoft Outlook

Filr 3.3 enhances the existing Micro Focus Filr Plugin to improve the UI that integrates Filr with Outlook. The Micro Focus Filr Plugin for Microsoft Office and Outlook plugin enables you to work with files in your My Files area of the Filr server directly from a Microsoft Outlook 2013 and 2016 application. For more information, see Using Micro Focus Filr with Microsoft Office and Outlook Applications.

Ability to Configure and Receive Filr Online Updates Through Proxy Server

With Filr 3.3, the Online Update feature in the 9443 Appliance Console is enhanced to enable you to register and update the Filr Appliances (Filr, Filr Search or Filr MySQL) through proxy server.

Ability to Easily Unshare Files and Folders

With Filr 3.3, you can easily unshare files and folders that you previously shared with internal users, external users, and user groups.

For more information, see Unsharing Files and Folders in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide.

Mobile App Enhancements

  • Support for iOS 11.

  • Ability to easily unshare files and folders on Android phones.

  • Ability to click photo directly from the Filr app both on iOS and Android phones.

  • Ability to play videos directly in the Filr app on Android phones.

  • Ability to upload files in background on Android phones.

  • Enhanced user experience by providing a single confirmation message for deleting all photos from the local camera roll after they are successfully uploaded to Filr.

For more information, see Micro Focus Filr Mobile App Quick Start.

2.6 What’s New in Filr 3.2?

Filr 3.2 provides the following enhancements:

Integration with Microsoft Outlook

Filr 3.2 provides a plugin for integrating Filr with Microsoft Outlook 2013 and Microsoft Outlook 2016. After installing this plugin, users can use the Outlook application to browse local or Filr files and attach the files in the email. Depending on the policy settings, the files are either directly attached to the email or the files are first uploaded to the Filr server and the link of the uploaded files is shared in the email.

This functionality is only available on Filr Advanced Edition.

For more information, see Managing Filr Outlook Plugin Settings in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

For information about using Filr with Outlook, see the Using Micro Focus Filr with Microsoft Outlook Quick Start.

Advanced Authentication Support for LDAP Users

Filr 3.2 introduces Advanced Authentication support for LDAP synchronized Filr users (desktop, mobile, and web). An LDAP user is prompted for additional authentication steps in addition to the typical username and password authentication to log in to Filr provided multi-factor authentication is enabled on the Filr server.

This functionality is only available on Filr Advanced Edition.

For more information, see NetIQ Advanced Authentication Configuration in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference and Using Multi-Factor Advanced Authentication with Filr in the Filr 3.4: Maintenance Best Practices Guide.

Enhancements to the File Type Blocking Functionality

With Filr 3.1, Filr Administrator could allow or block the type of files that Filr users (desktop, mobile, and web) can upload. Filr 3.2 enhances this functionality to prevent users from editing an already uploaded file if the file type is either blacklisted or is not whitelisted.

This functionality is only available on Filr Advanced Edition.

For more information, see Managing Uploading of Files in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

TLS 1.2 Support for Filr Desktop and Mobile Clients

Filr 3.2 enhances the security for communications between the Filr clients (Desktop and Mobile) and the Filr server. In addition to the existing support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 on the Filr web client and the Filr server, Filr 3.2 introduces support for TLS 1.2 on Filr clients also.

Reporting Enhancements For User Shares

Filr 3.2 introduces the Orphaned User Share Report that provides information about files or folders shared by users who are now either disabled or deleted from Filr.

Integration with Microsoft Office as a Storage Service

Filr 3.2 enables you to work with files that are on a Filr server directly from Microsoft Office 2013 and 2016 applications such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint provided the Filr Desktop Application is installed on the computer.

From a Microsoft Office application, you can easily browse to a file that is located on a Filr server, open the document, edit it, and then save it back to the Filr server. See Working with Filr Files Directly From Microsoft Office in the Desktop Application Guide for Windows.

Mobile App Enhancements

  • Support for Advanced Authentication on Filr Advanced Edition.

  • In addition to the existing support on iOS devices, Filr 3.2 enables you to set the Filr app on Android devices to delete photos from the local camera roll after they are successfully uploaded to Filr.

  • Enabling the configuration of Filr Application on new and wiped iOS 10 device through MobileIron.

  • Listing only whitelisted applications when Action is tapped on the iOS Device so that files cannot be shared with non-whitelisted applications.

  • Support for iOS 11.

2.7 What’s New in Filr 3.1?

Filr 3.1 provides the following enhancements:

Allowing or Blocking the Types of Files That Users Can Upload

Filr Administrator can now allow or block the type of files that Filr users (desktop, mobile, and web) can upload. This functionality is only available when an Advanced-Edition license is installed on the Filr appliances.

For more information, see Managing Uploading of Files in the Filr 3.1: Administrative UI Reference.

Enhancing the Integration of Filr With NetIQ Access Manager

With Filr 3.0 and earlier, configuring Filr with NetIQ Access Manager (NAM) enabled only LDAP users to log in through NAM.

Filr 3.1 enhances the integration of Filr with NAM to enable local and external users to also log in to Filr through NAM. With this update, the View and Download File link also works seamlessly when Filr is configured to use NAM.

For more information, see Access Manager (NAM) and Filr Integration in the Filr 3.1 Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.

Enabling the Filr Edit-in-Place Functionality To Work With All Browsers

With Filr 3.0, Filr’s edit-in-place functionality required support for the Java browser plugin. However, some browsers such as Chrome version 45 or later and the Edge browser no longer support the Java plugin. Micro Focus anticipated that over time, other browsers also might discontinue Java plugin support, which will further impact support for Filr’s edit-in-place functionality.

In Filr 3.1, the edit-in-place functionality has been enhanced to replace the Java browser plugin with a new Java Web Start Launcher (do.jnlp). The Java Web Start Launcher automatically downloads when you choose to edit a file in-place.

For more information, see Editing a File in the Filr 3.1: User Access Guide.

Enabling or Disabling the Desktop Balloon Notifications

Filr 3.1 introduces a new setting that lets Filr administrators enable or disable the balloon notifications on the users’ desktop.

For more information, see Desktop Notifications in the Desktop Access—Default Settings section of the Filr 3.1: Administrative UI Reference.

2.8 What’s New in Filr 3.0?

NOTE:Filr 3.0 accommodates two types of licenses:

  • Standard-Edition License: Allows all of the services available in previous versions of Filr plus several new features and improvements.

  • Advanced-Edition License: Also allows administrators the ability to enable the sharing of folders within Net Folders, and to customize (brand) the Desktop and Mobile App user interfaces.

For more information on the standard and advanced editions of Filr, see the Micro Focus Filr Product Page.

Filr 3.0 provides the following enhancements:

Sharing Folders within Net Folders (Advanced-Edition License Only)

Filr 3.0 Advanced Edition enhances the Net Folder sharing to include the sharing of folders in addition to the sharing of files. Administrators can now allow users to share folders within their assigned Net Folders using a Filr client (web, mobile, desktop) of their choice.

For more information, see Folder Sharing (Advanced-Edition License Only) in the Filr 3.0 Understanding How Filr Works and Sharing in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Customizing the Desktop and Mobile Application Branding (Advanced-Edition License Only)

In addition to customizing the branding of the Filr site, Filr 3.0 Advanced Edition allows the administrators to customize the appearance of the desktop application and mobile application to match the look and feel of their corporate identity.

For more information about customizing the branding for desktop application, see Branding the Desktop Apps (Advanced-Edition License Only) in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

For more information about customizing the branding for mobile application, see Branding the Mobile Apps (Advanced-Edition License Only) in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Supporting Online Update

Filr 3.0 introduces the Online Update feature that enables you to easily and quickly update the Filr Appliance by applying new Filr patches without much manual intervention. See Managing Online Updates in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Registering Desktop Client and Remotely Wiping Filr Data

Filr Administrator can now view details about the Desktop devices that has accessed your Filr system and wipe all Filr data from a device in the event that it is lost or stolen. For more information, see Viewing, Wiping, and Disconnecting Registered Clients section in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Supporting Windows Server 2016 As a Backend Storage File Server

Filr 3.0 includes support for Windows Server 2016 as a backend storage File Server. See File Servers (Backend Storage) in the Filr Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.

Supporting SMBv2 for OES 2015 NSS AD

Filr 3.0 includes support for Server Message Block (SMB) Protocol Version 2 for OES 2015 NSS AD. See Configuring Filr to Work with OES 2015 NSS AD in the Filr Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.

Rebranding from Novell to Micro Focus

Filr 3.0 is rebranded from Novell branding to Micro Focus branding.

Enforcing Terms and Conditions for External Users

With Filr 3.0, any external user who access Filr can be required to accept terms and conditions before being granted access. See Display Terms and Conditions in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Enabling or Disabling Users From Commenting on Files

Filr Administrator can now enable or disable all Filr users (desktop, mobile, and web) from commenting on files. For more information, see Allow Commenting on Files in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Encrypting Filr Database Communication

Filr Administrator can now enable or disable data encryption between the Filr server and the database. For more information, see Encrypting Filr Database Communication in the Using the Database Connection dialog table in the SQL Database Connection section of the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Modifying the Life Time of the Cached Files

Filr Administrator can now specify the number of days that locally cached files remain on the desktops after they are no longer being accessed or modified. For more information, see Desktop Access—Default Settings section in the Filr 3.0: Administrative UI Reference.

Filr Administrator can also allow the Desktop users to modify the lifetime of the cached files. See Removing Cache Files in the Filr Desktop Application For Windows Guide and Filr Desktop Application For Mac Guide.

3.0 Upgrading Filr

You can upgrade your Filr setup from Filr 2.0 to Filr 3.0. However, Filr 3.x releases are only available as online updates to Filr 3.0 or later.

4.0 Upgrade Notes

Before upgrading the Filr Appliance, review the following sections. To upgrade your Filr 2.0 Appliance with all latest patched installed to Filr 3.x, see Upgrading Filr in the Filr 3.4: Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.

4.1 OES Servers Must Be Patched Till Date

To enable the Filr 3.x server to communicate with OES servers, you must ensure that the OES servers are updated with the latest patches.

4.2 Upgrading from Filr 2.0 Might Require Clearing the Browser Cache

After upgrading from Filr 2.0 to Filr 3.0, the initial configuration page (port 9443) might display an RPC failure and log out.

Clearing the browser cache and then connecting again should resolve the issue.

4.3 Customized Routing Tables Not Retained

The /etc/hosts file and the /etc/sysconfig/network/routes information are not preserved when upgrading.

If you have customized an appliance’s routing tables, consider backing up these areas before upgrading and restoring the files after the upgrade is complete.

5.0 Installation Notes

To enable the Filr 3.0 server to communicate with OES 2015 and OES 2015 SP1 servers, you must ensure that the OES servers are updated with the latest patches.

For information about the system requirements to install Filr, see System Requirements in the Filr 3.4: Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.

For information about installing Filr, see the Filr 3.4: Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide

6.0 Known Issues

6.1 Installation

NFS Mount Point Must Not Point to /var on Target Server

Large installations require shared NFS or CIFS storage for the /vastorage mount point on the Filr server.

If you are using NFS, you must not target the /var mount point or a child directory within it. Doing so will cause /vastorage to fail to mount when the Filr appliance reboots. (See TID 7017379.)

6.2 Upgrade

Rolling Upgrades Are Not Supported in a Clustered Environment

Rolling upgrades (upgrading one Filr or search index server while another continues to serve clients) are not supported when upgrading from Filr 2.0 to Filr 3.0 in a clustered environment.

You must shut down all Filr and search index appliances before you begin the upgrade process. Then restart the appliances after the upgrade is complete.

This issue does not affect small or non-clustered large installations.

For information about how to upgrade Filr, see Upgrading a Large Filr Deployment in the Filr 3.4: Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide.

6.3 Appliance

VMware Snapshots and Appliance Backup

Do not use VMware snapshots as a backup method for Filr. Doing so inhibits your ability to upgrade Filr in the future.

If you do use snapshots, you must remove them before upgrading to a new version of Filr.

For more detailed information about how to back up various Filr components, see Backing Up Filr Data in the Filr 3.4: Maintenance Best Practices Guide.

6.4 Configuration

User Name Character Restrictions for LDAP Synchronization and Login

LDAP user names must contain only valid alphanumeric characters 0 - 9 and upper-case and lower-case letters (A-Z). User names that contain ASCII characters and special characters (for example, / \ * ? " < > : | ) cannot be used as Filr user names. If your LDAP directory includes user names with these characters, they synchronize to Filr, but the associated users cannot log in.

These characters cannot be used in a Filr user name because a Filr user name becomes the user’s workspace title, and the workspace title becomes an element of the hierarchical path that leads to the workspace. These characters are not legal characters in Linux and Windows pathnames.

User Names That Are Synchronized from LDAP Are Not Case Sensitive for Filr Login

User names that are synchronized from an LDAP directory are not case sensitive when users log in to the Filr system.

Local user accounts (user accounts that are created in Filr and not synchronized from an LDAP directory) are case sensitive. Login credentials for local user accounts are stored in the MySQL database.

Disabling Web Access Does Not Block Guest Access

If both Allow Guest Access and Disable Web Access are selected on the Web Application page of the Administration Console, then Enter as Guest is displayed on the initial Web Access Login dialog and Guest users can see publicly available files and folders. If you choose to disable the web access, you should ensure that the guest access is not enabled.

Unable to Upload Site Branding Image to Filr

If a user with administrator privileges chooses to upload image that has to be used in the site branding to Filr, the image fails to upload.To upload site branding image to Filr, you must login as the built-in Filr administrator (admin).

Distributed File System (DFS) Issues

Access Based Enumeration Is Not Supported When Using DFS Namespace

Filr doesn’t support Microsoft’s Access Based Enumeration (ABE) when the backend Windows server uses the Distributed File System (DFS) namespace.

NSS AD DFS Junction Visibility Requires Net Folder Rights Cache Refreshing

If you have a remote DFS junction on an OES 2015 server that is running NSS for AD, you must ensure that the Refresh Cached Rights interval under Net Folder Settings in the Filr administration console is not set to 0 minutes (meaning that it’s disabled). Otherwise, Filr users will not be able to access files and folders under the DFS target through Filr and the owner of all the files and folders under the target will be displayed as File Sync Agent in Filr.

Unable to Access Data on a DFS Junction In an OES Server Cluster Environment

When the Filr server encounters issue accessing data on a DFS junction in an OES cluster environment, the following error displays:

ConvertXplatErrToFAMTErr xplat status: 0xc7e90503

To fix this problem, ensure that the VLDB service is up and running. For more information about the VLDB service, see OES Documentation.

Access Manager Issues

Unable to Log Into Filr as a Guest User When Filr is Fronted by Access Manager

Currently, you cannot use a guest user account to log into Filr that is fronted by Access Manager.

Unable to Edit a File Using the Edit-in-Place Functionality When Filr is Fronted by Access Manager

If you attempt to edit a file using the edit-in-place functionality when Filr is fronted by Access Manager, the file fails to open.

To workaround this issue, do the following:

  1. Log in to the Access Manager server.

  2. Navigate to Devices > Access Gateways > [Name of the Access Gateway Server] > Edit > Advanced Options.

  3. Set the advanced option NAGGlobalOptions AllowMSWebDavMiniRedir to on.

  4. To apply your changes, click Devices > Access Gateways, then click Update All.

Logout Does Not Happen When Filr Is Accessed Directly and Is Fronted by Access Manager

When Filr is fronted by NetIQ Access Manager, only the Filr administrator is able to access Filr directly. When Filr is accessed directly in this configuration, simultaneous logout for the Filr system is not successful.

After the Filr administrator logs in directly to Filr (and Filr is configured with Access Manager), all browser sessions should be immediately closed to ensure logout.

External User confirmation Link Displays the Filr login page Even When Filr Is Fronted by Access Manager

After using the registration link for self-provisioning your user account on the Filr server that is fronted by Access Manager, clicking the same confirmation link again directs you the Filr login page instead of NAM login page.

Cannot Use Multiple Identity Injection Policies Simultaneously

When NetIQ Access Manager is configured to front Filr, you cannot use multiple identity injection policies simultaneously.

6.5 Net Folder

Active Directory Cross Forest Trust Relationship Is Not Supported

Cross Forest Trust relationships in Active Directory are not supported in Filr.

Moving or Renaming a File from the File Server Removes Shares

If a user moves or renames a file directly from the file server (instead of using a Filr client to do the move or rename), any shares that are associated with that file in Filr are removed. This means that users who gained access to a file via a share in Filr no longer have access to the file if the file was moved or renamed from the file server. Additionally, the file is not displayed in users’ Shared by Me and Shared with Me views.

If this situation occurs, files must be re-shared in Filr.

Folder Path in Filr Cannot Exceed 48 Levels

When folders on the file system are synchronized to a Net Folder, the folder path in Filr cannot exceed 48 levels deep (nested sub-folders). The file synchronization code will reject any sub-folder whose depth will cause the corresponding Filr folder path to exceed the sub-folder limit of 48.

When the Filr system encounters the limit of 48 folder levels, the sync code returns the following message and the folder is not created:

The folder xxx has reached the allowed path maximum depth. Its sub-folders will not be added in the system.

Modifying the Target Location in a Junction Created On the OES Server Does Not Reflect in the Filr Net Folder Pointing to the Junction

Create a junction on the OES Server and then create a net folder in Filr pointing to this junction. On changing the target location in this junction, the net folder still continues to point to the older target location in the junction. Consequently, the contents of the net folder continues to be the files and folders in the older target location.

To view the contents of the new target location in the net folder, run the following command to restart famtd.

rcnovell-famtd restart

6.6 Filr Appliance

Reporting Issues

License Report Issues

The License Report currently counts Administrator, Guest, and three internal users (_emailPostingAgent, _jobProcessingAgent, and _synchronizationAgent) as local users. The Administrator counts as an active user, but the other four local users do not count against your Filr license usage.

For information about how to generate a license report, see License Report in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

My Files Storage Directory Is Displayed in Search

When Personal Storage is disabled and Home folders have not been configured, users can find a directory called My Files Storage when clicking in the global Search field and pressing the Spacebar. This is normally a hidden directory, but can it be displayed under these special circumstances.

When you click My Files Storage, it can take you to either your My Files area or to the profile of another user (depending on where you are when you do the search).

Sharing Issues

External User Share Invitation Link and Confirmation Link Are Valid Only Once

When a file is shared with an external user, the user receives an invitation email with a link to register self and then a confirmation email with a link to sign in and access the shared items. The user cannot use these links to access the file post they have registered and confirmed the registration. To access the file again, they must log in to the site where the file is shared with them. For this, the external users must note the hostname of the site from which they accessed the file for the first time by clicking the Sign in and access shared items link in the confirmation email.

Files Shared with Users In Share Point Does Not Appear in Shared with Me or Shared by Me Areas in Filr

When users share files on Share Point servers, the files do not appear in the Shared by Me or Shared with Me folders. However, the users with whom the files were shared can see the shared files if they are in Net Folders and if the users have access to the Net Folders.

Editing an .rtf File Results in an Editing Conflict Error

After editing an .rtf file from Filr in a text editor (such as Microsoft Word), saving the file results in a message indicating that the file has been changed by another author. In this case, select the option to combine your changes with the other author’s changes, then click OK.

Changes that you make to the file are saved to Filr as expected.

For more information about editing files in Filr using Edit-in-Place functionality, see Editing a File in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide.

LDAP Synchronization Issues

Issues with Initial Synchronization of Filr Users

The LDAP value of the attribute you specify for the LDAP configuration setting LDAP attribute for the Filr account name must be unique throughout your LDAP directory. For example, if you specify cn, all users in the LDAP directory might not have a unique value.

To resolve this issue, use an attribute whose value is always unique across all containers, such as emailAddress.

Sub-Groups Are Not Included in Group Membership during the Initial Synchronization

When synchronizing groups that contain sub-groups to Filr from an LDAP directory, the sub-groups are not included in their parent group’s membership during the initial synchronization.

Perform an additional LDAP synchronization to ensure that group membership contains all expected sub-groups.

Issues with Renaming and Moving Users in Your LDAP Directory

In order to rename or move users in your LDAP directory, ensure that you have specified a value for the setting LDAP attribute that uniquely identifies a user or group, as described in LDAP Servers and Synchronization in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference. If a value is not specified for this setting, renaming or moving users in your LDAP directory might result in new users being created in Filr or in the existing user account being deleted.

Users Cannot Log in to the Filr Mobile App or Desktop Application with New Name or Password after Changed in LDAP

After a user is renamed in the LDAP directory or after a user’s password is changed in the LDAP directory, the user must use the old user name or password when logging in to the Filr mobile app or the Filr desktop application until one of the following occurs:

  • An LDAP synchronization is run

  • The user logs in to the web client using the new user name or password

A user can use the old or new user name or password when logging in to Filr from the web client.

Duplicate User ID Import Attempts Are Logged but Not Reported

If you attempt to import an LDAP user that has the same User ID as a previously imported user, the import fails and is logged, but the failure is not reported in the administrative GUI. The import error is logged in /opt/novell/filr/apache-tomcat/logs/appserver.log.

Subsequently, only the first user imported is able to log in. Other users with the same User ID are not able to log in, but they are given no indication as to why the login request failed. Failed login attempts are logged in /opt/novell/filr/apache-tomcat/logs/appserver.log.

Email Issues

Test Connection Fails without User Name and Password Even When Authentication Is Not Required

When configuring Filr to use an external outbound mail system (such as Novell GroupWise), the Test Connection button fails when no user name and password is specified, even when the Authentication required option is not selected.

For information about how to configure Filr to use an external outbound mail system, see Configuring an Email Service for Filr to Use in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.

Cannot Upload Documents Created with Apple iWork (Pages, Keynote, etc.) or .app Documents to the Filr Web Client

When uploading a document that was created with one of the following types of files, you get an error indicating that the file or folder cannot be uploaded when attempting to upload to the Filr web client:

  • iWork document (such as a Pages, Keynote, or Numbers document)

  • Mac application file (a document with the .app extension)

The Filr web client is not able to upload these types of documents because the document architecture for these documents more closely resembles a folder, and you cannot upload folders using the Filr web client.

You can upload these types of documents to Filr by using the Filr desktop application or the Filr mobile app.

For information about how to upload documents using the desktop application or mobile app, see the Filr Desktop Application for Windows Guide, the Filr Desktop Application for Mac Guide, and the Filr Mobile App Quick Start.

Unable to Upload Microsoft OneNote Files to Filr

If a user chooses to upload .one file, the file fails to upload even if the Filr administrator has whitelisted the .one file.

Cannot Extract ZIP File after Downloading on Mac

After downloading a single file or multiple files as a .zip file (as described in Downloading Files in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide), the file can be extracted only when using third-party tools such as iZip Unarchiver.

This issue is due to the fact that OS X does not currently handle ZIP64, the technology that is used to create the .zip file.

Issues When Downloading Multiple Files with Safari on Mac

If you are experiencing issues when downloading multiple files (as described in Downloading Multiple Files and Folders in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide) when using Safari on Mac, ensure that the option Open “safe” files after downloading is not selected.

  1. Click Safari > Preferences.

  2. On the General tab, ensure that Open “safe” files after downloading is not selected.

File Name Should Not Be More Than about 200 Characters

The exact maximum file name length depends on the configuration of the Filr server, but generally it is about 200 characters. If file names are too long, files cannot be added to Filr.

WebDAV Issues

Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When the User Password Contains a Space

If you try to edit a file through WebDAV (as described in Editing a File in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide) when your user password contains a space, the authentication fails.

To edit files through WebDAV, ensure that your user password does not contain a space.

Cannot Rename a File When Editing through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place)

When using Edit-in-Place functionality to edit a file (as described in Editing a File in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide), you cannot click Save As and rename the file. Doing so results in an upload error, and changes to the file are not synchronized to Filr.

WebDAV Limitations on Mac

When you use WebDAV functionality in a Mac environment, you encounter the following limitations:

  • Limitations When Editing Files on Mac through WebDAV Edit-in-Place functionality is not supported on a Mac when you use Microsoft Office as your document editor. To use Edit-in-Place functionality on a Mac, you must use OpenOffice or LibreOffice as your document editor.

  • Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When Using LibreOffice on a Mac If you are accessing Filr from a Mac and using LibreOffice as your document editor, you cannot edit files through WebDAV using Edit-in-Place functionality (as described in Editing a File in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide).

    If you are using Apache to front the Filr system, users are able to edit files through WebDAV when accessing Filr from a Mac and using LibreOffice as the document editor.

  • Using WebDAV to Access the Filr folder (via Mac Finder) Is Read Only When using WebDAV to access the Filr desktop application Filr folder via Mac Finder, access is Read Only.

  • Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When Using Safari 7.x with OS X 10.9.x When accessing Filr with Safari 7.x and OS X 10.9.x, using Edit-in-Place functionality to edit a file (as described in Editing a File in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide) results in an error and you are not able to edit the file.

    To configure Safari 7.x and OS X 10.9.x to support the Filr Edit-in-Place feature and to support adding files to folders when using a browser that does not support HTML 5:

    1. With Filr open, in Safari, click Menu > Preferences.

    2. Click the Security tab, then click Manage Website Settings.

    3. Select Java, then click the drop-down arrow next to the Filr URL and select Run in Unsafe Mode.

    4. Click Done.

Cannot Log in to Web Client with Long User ID or Password

Users cannot log in to the Filr web client if the user ID exceeds 128 characters or the password exceeds 64 characters.

Display Issues Due to Third-Party Software

Filr Is Not Displayed Correctly When the Ask Toolbar Is Installed on Chrome

When the Ask toolbar is installed on a Chrome browser, it inhibits users from being able to view all of the Filr masthead. The Ask toolbar is not a Chrome-sanctioned toolbar and should not be installed on a Chrome browser.

Cannot View ODP and ODG Files That Contain Charts, Graphs, and Tables When Viewing in HTML Format

ODP and ODG files that contain charts, graphs, or tables are not displayed when viewing files by using the HTML view, as described in the following situations:

User Home Directories Are Not Synchronized until Trustee Cache Information is Updated

When you add a user to your LDAP directory, the user’s Home directory in Filr is not displayed immediately after running the LDAP synchronization.

You must wait for the trustee cache information to be refreshed on the file system before Home directory information is displayed in Filr. (The default rights cache refresh interval is every 5 minutes. You can modify this interval as described in Just-in-Time Synchronization in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference.)

Filr Does Not Support Aliases That Have Been Configured in the LDAP Directory

If your users have aliases associated with their user account in the LDAP directory, the alias is not synchronized to Filr during the LDAP synchronization. This means that users are not able to log in to Filr with their alias.

Cannot Use Text Editors Such as Notepad or Wordpad as a Document Editor

Filr allows you to change the default application that is used for editing files (as described in Changing the Default Editor Settings for a Single File Type in the Filr 3.4: User Access Guide). However, you cannot use text editors such as Notepad or Wordpad as the default document editor for editing files because these applications do not support WebDAV.

Must Restart All Appliances after a Network Failure with Microsoft SQL

If your Filr deployment includes a Microsoft SQL database, and if your network fails, you must restart all of the appliances in your Filr deployment to restore Filr services.

XML File Rendering Is Inconsistent

XML is not included as a default supported format for HTML viewing, but it can be added (see HTML Rendering of Non-HTML Files in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference).

If you choose to add XML as a supported HTML-viewing format, be aware that some XML files do not open and will not be displayed in the web client.

6.7 Database Appliance

Filr Installation Program Cannot Create the Filr Database in Microsoft SQL When the Database Name Begins with a Number

In the configuration wizard when configuring a large deployment, the database name that you specify in the Database Name field cannot begin with a number when using a Microsoft SQL database. If the name does begin with a number, the configuration wizard does not allow the database to be created. For example, 1Filr is not accepted, but Filr1 is.

6.8 Desktop Application

For a list of issues related to the Filr desktop application (for Windows, Mac, and Linux clients), see the Filr Desktop Application ReleaseNotes.

6.9 Mobile Apps

For information about how to install and run the Filr mobile app, see the Filr Mobile App Quick Start.

Following are known issues in the Filr mobile app:

iOS Devices

Files App

  • An error may occur while performing the Filr file operations by using Files App. To resolve the issue, try again.

  • The download icon continues to remain even after downloading the file to your iOS device.

  • On installing Filr, unable to login through file provider extension. To resolve this issue, in the Files app edit section, toggle the switch off and then on for the Filr app.

Unable to Preview Some Files on an iOS Device

On an iOS device, you cannot preview some files such as .odt, .odp, and.dwg if the Filr server uses a self-signed certificate.

Ensure that the Filr server uses a valid SSL certificate that is signed by a well-known certificate authority (CA).

Activity View Display on a iOS 11 Device Does Not Honor the AppConnect Apps or Whitelist Settings

The Activity View Display that displays on an iOS 11 device with MobileIron configured when you tap the Actions icon does not honor the Mobileiron AppConnect apps or Whitelist settings and lists all applications and extensions. Even if you tap an application or extension that is not listed in AppConnect apps or Whitelist.settings, files get shared to such blocked applications and extensions.

However, the Filr Open In option below the Activity View Display honors the Mobileiron AppConnect apps or Whitelist settings.

Filr Menu Options Not Listed After Logging In To Filr on an iOS Device That Has MobileIron Configured

When you log into Filr from an iOS device with MobileIron configured, the Filr menu options are not displayed on tapping the Actions icon if the Mobileiron Allow open in setting is set to either AppConnect apps or Whitelist.

To workaround this issue, you must create or modify the AppConnect app configuration and add the following key-value pair to the app-specific configuration section:

  • Key: MI_AC_DISABLE_OPEN_IN_ENFORCEMENT

  • Value: YES

iOS App Extensions Are Restricted When Applications Are Whitelisted

The iOS App Extensions and sharing through AirDrop is restricted when the applications are added to whitelist.

For example, when Google drive is added to whitelist (com.google.Drive), then sharing of files through the extensions such as AirDrop, Drive, Save to Files, and so on is restricted. The files can only be shared through applications such as Import with Drive or Copy to Drive.

Windows Device

Windows Phone Users See an Authentication Error When Filr Has a Self-Signed Certificate

If Filr is configured with a self-signed certificate, Windows Phone users see an authentication error when attempting to access Filr by using the Windows Filr mobile app.

You can resolve this issue in either of the following ways:

  • (Recommended) Configure Filr to use an official certificate in the Filr 3.4: Maintenance Best Practices Guide.

  • Send a copy of the self-signed certificate via email to each Windows Phone in your system. Users must then open the email and click the certificate attachment. After users click the attachment, the self-signed certificate is installed on the phone. When the certificate is installed, users are able to log in to the Filr app without seeing the authentication error.

All Mobile Devices

Files in Downloads Area Are Not Synchronized with Just-in-Time Synchronization

Accessing a file from the Downloads area from the mobile app does not trigger Just-in-Time synchronization.

If you have configured only Just-in-Time synchronization (scheduled synchronization is not enabled), files that are located in a Net Folder that have been added to the Downloads area on the mobile app are not automatically updated with changes made from the file system. The file is updated in the Downloads area only after a user uses one of the Filr clients to browse to the Net Folder that contains the file.

Files from the Home Folder in the Downloads Area Are Removed after Personal Storage Is Enabled

If users have added files from their Home folder to the Downloads area on the mobile app, and then the Filr administrator enables personal storage (as described in Enabling Personal Storage for Users and Groups in the in the Filr 3.4.1: Administrative UI Reference), files from the Home folder are removed from the Downloads area on the mobile app.

Files from Net Folders Are Removed from the Downloads Area after Being Renamed or Moved

If users have added files from a Net Folder to the Downloads area on the mobile app, and then the file is renamed or moved on the OES or Windows file system, the file is removed from the Downloads area on the mobile app.

Email Addresses in Share Dialog Cannot Contain Extended Characters

When specifying an email address in the Share dialog, if the email address contains extended characters (such as an apostrophe), an error message is displayed indicating that the item cannot be shared with the specified user.

6.10 Web Application

Password-Protected Files Cannot Be Viewed

Files that have been password-protected in the application where they were created cannot be viewed in Filr.

Enabling a User Account Fails For a Restored User Profile If the User’s My Files Storage Folder is Not Restored from the Trash

If you choose to enable a user account whose user profile is restored from the trash but the My Files Storage folder of the user is still trashed, the following error displays:

User could not be enabled because the 'My Files Storage' folder is in the trash.

Before enabling the user account, you must ensure that the user account is completely restored from the trash. To restore the user account completely from trash, you must restore both the user profile and the My Files Storage for the user from the trash.

6.11 Windows Subsystem For Linux and Filr Client

Filr client is currently not supported with the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature. Uninstall the Filr client before enabling your Windows machine for Linux. Failing to do so might cause your system to crash.

7.0 Filr 3 Bug Fixes

For a list of customer and partner reported bugs that were logged and fixed in Filr 3.x, see the following:

For more information about each bug, log in to your account and look up the bug numbers in Bugzilla.

8.0 Documentation