Quick Start: Filr Hands-on for Windows

August 2013

This Quick Start contains abbreviated instructions for performing a brief evaluation of Novell Filr in a Microsoft Windows Active Directory environment. It features macro-task, high-level instructions, and is actually an abbreviated version of the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows. If you get stuck as you go, or if you are unsure about something, click one of the numerous links to the Hands-on Guide There you will find screen shots and other details to help you get un-stuck.

Here’s an outline of the topics covered.

1.0 Choosing a Deployment Type

Filr can be deployed as a small deployment (a single, “all-in-one” appliance) for test purposes, or as a large deployment (separate appliances) for more robust, production deployments.

IMPORTANT:Small deployments are not covered in this Quick Start. For small deployment hands-on instructions, see the sections marked Small Deployment: in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

2.0 System Requirements

The following is an overview of the system requirements for a Filr deployment with separate appliances. For detailed information, see System Requirements in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

3.0 Downloading Filr Software

Filr is distributed as a set of ready-to-deploy virtual machine files that are packaged together in three .zip or .tar files, depending on your virtualization platform.

The hands-on exercises require that you also download a zip file containing exercise folders and files.

  1. Access the Novell Download site and download the following:

    For more information, including screen shots, see Large Deployment: Software in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

4.0 Creating Test Users

In order for AD users to access Filr, their user accounts must be synchronized with the Filr appliance through LDAP.

The user tasks in this quick start involve eight test users plus a proxy user named Filr Proxyuser shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Test Users to Create

First Name

Last Name

User Logon Name

Home Folder

A

Red

ared

Yes

A

Pink

apink

No

A

Blue

ablue

Yes

A

Green

agreen

No

A

Yellow

ayellow

Yes

A

Orange

aorange

No

A

Black

ablack

Yes

A

Gray

agray

No

Filr

Proxyuser

filrproxyuser

No

  1. In your Active Directory Domain, create an organizational unit container named testusers.

  2. In the testusers container, create the users listed in Table 1.

  3. Assign the users that have color names the password F1lrrock$, or another password that complies with your AD password policy.

  4. Assign Filr Proxyuser the password N0v3llfi!r (or a policy-compliant password if required).

5.0 Preparing Folders and Files

The hands-on exercises require that you set up specific folders and files.

5.1 Unzipping the Exercise Folders and Files

  1. On your Windows server, extract the Filr-Exercise-Folders-w.zip file at the root of Drive C.

5.2 Setting Up the Home_Folders Share

Configuring Home_Folders Share Permissions

  1. Access the Filr-Exercise-Folders folder, then share Home_Folders as a hidden share named Home_Folders$.

  2. Remove access to the share by the Everyone group, then add the Domain Users group and assign it full control.

Configuring Home_Folders NTFS Permissions

  1. Remove NTFS permissions for the Users groups, then add full control for filrproxyuser.

5.3 Assigning Home Folders

  1. Access the properties for each user in Table 1 that needs a home folder (last column) and set up a home folder connection in their profile tabs.

  2. Ensure that the home folders were created as expected.

5.4 Setting Up the Other Hands-on Exercise Folders and Files

Creating Shares and Changing Share Permissions

Table 2 Share Permission Assignments

Folder Name

Users to Assign Full Share Permissions

Dev

ared; filrproxyuser

IS

ablue; filrproxyuser

Mrktg

ayellow; filrproxyuser

Sales

ablack; filrproxyuser

  1. Starting with folder Dev, share the folder, remove access for group Everyone, then add access and assign full control for the users listed in the right column of Table 2.

Changing the NTFS Permissions

Table 3 NTFS Permission Assignments

Folder Name

Users to Assign Full NTFS Permissions

Filr-Exercise-Folders

filrproxyuser

Dev

ared

IS

ablue

Mrktg

ayellow

Sales

ablack

  1. Remove NTFS permissions for the Users groups to Filr-Exercise-Folders.

  2. Add full control for filrproxy user to Filr-Exercise-Folders (as shown in Table 3).

  3. Add full control to the other folders (starting with Dev), for the users listed in the right column.

6.0 Deploying and Configuring the Filr Appliances

You deploy Filr, then Filrsearch, and finally MySQL. Then you configure them in reverse order, ending with Filr.

For details, including screen shots, see Large Deployment: Deploying and Configuring in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

NOTE:As in other sections, this section describes a deployment on VMware. For help deploying on other virtualization platforms, see Filr Server Requirements in the Novell Filr 1.0.1 Installation and Configuration Guide.

6.1 Deploying Filr

  1. In a location that is accessible from the vSphere client, unzip the three files that you downloaded in Downloading Filr Software.

  2. Using the vSphere client, attach to the VMware ESX server, click File > Deploy OVF Template, then select the Filr .ovf file and proceed through the dialogs until the appliance is deployed.

  3. Edit the virtual machine settings and add a 100 GB second disk to the appliance.

  4. Power on the virtual machine. When prompted accept the license, then fill in the required password and IP/network information and accept the defaults until you see a terminal screen with a message that the system is ready for appliance configuration.

6.2 Deploying Search

  1. Deploy the Filrsearch appliance in the same way, adding a 25 GB second disk, and entering the IP addresses and settings you identified for the search appliance.

6.3 Deploying MySQL

  1. Deploy the MySQL appliance in the same way, adding a 100 GB second disk, and entering the IP addresses and settings you identified for the MySQL appliance.

6.4 Configuring the MySQL Appliance

  1. Configure the MySQL appliance by launching a management browser and entering the following URL:

    https://MySQL-appliance-ip-address:9443

  2. Click the phpMyAdmin icon, type Username root and Password root, then click Go.

  3. Add a database user named filr for the Filr appliance and create a database with the same name and all privileges.

  4. Secure the MYSQL appliance by changing the root user password.

6.5 Configuring the Search Appliance

  1. Configure the Filrsearch appliance by entering the following URL in the management browser:

    https://Filrsearch-appliance-ip-address:9443

  2. Log in as the vaadmin user, using the password you specified in Step 1.

  3. Click the Filr Search Appliance Configuration icon, click Next, type and confirm a Password for the search service, then click Finish > Submit.

6.6 Configuring the Filr Appliance

  1. Configure the Filr appliance by entering the following URL in the management browser:

    https://Filr-appliance-ip-address:9443

  2. Log in as the vaadmin user, using the password you specified in Step 4.

  3. Click the Novell Filr Appliance Configuration icon, select Large Deployment, then click Next,

  4. In the Database dialog, specify the full DNS name for the MySQL appliance and the Password that you specified in Step 1, then click Next.

  5. In the Search Appliance dialog, specify the full DNS name of the Filrsearch appliance and the Password that you specified in Step 1, then click Next.

  6. Select a Locale, then click Finish.

7.0 Securing LDAP Communications between Filr and Active Directory

To secure communications between Filr and Active Directory, you need to create a self-signed certificate in Active Directory and export it in DER encoded binary X.509 format.

For details, including screen shots, see Securing LDAP Communications between Filr and Active Directory in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

  1. (Conditional) If you haven’t installed the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager snap-in in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) on your Windows server, do so now.

  2. On the Windows server, launch MMC, then type Ctrl+M.

  3. Open the IIS Manager Snap-in and select the Windows server that you plan to connect with Filr for LDAP synchronization.

  4. Create a self-signed certificate for the server.

  5. Export the certificate in DER encoded binary X.509 format.

  6. In your management browser, access the Filr appliance’s system configuration tools, then click the Digital certificate icon.

  7. Click File > Import > Trusted Certificate, browse to the certificate file, then click Open > OK > Close.

  8. Reboot the appliance.

8.0 Administering Filr

For details, including screen shots, see Administering Filr in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

8.1 Synchronizing LDAP Users

The Active Directory users that you created must be synchronized to Filr through an LDAP synchronization process.

  1. In the administrative browser, access the following URL:

    https://Filr-appliance-IP-address:8443

  2. Sign in as User: admin with Password: admin, then change the password as prompted.

  3. Click admin (upper right), select Administration Console, then under System, click LDAP.

  4. Click Add a New LDAP Source OK > OK.

  5. Enter the LDAP Source information.

  6. Skip to the Base DN field, then type the DN of your testusers container.

  7. Set the synchronization options: Run immediately, Synchronize user profiles, and Register LDAP user profiles automatically.

  8. Click Apply.

    All of the users in the testusers container are added.

  9. Click Close.

  10. Remove filrproxy from the list.

8.2 Setting Up My Files Folders

For details, see My Files (Personal Storage) in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

  1. Under Management > User Accounts, select A Black, A Green, A Orange, and A Pink.

  2. Click More > Enable Personal Storage.

8.3 Setting Up Net Folders

Net Folders provide access to the files and folders that you prepared earlier.

Specifying Net Folder Servers

Net Folder Servers are connections to Windows Shares on your file servers.

Configuring the Home_Folders Net Folder Server

  1. Under Management, click Net Folder Servers.

  2. A caution icon indicates that a Net Folder has a problem, specifically in this case, that no proxy user is assigned.

    Click the Home_Folders$ share name next to the icon.

  3. Type the DN and password of the filrproxyuser. Then click Test Connection > OK > OK > OK.

    The warning icon should disappear.

Configuring the Other Net Folder Servers

A Net Folder Server provides access to a Windows Share through Filr.

  1. Under Manage Net Folder Servers, click Add, then supply the information for the four exercise shares, starting with Dev.

    Share

    Text

    Dev
    • Name: Development

     
    • Server path: \\windows-server-IP-address\Dev

     

    Proxy name: filrproxyuser DN

    For example: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

     

    Proxy password: For example: N0v3llfi!r

    IS
    • Name: IS

     
    • Server path: \\windows-server-IP-address\IS

     

    Proxy name: filrproxyuser DN

    For example: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

     

    Proxy password: For example: N0v3llfi!r

    Mrktg
    • Name: Marketing

     
    • Server Path: \\windows-server-IP-address\Mrktg

     

    Proxy name: filrproxyuser DN

    For example: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

     

    Proxy password: For example: N0v3llfi!r

    Sales
    • Name: Sales

     
    • Server path: \\windows-server-IP-address\Sales

     

    Proxy name: filrproxyuser DN

    For example: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

     

    Proxy password: For example: N0v3llfi!r

  2. Click Test Connection to verify that the information is typed correctly.

  3. Click OK, set the synchronization schedule, then click OK.

  4. Repeat from Step 1 for each of the exercise shares.

  5. Click Sync to populate the database with metadata for the Net Folder Servers.

Creating Net Folders and Setting Net Folder Access and Sharing Rights

Net Folders are connections to specific directories on Net Folder Servers that are similar to traditional mapped drives.

  1. In the Administration Console, under Management, click Net Folders.

  2. Click Add, then enter the information for a Net Folder (starting with reviews). Be sure to test each Net Folder connection for accuracy.

    Net Folder Name

    Server

    Relative Path

    reviews

    Development

    personnel\reviews

    comp planning

    Development

    personnel\salaries

    projects

    Development

    projects

    training

    IS

    training\quick_starts

    cool stuff

    Mrktg

    advertising\brochures

    projections

    Sales

    revenue\projections

    2013 tracking

    Sales

    revenue\quotas

  3. Enable the Net Folder for indexing and just-in-time synchronization. Indexing causes significant processing overhead, but the exercises files and folders are small.

  4. In the Rights tab, assign the following sharing rights for the user indicated.

    Name

    User

    Sharing Rights

    reviews
    • ared
    • Allow Access
    • Internal

    comp planning

    ared

    Allow Access

    projects

    ared
    • Allow Access
    • Internal
    • External

    training
    • ablue
    • Allow Access
    • Internal
    • Re-share

    cool stuff
    • ayellow
    • Allow Access
    • Internal
    • External
    • Public
    • Re-share

    projections
    • ablack
    • Allow Access
    • Internal

    2013 tracking
    • ablack
    • Allow Access
    • Internal

  5. Click OK, then repeat from Step 2 until all seven Net Folders are created.

8.4 Enabling Sharing

Allowing users to share files and folders requires that you enable sharing for the Filr site.

  1. Under System, click Share Settings.

  2. In the User or Group field, start to type all, then select All Internal Users.

  3. Click Re-share Items and Share with the Public, then click OK.

  4. Click OK.

8.5 Setting Guest Access

  1. Under System, click User Access.

  2. Select Allow Guest access and Guest access is read-only, then click OK.

8.6 Allowing the Desktop Application to Be Deployed

  1. Under System, click Desktop Application.

  2. Select Be deployed.

    In the Auto-update URL field, type the following:

    https://Filr-appliance-IP-Address:8443/desktopapp/

  3. Click OK.

8.7 (Optional) Setting Up Email Communication with the Filr VM

The basic email service functionality that Filr provides is outlined in Filr Email Notifications in the How Filr Works–Overview Guide.

If you want to do the exercises that involve email, see the setup procedures in (Optional) Setting Up Email Communication with the Filr VM in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

9.0 Using Filr

9.1 Accessing Filr to Do the End User Exercises

Connecting to Filr through a Browser and Installing the Filr Desktop Application

  1. On the management workstation, start a browser and access the following URL:

    https://Filr-appliance-IP-Address:8443

  2. Log in as User ID: apink.

  3. In the upper-right corner, click apink, then download and install the appropriate Filr app.

    The app should launch automatically.

Starting the Filr Desktop Application

  1. On the Novell Filr welcome screen, click Start.

  2. In the Server URL field, type https://Filr-appliance-IP-address:8443, then log in and follow the prompts until the application is configured.

  3. A Filr folder is now available on the workstation.

Installing and Starting a Filr Mobile App

Filr mobile apps are available as free downloads in the Apple App Store, the Google Play App Store, and the Amazon Appstore for Android.

Download and install the Filr mobile app on the mobile device as you would any other device app.

To access the Filr Mobile App:

  1. Start the app in the same way that you start other apps on your mobile device.

  2. Log in as Username: ablack.

9.2 Understanding Test Users and Their Roles

The rights that the test users have to files and folders through Filr are directly dependent on the rights that you assigned them on the file system. You cannot modify file system rights through Filr.

To understand how file system rights and the existence of home directories affect the Filr experience for users, see the following in the How Filr Works–Overview Guide:

9.3 Exploring Filr Functionality for End Users

After you have completed the setup and administrations instructions in this QuickStart, your system is ready to perform the end user tasks. Because the tasks do not lend themselves well to a Quick Start approach, they are only presented in the Filr 1.0.1 Hands-on Guide for Windows.

10.0 Legal Notices:

Copyright © 2013 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted without the express written consent of the publisher. For Novell trademarks, see the Novell Trademark and Service Mark list. All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.