8.4 Creating and Managing Net Folders

Net Folders are connections to specific directories on OES, NetWare, Windows, or SharePoint 2013 server. You can set up multiple connections for each Net Folder Server that you have previously configured. You can set up each Net Folder to synchronize on a schedule that you specify, independent of the schedule set for the Net Folder Server.

8.4.1 Creating Net Folders

Before you can create a Net Folder as described in this section, you must first create a Net Folder Server as described in Section 8.3, Configuring and Managing Net Folder Servers.

Log in to the Filr site as the Filr administrator.
1. Launch a web browser.
2. Specify one of the following URLs, depending on whether you are using a secure SSL connection:
```
http://Filr_hostname:8080
https://Filr_hostname:8443
```
  Replace Filr_hostname with the hostname or fully qualified domain name of the Filr server that you have set up in DNS.
  
  Depending on how you have configured your Filr system, you might not be required to enter the port number in the URL. If you are using NetIQ Access Manager, the Filr login screen is not used.
Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .
Under Management, click Net Folders.

The Manage Net Folders page is displayed.
Click Add.

The New Net Folder dialog box is displayed.
On the Configuration tab, specify the following information:

Name: Specify a name for the Net Folder. This is the name that users see when accessing the Net Folder. This can be any name you choose.

Net Folder Server: Select the Net Folder Server that the new Net Folder is associated with.

New Net Folder Server: Click this option if you have not already established a connection to a Net Folder Server, as described in Section 8.3, Configuring and Managing Net Folder Servers.

Relative Path: Specify the relative path to the folder on the Net Folder Server that you want this Net Folder to represent. If this field is left blank, it uses the root of the Net Folder Server. (The root of the Net Folder Server is the OES volume, the Windows share, or the SharePoint site.)

For example, if the relative path to the folder on your Net Folder Server that you want this Net Folder to represent is \\server_address\vol1\marketing, and \\server_address\vol1 is the server path to your Net Folder Server, you would enter marketing in the Relative Path field for the Net Folder.

The path must be entered using UNC syntax.

When connecting to a SharePoint site, if you leave the Relative Path field blank, all document libraries shown in Site Contents are synchronized to Filr. These libraries include the following: Documents, Form Templates, Site Assets, Site Pages, Style Library, and any user-created document libraries.

Test connection: Click this option to test the connection to the Net Folder.

Use the index content setting defined on the Net Folder Server: Select this option to configure this Net Folder to retain the same setting for indexing content as you selected for the Net Folder Server.

For example, if you configured the Net Folder Server to index content, select this option to index content for this Net Folder.

Use the index content setting defined below: Select this option to configure this Net Folder with a different setting for indexing content than you configured for the Net Folder Server.

For example, if you configured the Net Folder Server to not index content, but you want this Net Folder server to index content, select this option and also select the following option, Index the contents of this Net Folder.
- Index the contents of this Net Folder: When this option is selected, all content for each file within the Net Folder is indexed, and therefore is searched when performing a search in Filr. (Before indexing can occur, file metadata must first be synchronized either via a full synchronization or Just-in-Time synchronization.)
  
  Deselect this option if you do not want file content to be indexed. This means that file content is not searched when performing a search in Filr. However, file names and access controls are always indexed at the time of synchronization regardless of this setting. (For more information about content searchability, see Searchability of Data.)
  
  Files must first be synchronized to Filr before the indexing process can begin. For more information about the synchronization process, see Section 8.1.5, Planning the Synchronization Method.
  
  Indexing is performed as a background process. Depending on the number of files that need to be indexed, it can take several hours or even days before all content is indexed and searchable in the Filr system.
Use the Just-in-Time settings defined on the Net Folder Server: Select this option to configure this Net Folder to retain the same setting for Just-in-Time synchronization as you selected for the Net Folder Server.

For example, if you configured the Net Folder Server to use Just-in-Time synchronization, select this option to use Just-in-Time synchronization for this Net Folder.

Use the Just-in-Time settings defined below: Select this option to configure this Net Folder with different Just-in-Time synchronization settings than you configured for the Net Folder Server.

For example, if you configured the Net Folder Server to not use Just-in-Time synchronization, but you want this Net Folder server to use Just-in-Time synchronization, select Enable Just-in-Time synchronization. You can also modify synchronization options.
- Enable Just-in-Time synchronization: When you enable Just-in-Time synchronization, files are synchronized the moment users access them. Just-in-Time synchronization is one method that you can use to synchronize files from Net Folders to be accessed in Filr.
  
  When enabling Just-in-Time synchronization, you can configure the following options:
  - Maximum age for Just-in-Time results (in seconds): When a user clicks a folder or file, if it has been more than x seconds (x being the number that you specify) since the Just-in-Time operation retrieved information about this folder or file, it retrieves the information again. The default is 60 seconds.
  - Maximum age for ACL Just-in-Time results (in seconds): When a user clicks a folder or file, if it has been more than x seconds (x being the number that you specify) since the Just-in-Time operation retrieved access control information about this folder or file, it retrieves the information again. The default is 3600 seconds (1 hour).
There are various options for synchronizing files from a Net Folder. Before you decide on a synchronization method for a Net Folder, see Section 8.1.5, Planning the Synchronization Method.
Click the Rights tab, then use the User or Group field to begin typing the name of a user or group that you want to have access to the files and folders on the Net Folder. Click the name when it appears in the drop-down list.

You can specify the following types of users, groups, and Organization Units (OUs) for granting rights:
- Individual users (either imported from the LDAP directory or that have been created in Filr)
- Groups (either imported from the LDAP directory or that have been created in Filr)
- Organization Units (when using eDirectory as the LDAP directory)
After you specify the user, group, or Organization Unit and select it, the Grant Rights dialog box is displayed.
In the Grant Rights dialog box, select Allow access to the Net Folder.

Users are granted the same level of access rights that they currently have on the file system. Users who have rights on the file system do not have access to the same files through Filr until this option is selected for them. If you select this option for users who do not currently have access rights on the file system, these users cannot see files within the Net Folder, but they are able to see the folder names. (This access is obtained via the Net Folder Server Proxy user. For more information about the Net Folder Server proxy user, see Section 8.1.3, Planning the Net Folder Server Proxy User.)

For more information, see Section 8.1.4, Planning Access and Sharing for Net Folders.
Select whether you want the users or groups that you specified in Step 6 to be able to share with internal users, external users, and the public, and whether you want to allow them to give users that they share with the ability to re-share items.

Users who receive a share for a Net Folder do not have file system rights to the shared item. This means they can access the shared item only in the Shared with Me area through one of the Filr clients (web, desktop, or mobile); they cannot access the shared item directly through a mapped drive on the file system nor can they access the shared item from the Net Folders area through one of the Filr clients. This is because the Net Folder proxy user is used to grant the user access to an item through a share. (For more information about the Net Folder proxy user, see Section 8.1.3, Planning the Net Folder Server Proxy User.)

For more information, see Section 8.1.4, Planning Access and Sharing for Net Folders.
Click OK to save your rights changes.
(Optional) Click the Synchronization Schedule tab to configure the synchronization between the Net Folder and the file system server.

Specify the following information for the synchronization schedule:

Use the synchronization schedule defined on the Net Folder Server: If you already set a synchronization schedule for the Net Folder Server (as described in Section 8.3, Configuring and Managing Net Folder Servers), and if you want the Net Folder to use that same schedule, select this option. If you select this option, skip to Step 11.

Use the synchronization schedule defined below: Select this option to create an independent synchronization schedule for the Net Folder. (If you do set a synchronization schedule for the Net Folder, this schedule is used for synchronizing the Net Folder, instead of the Net Folder Server synchronization schedule.)

Synchronizations can be scheduled only if you have configured the Net Folder to use Full Synchronization as the synchronization method (as described in Section 8.1.5, Planning the Synchronization Method). When setting the synchronization schedule, be aware that the schedule that you choose can greatly affect system performance.

Before you set a synchronization schedule, review the information in Section 8.1.6, Planning the Synchronization Schedule.
- Enable scheduled synchronization: Select this option to enable the synchronization, then select from the following synchronization options:
  - Every day: Synchronize files every day.
  - On selected days: Synchronize files only on designated days of the week.
  - At: Select the time of day to synchronize files.
  - Repeat every xx hours: Select how frequently the synchronization occurs.
(Optional) Click the Data Synchronization tab to configure whether the Net Folder is synchronized with the Filr desktop application.

Specify the following information:

Desktop application: Select this option to allow users to access files on the Net Folder via the Filr desktop application. (For more information about the Filr desktop application, see the Filr Desktop Application for Windows Quick Start or the Filr Desktop Application for Mac Quick Start.)

How Filr is set up to synchronize with Net Folders can affect how quickly files from the Net Folder are available to the Filr desktop application. For specific information, see Usage of the Filr Desktop Application in Section 8.1.5, Planning the Synchronization Method.
Click OK to finish creating the Net Folder.

8.4.2 Managing Net Folders

After Net Folders already exist in your Filr system, you can manage them as described in this section.

Modifying a Net Folder

Log in to the Filr site as the Filr administrator.
1. Launch a web browser.
2. Specify one of the following URLs, depending on whether you are using a secure SSL connection:
```
http://Filr_hostname:8080
https://Filr_hostname:8443
```
  Replace Filr_hostname with the hostname or fully qualified domain name of the Filr server that you have set up in DNS.
  
  Depending on how you have configured your Filr system, you might not be required to enter the port number in the URL. If you are using NetIQ Access Manager, the Filr login screen is not used.
Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .
Under Management, click Net Folders.

The Manage Net Folders page is displayed.
(Optional) To filter the list of Net Folders, specify the name of a Net Folder in the Filter List field.
(Optional) To display user Home directories in the list of Net Folders, click the drop-down arrow next to the Filter List field, then select Show Home Directories.
Click the name of the Net Folder that you want to modify.
Make the desired modifications, then click OK.

Synchronizing a Net Folder

When you create a Net Folder, you can enable a synchronization schedule, as described in Section 8.4.1, Creating Net Folders.

To manually synchronize the Net Folder:

Log in to the Filr site as the Filr administrator.
1. Launch a web browser.
2. Specify one of the following URLs, depending on whether you are using a secure SSL connection:
```
http://Filr_hostname:8080
https://Filr_hostname:8443
```
  Replace Filr_hostname with the hostname or fully qualified domain name of the Filr server that you have set up in DNS.
  
  Depending on how you have configured your Filr system, you might not be required to enter the port number in the URL. If you are using NetIQ Access Manager, the Filr login screen is not used.
Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .
Under Management, click Net Folders.

The Manage Net Folders page is displayed.
Select the Net Folder that you want to manually synchronize, then click Sync.

In a clustered environment, it is a good idea to dedicate a single Filr appliance to handle the load of any manual Net Folder synchronizations. (For information about how to dedicate a Filr appliance, see Setting Aside a Filr Appliance for Re-Indexing and Net Folder Synchronization in a Clustered Environment in the Novell Filr 1.2 Installation and Configuration Guide.)

Viewing the Synchronization Status of a Net Folder

Log in to the Filr site as the Filr administrator.
1. Launch a web browser.
2. Specify one of the following URLs, depending on whether you are using a secure SSL connection:
```
http://Filr_hostname:8080
https://Filr_hostname:8443
```
  Replace Filr_hostname with the hostname or fully qualified domain name of the Filr server that you have set up in DNS.
  
  Depending on how you have configured your Filr system, you might not be required to enter the port number in the URL. If you are using NetIQ Access Manager, the Filr login screen is not used.
Click the admin link in the upper right-corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .
Under Management, click Net Folders.

The Manage Net Folders page is displayed.
In the Sync status column, the synchronization status is displayed. You can click the icon for more detailed status information.

Deleting a Net Folder

To delete a Net Folder, and thereby delete access to files from the Net Folder from within Filr:

Log in to the Filr site as the Filr administrator.
1. Launch a web browser.
2. Specify one of the following URLs, depending on whether you are using a secure SSL connection:
```
http://Filr_hostname:8080
https://Filr_hostname:8443
```
  Replace Filr_hostname with the hostname or fully qualified domain name of the Filr server that you have set up in DNS.
  
  Depending on how you have configured your Filr system, you might not be required to enter the port number in the URL. If you are using NetIQ Access Manager, the Filr login screen is not used.
Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .
Under Management, click Net Folders.

The Manage Net Folders page is displayed.
Select the Net Folder that you want to delete, then click Delete.