7.5 Setting Up Net Folders

7.5.1 Specifying Net Folder Servers

Net Folder Servers are connections to shares on Windows file servers. You can set up as many connections to each file server as needed. For the hands-on lab, you create one Net Folder Server for each Share defined in Setting Up the Other Hands-on Exercise Folders and Files.

Configuring the Home_Folders Net Folder Server

  1. Under Management, click Net Folder Servers.

  2. Four of the users that you synchronized with the Windows server have Home directories on the server. Therefore, the Net Folder Server for the Home_Folder$ share on your Windows server (for example, on NODS this is Win2008_Folders$) is already created and listed.

    IMPORTANT:Although Home folders are technically like other Net Folders in Filr, their primary role is personal storage. Therefore, they are accessed through My Files rather than through Net Folders.

  3. The Home Net Folder Server is marked with an icon that indicates that its configuration needs attention.

    In the Name column, click the Win2008-Home_Folders$ server link.

  4. Click the Server Type drop-down list, then select Microsoft Windows.

  5. One valuable Filr feature is the ability to share files and folders with others who do not have native file system rights.

    This sharing functionality is provided through Net Folder proxy users. However, the Home Net Folder Server has no Net Folder proxy user configured. That is why the yellow icon is displayed.

    You granted the Net Folder proxy user (filrproxyuser) full control of the Home_Folders$ share in Step 2. You simply need to make Filr aware of that assignment.

    1. Click the Authentication tab, then click the LDAP browser icon.

    2. Open the testusers container, then select the Filr proxy user.

    3. Do the following in the Proxy Password field:

      • Remove any spaces from the proxy user name.

        This is only an issue if you have specified a first and last name for your Filr proxy user.

      • In the Proxy Password field, type the password specified for the proxy user.

        On NODS, the password is novellfilr.

      • Click Test Connection.

  6. When you click Test Connection, you should see a message that the test succeeded.

    Click OK.

  7. Click the Synchronization Schedule tab, then select

    • Enable Scheduled Synchronization

    • Every Day

    • Repeat every 0.25 hours

    Then click OK.

  8. Click OK > OK.

    The warning icon is removed.

Configuring the Other Net Folder Servers

  1. To add Net Folder Servers for the other shares on the Windows server, click Add.

  2. Use the information in Table 7-1 as you add a Net Folder server for each share.

    Table 7-1 Net Folder Servers to Add

    Share

    Field

    Text

    Dev

    Name
    • Development

    Server Path
    • \\windows-server-IP-address\Dev
    • On NODS: \\172.17.2.117\Dev

    Proxy Name

    filrproxyuser DN

    On NODS: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

    filrproxyuser Password

    For example: novellfilr

    IS

    Name
    • IS

    Server Path
    • \\windows-server-IP-address\IS
    • On NODS: \\172.17.2.117\IS

    Proxy Name

    filrproxyuser DN

    On NODS: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

    Proxy Password

    For example: novellfilr

    Mrktg

    Name
    • Marketing

    Server Path
    • \\windows-server-IP-address\Mrktg
    • On NODS: \\172.17.2.117\Mrktg

    Proxy Name

    filrproxyuser DN

    On NODS: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

    Proxy Password

    For example: novellfilr

    Sales

    Name
    • Sales

    Server Path
    • \\windows-server-IP-address\Sales
    • On NODS: \\172.17.2.117\Sales

    Proxy Name

    filrproxyuser DN

    On NODS: cn=filrproxyuser,ou=testusers,dc=filr-lab,dc=local

    Proxy Password

    For example: novellfilr

    1. In the Configuration tab dialog, type the Name and Server Path for the Share, starting with Dev.

      Notice that the Net Folder Server names do not necessarily need to mirror the server and share names.

    2. Click the Authentication tab, use the LDAP browser to select the filrproxyuser, then type its password and click Test Connection.

    3. Click OK.

    4. Click the Synchronization Schedule tab, then select

      • Enable Scheduled Synchronization

      • Every Day

      • Repeat every 0.25 hours

      Then click OK.

    5. Repeat from Step 2 to create Net Folder Servers for the IS, Marketing, and Sales shares.

  3. Click Sync.

    When the sync operation completes, Filr has metadata for each Net Folder Server in its database.

  4. Click Close.

  5. Continue with Creating Net Folders and Setting Net Folder Access and Sharing Rights.

7.5.2 Creating Net Folders and Setting Net Folder Access and Sharing Rights

Net Folders are connections to specific directories on Net Folder Servers. You can set up as many Net Folders as needed. You can also specify a separate and independent synchronization schedule for each Net Folder.

  1. Under Management, click Net Folders.

  2. Create the Net Folders needed for the hands-on exercises.

    1. Click Add.

      Notice that although the Home_Folders$ share is Net Folder Server and four users have Home folders, there are no Net Folders displayed.

      Home folders are displayed and managed under My Files rather than Net Folders.

    2. Referring to Table 7-2, in the New Net Folder dialog type a name (starting with reviews). Select the appropriate Net Folder Server, type the relative path for the Net Folder, then click Test Connection to verify that the information is entered correctly.

      Table 7-2 Net Folder Configuration Information

      Name

      Server

      Relative Path

      Users with Rights to Net Folder

      Sharing Rights

      reviews

      Development

      personnel\reviews
      • ared
      • Allow Access
      • Internal

      comp planning

      Development

      personnel\salaries

      ared

      Allow Access

      projects

      Development

      projects

      ared

      Allow Access

      Internal

      External

      training

      IS

      training\quick_starts
      • ablue

      Allow Access

      Internal

      Re-share

      cool stuff

      Marketing

      advertising\brochures
      • ayellow

      Allow Access

      Internal

      External

      Public

      Share File Link

      Re-share

      projections

      Sales

      revenue\projections
      • ablack

      Allow Access

      Internal

      2014 tracking

      Sales

      revenue\quotas
      • ablack

      Allow Access

      Internal

    3. Click OK.

    4. Select the index and Just-in-Time synchronization options shown below.

      Although content indexing carries significant processing overhead and should, therefore, probably not be applied to all Net Folders, the content used in these exercises is so small that the overhead involved with indexing is miniscule.

    5. Click the Rights tab.

      In the User or Group field, begin typing the user listed in the table, then select the correct user.

    6. In the Grant Rights dialog, set the sharing rights as listed for the folder, then click OK.

    7. Click OK.

    8. Click OK, then return to Step 2 for the next Net Folder.

    9. When all of the Net Folders have been specified, click Close, then continue with Setting Guest Access.