6.1 Understanding Sharing

6.1.1 What Users Can Share

There are differences in what users can share depending on where they are sharing from.

  • My Files: Users can share both files and folders in their My Files area.

  • Net Folders: Sharing is restricted to files (no folders) within each Net Folder structure.

6.1.2 How Filr Provides Access to Shared Folders and Files

  • Files in Net Folders: Users access these through the proxy user assigned to the Net Folder server. Rights that they have or don’t have on the targeted file system do not come into play.

  • Folders and Files in Home Folders: Users access these through the proxy user assigned to the Home folder server, which is administered in the same dialogs as Net Folder servers.

  • Folders and Files in Personal Storage: Users access these through the Filr system. Proxy users are not involved.

6.1.3 Shared-Access Rights—Net Folders

The following foundational concepts apply to Net Folder sharing and shared-access rights.

  • Share Invitations Always Include Shared-Access Rights: When users receive a share invitation to a file in a Net Folder, they also receive either the Viewer or Editor shared-access right from the user sharing the file. (Contributor shared-access rights don’t apply to files.)

    For more information about shared-access rights and what they allow with respect to files in Net Folders, see Shared-Access Rights Vs. Net Folder Roles in the How Filr Works—Overview Guide.

  • Users Can’t Assign Shared-Access Rights That Exceed Their Net Folder Role: Users can grant only the shared-access rights that are allowed by the system-derived role they have in the Net Folder.

    For example, a user with the Contributor role in a Net Folder can grant Viewer or Editor shared-access rights to other users, assuming that the Filr system and Net Folder share settings allow it.

    On the other hand, a user with the Viewer role in a Net Folder cannot grant Editor shared-access rights even if the system and Net Folder settings would allow it.

    For more information about roles and how they are derived, see Net Folder Access Involves Four Roles in the How Filr Works—Overview Guide.

  • The Highest Shared-Access Right Wins: If multiple users share the same file and different shared-access rights with a user, the highest shared-access right applies.

    For example, if User A shares a file with User C and grants User C Viewer shared-access rights to the file, and then User B shares the same file with User C and grants Editor shared-access rights to the file, User C has Editor rights to the file.

6.1.4 Shared-Access Rights—My Files

Unlike Net Folder sharing, sharing from My Files requires only that sharing is enabled on the Filr system. (Home folders also require a proxy user).

Home folder users can grant shared-access rights up to the level allowed on the Filr system.

Personal storage owners can also grant shared-access rights up to the level allowed on the Filr system, unless an administrator has imposed sharing restrictions on them directly (see Restricting Personal Storage Sharing in the Novell Filr 1.2 Administration Guide).