1.2 File Access and Collaboration Services

Users need to access data securely from a variety of locations including in the office and home, throughout the business or university campus, and on the road. Security and resource management should be easy to use for administrators and users. Security should protect the network resources, but not impair the users’ ability to do their job anywhere, at any time.

Storage Requirement

Novell OES Solution

Authorized access to data: The ability to restrict access to data based on user and applications rights.

NetIQ eDirectory provides a trustee-based rights and access control system that maintains access control rights throughout the enterprise. Trustee management is integrated into the NSS file system. NCP volumes for OES also support the file system trustee model for access control.

For information, see the NetIQ eDirectory 8.8 SP8 Administration Guide.

Authorized access to data in the event that media is stolen: The ability to meet the legal standard of making data inaccessible to software that circumvents normal access control, such as if the media were stolen.

NSS provides Encrypted Volume Support that requires password access to activate an encrypted NSS volume on server boot or restart.

For information, see the Managing Encrypted NSS Volumes in the OES 2015 SP1: NSS File System Administration Guide for Linux.

Heterogeneous client and application support with transparent read/write access to network storage areas: The ability to access network data regardless of client or server operating system, the file storage system, or the database format.

OES supports file access protocols for Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and UNIX clients. Native Linux protocols (such as Samba and NFS) and NCP are available for NSS and Linux POSIX file systems (such as Btrfs, Ext3, Reiser, and XFS). It also provides Novell CIFS and Novell AFP for the NSS file system.

For information see the following:

Heterogeneous client and application support in an Active Directory domain: The ability to access network data using the OES trustee model in an Active Directory domain.

Domain Services for Windows allows CIFS/Samba users in an Active Directory domain to access their data on NSS volumes and NCP volumes on OES 2 SP1 or later servers. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: Domain Services for Windows Administration Guide.

Secure access to network data from anywhere, at any time: The ability to securely access network data using a standard web browser from anywhere at any time without requiring special software on the workstation.

Novell NetStorage provides Internet-based access to network files. You can set up a NetStorage server to provide users with secure web-based access to their files from anywhere, at any time. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: NetStorage Administration Guide for Linux.

Secure access to local data from anywhere, at any time: The ability to access local data using a standard web browser from anywhere at any time without requiring special software on the workstation.

Secure access to local data from specified workstations at any time: The ability to access local data from different locations on the network.

Novell iFolder provides web-based and network-based access to local files stored on network servers. iFolder provides users transparent, cross-platform file transfer by synchronizing files across multiple workstations from a secure, centralized network server.

Users can use the iFolder client on specified workstations to access their local files wherever they are working and know that they have the most current version of a file to work with.

Data transfers between the server and clients are encrypted for secure data transfer.

Users can use a web browser to access files from anywhere using a secure sockets layer (SSL) connection; it does not require a virtual private network (VPN) connection.

Novell iFolder 3x supports shared access to designated folders in your iFolder storage area. For information, see the Novell iFolder 3.x documentation website.

Secure file access for data: The ability to provide secure file access to data for clients in a heterogeneous client environment.

The Novell Client provides secure file access from clients using NCP. NCP access is available for NSS volumes and NCP volumes. Users can also see a merged file view of a Dynamic Storage Technology shadow volume pair. For information, see the Novell Client 4.91 SP5 for Windows XP/2003 Installation and Administration Guide, the Novell Client 2 SP1 for Windows Administration Guide, and the Novell Client 2.0 SP3 for Linux Administration Guide.

Novell CIFS is available for NSS volumes. It supports cross-protocol file locking with NCP and AFP. Novell CIFS can also access files with a merged file view of a Dynamic Storage Technology shadow volume pair of NSS volumes. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: Novell CIFS for Linux Administration Guide.

Novell AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) is available for NSS volumes. It supports cross-protocol file locking with NCP and CIFS. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: Novell AFP for Linux Administration Guide.

Secure file access to data via FTP: The ability to provide authenticated and anonymous FTP access on the NSS file system and Linux POSIX file systems.

OES provides an integration of the PureFTPd file access protocol with eDirectory with the Novell FTP service option. This provides secure authentication of eDirectory users that are enabled with Linux User Management. For information, see Novell FTP (Pure-FTPd) and OES 2015 SP1 in the OES 2015 SP1: Planning and Implementation Guide.

Secure file access to data on Linux file systems: The ability to provide secure file access to data on Linux file systems for clients in a heterogeneous client environment.

OES provides the NCP Server for Linux, which provides the ability to create NCP volumes as shares over the Linux POSIX file system. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: NCP Server for Linux Administration Guide.

The Novell Client provides secure file access from clients using NCP for NCP volumes. For information, see the Novell Client 4.91 SP5 for Windows XP/2003 Installation and Administration Guide, the Novell Client 2 SP1 for Windows Administration Guide, and the Novell Client 2.0 SP3 for Linux Administration Guide.

OES provides an integration of the Samba file access protocol with eDirectory with the Novell Samba service option. This provides secure authentication of eDirectory users that are enabled with Linux User Management. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: NCP Server for Linux Administration Guide.

OES provides an integration of the PureFTPd file access protocol with eDirectory with the Novell FTP service option. This provides secure authentication of eDirectory users that are enabled with Linux User Management. For information, see Novell FTP (Pure-FTPd) and OES 2015 SP1 in the OES 2015 SP1: Planning and Implementation Guide.

OES supports native file access protocols such as NFS. For information, see Sharing File Systems with NFS in the SLES 11 SP4 Administration Guide.

Domain Services for Windows provides CIFS access for users. For information, see the OES 2015 SP1: Domain Services for Windows Administration Guide.