Novell Filr 1.1Readme

1.0 Novell Filr 1.1Readme

October 2014

1.1 Product Overview

Novell Filr allows you to easily access all your files and folders from your desktop, browser, or a mobile device. In addition, you can promote collaboration around your files by sharing files and folders with others. For a detailed overview of Filr, see the How Filr Works–Overview Guide.

You can access Filr in the following ways:

From a web browser on your workstation, as described in the Filr Web Application User Guide

From a mobile device, as described in the Filr Mobile App Quick Start

From your desktop, as described in the Filr Desktop for Windows Quick Start and the Filr Desktop for Mac Quick Start

Novell Filr 1.1 provides the following enhancements:

Microsoft SQL support

Whitelist and blacklist for sharing

Mobile device management

Share using a Filr Link

Bug fixes

And much more

For a complete list of new features provided in Filr 1.1, see What’s New in Filr 1.1 in the Novell Filr 1.1 Installation and Configuration Guide.

1.2 Filr System Requirements

Novell Filr 1.1 system requirements (including requirements for mobile devices) are listed in Filr System Requirements in the Novell Filr 1.1 Installation and Configuration Guide.

1.3 Installation Instructions

Complete installation instructions are available in the Novell Filr 1.1 Installation and Configuration Guide.

1.4 Installation Issues

Section 1.4.1, Error When Configuring Secondary Hard Disk (/vastorage) on Xen

Section 1.4.2, Changing Second SCSI Controller to Paravirtual Can Result in Appliance Not Rebooting

1.4.1 Error When Configuring Secondary Hard Disk (/vastorage) on Xen

When installing the Filr, search index, or database appliances on Xen, configuring hard disks (/vastorage or /var) during the Filr installation program can result in the following error:

PCI: Fatal: No config space access function found.
Unable to read sysrq code in control/sysrq
i8042: No controller found
end_request:I/O error, dev xvda 18576

This issue can cause a small delay; however, the server will operate normally.

Verify that the disks are added as expected by running the following command from the appliance console:

df -h

/dev/xvda1       20G  5.5G   14G  30% /
/dev/xvdc1       12G  2.0G  9.4G  18% /vastorage
/dev/xvdd1      2.0G  257M  1.7G  14% /var

1.4.2 Changing Second SCSI Controller to Paravirtual Can Result in Appliance Not Rebooting

When installing or upgrading an appliance, changing a SCSI controller to VMware Paravirtual can result in an out of order condition, and the appliance cannot be rebooted successfully.

To change a SCSI controller to VMware Paravirtual in a way that is compatible with the Filr appliance:

Add the new disk to the appliance and select the new SCSI controller.

Power on the appliance (completing the installation or upgrade process if necessary). Ensure that all appliances in the Filr system are running by logging in to Filr as the Filr administrator at port 8443.

Shut down each appliance in the Filr system. (For information about how to safely shut down an appliance, see Shutting Down and Restarting the Novell Appliance in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.)

Change the controller to VMware Paravirtual.

Power on each appliance in the Filr system.

1.5 Upgrade Issues

Section 1.5.1, Rolling Upgrades Are Not Supported in a Clustered Environment

Section 1.5.2, Missing Files Due to an Accent Character Need to Be Re-Synchronized after Upgrade

Section 1.5.3, OES 11 SP1 Servers Must Be Updated before Upgrading to Filr 1.1

Section 1.5.4, Updating Password When Using Non-English Keyboard Results in Unknown Password

Section 1.5.5, Settings Are Not Preserved on Upgrade

1.5.1 Rolling Upgrades Are Not Supported in a Clustered Environment

Rolling upgrades (upgrading one Filr or search index server while another continues to serve clients) are not supported when upgrading from Filr 1.0.1 to Filr 1.1 in a clustered environment.

You must shut down all Filr and search index appliances before you begin the upgrade process. Then re-start the appliances after the upgrade is complete.

This issue does not affect small or non-clustered large installations.

For information about how to upgrade Filr, see Upgrading Filr in the Novell Filr 1.1 Installation and Configuration Guide.

1.5.2 Missing Files Due to an Accent Character Need to Be Re-Synchronized after Upgrade

In the initial Filr release, Filr did not distinguish accent characters in file names. As a result, if one file was synchronized from the file system to a Net Folder and then another file with the same name (except for the presence of an accent character) attempted to synchronize, the synchronization would fail.

This issue was fixed in Filr 1.0.1. Now, separate files or directories with names that are identical other than an accent character can be synchronized to Filr from the file system.

To enable these types of files to synchronize after upgrading from Filr 1.0 to later versions, do one of the following:

Enable Just-in-Time synchronization (JITS) on the Filr site if it is not enabled already. Then navigate to the folder that contains the files, in order to trigger JITS and update the contents of the folder. See Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

Perform a full synchronization on the Net Folder that contains the files. See Synchronizing a Net Folder in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

1.5.3 OES 11 SP1 Servers Must Be Updated before Upgrading to Filr 1.1

IMPORTANT:Failure to update your OES 11 SP1 servers can cause the configured eDirectory (LDAP) servers to fail.

Scalability and performance improvements provided in Filr 1.1 require that Filr-targeted servers be able to handle increased file service and other requests.

The NCP server that shipped with OES 11 SP1 cannot handle the increased requests.

If you have any OES 11 SP1 servers that match the following criteria, you must update the OES 11 SP1 server before upgrading to Filr 1.1:

Host Net Folders or Personal Storage Home folders

and

Do not have the December 2012 Scheduled Maintenance Update applied

To prepare the OES 11 SP1 servers to handle Filr 1.1:

Ensure that all Filr-targeted OES 11 SP1 servers have at least the December 2012 Scheduled Maintenance Update applied.

This updates the NCP server to a newer version that is capable of keeping up with the increased service requests of Filr 1.1.

Proceed with the upgrade to Filr 1.1.

NOTE:OES 11 SP2 contains the updated NCP server by default and is able to meet all Filr 1.1 service demands.

1.5.4 Updating Password When Using Non-English Keyboard Results in Unknown Password

When updating the root and vaadmin passwords during the Filr upgrade when using a non-English keyboard, the passwords are recorded as if you were using an English keyboard.

To work around this issue, specify 1234 as the root and vaadmin passwords during the upgrade process (or use another simple password that uses the same keys regardless of the keyboard language). After the system is successfully upgraded, change the password as described in Changing Administrative Passwords in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

1.5.5 Settings Are Not Preserved on Upgrade

When upgrading the Filr system, some settings might not be preserved. The following settings are not always preserved after upgrading to Filr 1.1:

SSH

Ganglia

WebDAV authentication method

Requests and Connection settings

After upgrading to Filr 1.1, verify that all settings are as desired.

1.6 Appliance Issues

Section 1.6.1, VMware Snapshots and Appliance Backup

Section 1.6.2, Cannot Expand Storage for /var Partition on Xen

1.6.1 VMware Snapshots and Appliance Backup

Do not use VMware snapshots as a backup method for Filr. Doing so inhibits your ability to upgrade Filr in the future.

If you do use snapshots, you must remove them before upgrading to a new version of Filr.

For more detailed information about how to back up various Filr components, see Backing Up Filr Data in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

1.6.2 Cannot Expand Storage for /var Partition on Xen

When running Filr in Xen environment, storage for the /var partition cannot be expanded after Filr installation.

The process for expanding storage for the /var and /vastorage partitions after installation is described in Managing Storage in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

1.7 Configuration Issues

Section 1.7.1, User Name Character Restrictions for LDAP Synchronization and Login

Section 1.7.2, User Names That Are Synchronized from LDAP Are Not Case Sensitive for Filr Login

Section 1.7.3, Restrictions on Applet Support

Section 1.7.4, Access Based Enumeration Is Not Supported When Using DFS for Windows Namespace

Section 1.7.5, NFS Support

Section 1.7.6, Access Manager Issues

1.7.1 User Name Character Restrictions for LDAP Synchronization and Login

LDAP user names must contain only numerical values 0 - 9 and upper-case and lower-case letters (A-Z). User names that contain special characters (for example, / \ * ? " < > : | ) cannot be used as Novell Filr user names. If your LDAP directory includes user names with these characters, they synchronize to the Filr site, but the associated users cannot log in.

These characters cannot be used in a Filr user name because a Filr user name becomes the user’s workspace title, and the workspace title becomes an element of the hierarchical path that leads to the workspace. These characters are not legal characters in Linux and Windows pathnames.

1.7.2 User Names That Are Synchronized from LDAP Are Not Case Sensitive for Filr Login

User names that are synchronized from an LDAP directory are not case sensitive when users log in to the Filr system.

Local user accounts (user accounts that are created in Filr and not synchronized from an LDAP directory) are case sensitive. Login credentials for local user accounts are stored in the MySQL database.

1.7.3 Restrictions on Applet Support

Applets are not supported on 64-bit Firefox on a system with a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) earlier than 1.6.0_12.

On a 64-bit operating system, updating to JRE 1.6.0.12 or later enables the applets to work.

For example, multi-file drag-and-drop from the desktop, file paste from the desktop, Edit-in-Place, and the graphical display in the workflow editor do not work where applets are not supported.

1.7.4 Access Based Enumeration Is Not Supported When Using DFS for Windows Namespace

When using Distributed File System (DFS) for Windows namespace, Microsoft’s Access Based Enumeration (ABE) is not supported.

1.7.5 NFS Support

NFS file system mounts are supported for placing the Filr file repository on a remote server from where Filr is running.

1.7.6 Access Manager Issues

Cannot Use Multiple Identity Injection Policies Simultaneously

Cannot Use Multiple Identity Injection Policies Simultaneously

When NetIQ Access Manager is configured to front Filr, you cannot use multiple identity injection policies simultaneously.

1.8 Net Folder Issues

Section 1.8.1, Sharing Folders from the Home Folder with Active Directory Can Result in Files Not Being Displayed

Section 1.8.2, Internal or System Errors on OES Server Can Result in Incorrect Information in Net Folders

Section 1.8.3, Moving or Renaming a File from the File Server Removes Shares

Section 1.8.4, Testing the Connection for the Net Folder Server Is Successful When Incorrect Path Information Exists

Section 1.8.5, Folder Path in Filr Cannot Exceed 48 Levels

Section 1.8.6, Net Folder Server Path Cannot Contain a Trailing Backslash

Section 1.8.7, Users Cannot Access Files on Non-English Windows Server When Access Comes through Certain Groups

1.8.1 Sharing Folders from the Home Folder with Active Directory Can Result in Files Not Being Displayed

There are many ways to configure Windows file servers to support user Home folders. In general, folder sharing from Filr for Active Directory users works successfully. However, if NTFS permissions on a Windows file system are not set up in a way that is compatible with Filr, when Active Directory users share a folder from their Home folder with another user, files in the shared folder might not be visible.

To ensure that files within a folder (in an Active Directory user’s Home folder) are shared when a folder is shared, ensure that inheritance is disabled for each user’s Home directory. You must also explicitly grant rights for subfolders in the Home directory.

In addition, Filr supports Microsoft’s Access Based Enumeration (ABE), which is available on Windows Server 2003 through Windows Server 2012. Home folder shares work properly when the Windows file system is set up using ABE.

1.8.2 Internal or System Errors on OES Server Can Result in Incorrect Information in Net Folders

If the OES file server is online and Filr can communicate to that server through NCP or CIFS, Filr might retrieve incorrect information from that server if it has internal or system errors (such as NDSD being down). If Net Folders do not appear to have the correct contents in Filr, check the health of the file server and ensure that it is configured and running as expected.

1.8.3 Moving or Renaming a File from the File Server Removes Shares

If a user moves or renames a file directly from the file server (instead of using a Filr client to do the move or rename), any shares that are associated with that file in Filr are removed. This means that users who gained access to a file via a share in Filr no longer have access to the file if the file was moved or renamed from the file server. Additionally, the file is not displayed in users’ Shared by Me and Shared with Me views.

If this situation occurs, files must be re-shared in Filr.

1.8.4 Testing the Connection for the Net Folder Server Is Successful When Incorrect Path Information Exists

When testing the connection for a Net Folder Server, the test connection is successful when the path in the Server Path field contains forward slashes (/). However, files and folders are not successfully synchronized to Filr through the Net Folder Server. Instead, backslashes (\) must always be used in the Server Path field when configuring a Net Folder Server.

1.8.5 Folder Path in Filr Cannot Exceed 48 Levels

When folders on the file system are synchronized to a Net Folder, the folder path in Filr cannot exceed 48 levels deep (nested sub-folders). The file synchronization code will reject any sub-folder whose depth will cause the corresponding Filr folder path to exceed the sub-folder limit of 48.

When the Filr system encounters the limit of 48 folder levels, the sync code returns the following message and the folder is not created:

The folder xxx has reached the allowed path maximum depth. Its sub-folders will not be added in the system.

1.8.6 Net Folder Server Path Cannot Contain a Trailing Backslash

When specifying the server path for a Net Folder Server, the server path cannot contain a backslash at the end of the path in the Server path field.

For example, \\server_DNS\volume is supported, and \\server_DNS\volume\ is not.

1.8.7 Users Cannot Access Files on Non-English Windows Server When Access Comes through Certain Groups

When using some non-English versions of Windows Server (such as French and Italian), users cannot access files when rights have been granted via the Everyone or Domain Users groups (for example, in French, these are the Tout le Monde or Utilisateurs du Domaine groups).

1.9 Filr Issues

Section 1.9.1, OpenID Authentication via Google and Yahoo Is Being Deprecated

Section 1.9.2, Reporting Issues

Section 1.9.3, My Files Storage Directory Is Displayed in Search

Section 1.9.4, Sharing Issues

Section 1.9.5, External Users Cannot Browse to a Folder When Moving or Copying a File from a Shared Folder

Section 1.9.6, LDAP Synchronization Issues

Section 1.9.7, Password-Protected Files Cannot Be Viewed

Section 1.9.8, Folder Nesting Issue

Section 1.9.9, Email Issues

Section 1.9.10, Cannot Upload Documents Created with Apple iWork (Pages, Keynote, etc.) or .app Documents to the Filr Web Client

Section 1.9.11, Cannot Drag and Drop Files into a Folder When Using Safari on Windows

Section 1.9.12, File Name Should Not Be More Than about 200 Characters

Section 1.9.13, WebDAV Issues

Section 1.9.14, Viewing a Filr Folder through Windows Explorer Displays an Additional Folder on Windows XP

Section 1.9.15, Cannot Log in to Web Client with Long User ID or Password

Section 1.9.16, Display Issues Due to Third-Party Software

Section 1.9.17, Cannot View ODP and ODG Files That Contain Charts, Graphs, and Tables When Viewing in HTML Format

Section 1.9.18, User Home Directories Are Not Synchronized until Trustee Cache Information is Updated

Section 1.9.19, Filr Does Not Support Aliases That Have Been Configured in the LDAP Directory

Section 1.9.20, Cannot Use Text Editors Such as Notepad or Wordpad as a Document Editor

Section 1.9.21, Edit-in-Place and Other Applets No Longer Work on Chrome

Section 1.9.22, Must Restart Filr System after Network Failure with Microsoft SQL

Section 1.9.23, Must Restart the FAMT Service after Running “Test Connection” during Net Folder Configuration

1.9.1 OpenID Authentication via Google and Yahoo Is Being Deprecated

Prior to Filr 1.1, users could log in to the Filr site with their Google or Yahoo account. This functionality is no longer available to new Filr users in Filr 1.1.

Users whose Filr accounts were created by logging in to Filr with their Google or Yahoo accounts prior to Filr 1.1 are able to continue accessing Filr via their Google or Yahoo accounts in Filr 1.1. However, because the OpenID authentication service that this functionality is based on is being deprecated by Google, Filr will be moving to other, more relevant authentication mechanisms in the future. Filr versions later than 1.1 will not support any OpenID authentication for new or existing users.

1.9.2 Reporting Issues

Email Report Is Missing Items from the Last Day of the Report

License Report Issues

Email Report Is Missing Items from the Last Day of the Report

When running an email report (as described in Email Report in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide), emails are not displayed for the last day of your report date range.

For example, if you are running an email report between February 3 and April 26, the email report does not show emails from April 26.

License Report Issues

The License Report currently counts Administrator, Guest, and three internal users (_emailPostingAgent, _jobProcessingAgent, and _synchronizationAgent) as local users. The Administrator counts as an active user, but the other four local users do not count against your Filr license usage.

For information about how to generate a license report, see License Report in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

1.9.3 My Files Storage Directory Is Displayed in Search

When Personal Storage is disabled and Home folders have not been configured, users can find a directory called My Files Storage when clicking in the global Search field and pressing the Spacebar. This is normally a hidden directory, but can it be displayed under these special circumstances.

When you click My Files Storage, it can take you to either your My Files area or to the profile of another user (depending on where you are when you do the search).

1.9.4 Sharing Issues

Editing an .rtf File Results in an Editing Conflict Error

Editing an .rtf File Results in an Editing Conflict Error

After editing an .rtf file from Filr in a text editor (such as Microsoft Word), saving the file results in a message indicating that the file has been changed by another author. In this case, select the option to combine your changes with the other author’s changes, then click OK.

Changes that you make to the file are saved to Filr as expected.

For more information about editing files in Filr using Edit-in-Place functionality, see Editing Files with Edit-in-Place in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide.

1.9.5 External Users Cannot Browse to a Folder When Moving or Copying a File from a Shared Folder

External users who have Contributor rights in a folder that has been shared with them are not able to browse to a destination folder when moving or copying a file. Instead, external users must specify the name of the folder where they want to move or copy the file in the Destination Folder field, as described in Moving Files and Copying Files in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide.

1.9.6 LDAP Synchronization Issues

Issues When Deleting Users through LDAP

Issues with Initial Synchronization of Filr Users

Sub-Groups Are Not Included in Group Membership during the Initial Synchronization

Default Groups and Containers in Active Directory Are Not Synchronized to Filr through LDAP

Issues with Renaming and Moving Users in Your LDAP Directory

Users Cannot Log in to the Filr Mobile App or Desktop Application with New Name or Password after Changed in LDAP

Active Directory Cross Forest Trust Relationship Is Not Supported

Issues When Deleting Users through LDAP

Novell recommends that you never select the option to delete users that are not in LDAP when configuring your LDAP synchronization. This feature will either be enhanced or removed in future Filr releases. User accounts that are deleted cannot be recovered. As a best practice, select the option to disable the account rather than deleting it.

Issues with Initial Synchronization of Filr Users

The LDAP value of the attribute you specify for the LDAP configuration setting LDAP attribute for the Filr account name must be unique throughout your LDAP directory. For example, if you specify cn, all users in the LDAP directory might not have a unique value.

To resolve this issue, use an attribute whose value is always unique across all containers, such as emailAddress.

Sub-Groups Are Not Included in Group Membership during the Initial Synchronization

When synchronizing groups that contain sub-groups to the Filr site from an LDAP directory, the sub-groups are not included in their parent group’s membership during the initial synchronization.

Perform an additional LDAP synchronization to ensure that group membership contains all expected sub-groups.

Default Groups and Containers in Active Directory Are Not Synchronized to Filr through LDAP

Membership of groups that are located in the Default Users OU (such as the Domain Users group) in Active Directory are not synchronized to Filr through LDAP.

Issues with Renaming and Moving Users in Your LDAP Directory

In order to rename or move users in your LDAP directory, ensure that you have specified a value for the setting LDAP attribute that uniquely identifies a user or group, as described in Configuring User Synchronization Options in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide. If a value is not specified for this setting, renaming or moving users in your LDAP directory might result in new users being created in Filr or in the existing user account being deleted.

Users Cannot Log in to the Filr Mobile App or Desktop Application with New Name or Password after Changed in LDAP

After a user is renamed in the LDAP directory or after a user’s password is changed in the LDAP directory, the user must use the old user name or password when logging in to the Filr mobile app or the Filr desktop application until one of the following occurs:

An LDAP synchronization is run

The user logs in to the web client using the new user name or password

A user can use the old or new user name or password when logging in to Filr from the web client.

Active Directory Cross Forest Trust Relationship Is Not Supported

Cross Forest Trust relationships in Active Directory are not supported in Filr.

1.9.7 Password-Protected Files Cannot Be Viewed

Files that have been password-protected in the application where they were created cannot be viewed on the Novell Filr site. This is working as designed.

1.9.8 Folder Nesting Issue

Because of database restrictions, the maximum number of nested folders that Filr allows is 45. For example, you can create a folder within a folder, and then create a folder within that folder, and so forth, until the folder structure is 45 levels deep. You cannot exceed 45 levels in the folder structure.

1.9.9 Email Issues

Cannot Communicate with an External Outbound Mail System

Test Connection Fails without User Name and Password Even When Authentication Is Not Required

Cannot Communicate with an External Outbound Mail System

If you cannot get your Filr site to communicate with an external outbound mail system (such as Novell GroupWise), you might need to configure the Filr outbound email server with TLS over SMTP. If your email application requires this type of configuration, you can configure Filr with TLS over SMTP by using STARTTLS, as described in Configuring Outbound Email with TLS over SMTP in Managing Email Configuration in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

Test Connection Fails without User Name and Password Even When Authentication Is Not Required

When configuring Filr to use an external outbound mail system (such as Novell GroupWise), the Test Connection button fails when no user name and password is specified, even when the Authentication required option is not selected.

For information about how to configure Filr to use an external outbound mail system, see Changing Outbound Email Configuration Settings in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

1.9.10 Cannot Upload Documents Created with Apple iWork (Pages, Keynote, etc.) or .app Documents to the Filr Web Client

When uploading a document that was created with one of the following types of files, you get an error indicating that the file or folder cannot be uploaded when attempting to upload to the Filr web client:

iWork document (such as a Pages, Keynote, or Numbers document)

Mac application file (a document with the .app extension)

The Filr web client is not able to upload these types of documents because the document architecture for these documents more closely resembles a folder, and you cannot upload folders using the Filr web client.

You can upload these types of documents to the Filr site by using the Filr desktop application or the Filr mobile app.

For information about how to upload documents using the desktop application or mobile app, see the Novell Filr Desktop Application for Windows Quick Start, the Novell Filr Desktop Application for Mac Quick Start, and the Novell Filr Mobile App Quick Start.

1.9.11 Cannot Drag and Drop Files into a Folder When Using Safari on Windows

You cannot drag and drop files into a folder (as described in Adding Files to a Folder in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide) when using Safari on Windows.

This is because the drag-and-drop window for adding files to folders in Filr uses HTML 5 functionality, which is not currently supported with Safari on Windows.

1.9.12 File Name Should Not Be More Than about 200 Characters

The exact maximum file name length depends on the configuration of the Filr server, but generally it is about 200 characters. If file names are too long, files cannot be added to Filr.

1.9.13 WebDAV Issues

Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When the User Password Contains a Space

Cannot Rename a File When Editing through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place)

WebDAV Limitations on Windows

WebDAV Limitations on Mac

Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When the User Password Contains a Space

If you try to edit a file through WebDAV (as described in Editing Files with Edit-in-Place in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide) when your user password contains a space, the authentication fails.

To edit files through WebDAV, ensure that your user password does not contain a space.

Cannot Rename a File When Editing through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place)

When using Edit-in-Place functionality to edit a file (as described in Editing Files with Edit-in-Place in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide), you cannot click Save As and rename the file. Doing so results in an upload error, and changes to the file are not synchronized to Filr.

WebDAV Limitations on Windows

Windows Update for WebDAV Functionality for Windows Vista and Windows XP

WebDAV/Edit-in-Place Issues with Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Office

Windows Update for WebDAV Functionality for Windows Vista and Windows XP

IMPORTANT:Install this update only on Windows Vista and Windows XP. Do not install this update on Windows 7.

In order to use the Novell Filr Edit-in-Place feature in your browser on Windows Vista and Windows XP, you must install the following Windows WebDAV update:

Software Update for Web Folders (KB907306).

This Windows update enables OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office to interact correctly with the Filr Edit-in-Place feature.

WebDAV/Edit-in-Place Issues with Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Office

Microsoft Windows Vista has some issues with WebDAV access that affect all WebDAV interactions. In addition, a Vista-specific issue with applets can prevent the Novell Filr Edit-in-Place feature from working properly. Ensure that you are running the latest version of Vista. Ensure that you have installed the Windows WebDAV update described in Windows Update for WebDAV Functionality for Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Windows Vista users who are using Internet Explorer might see a Java warning when they try to use Edit-in-Place. (Firefox users do not see this error.)

To configure Internet Explorer to support the Filr Edit-in-Place feature:

In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Internet Options.

Click Security, select Trusted Sites, then click Sites.

In the Add this website to the zone field, specify the URL of your Filr server, then click Add.

Select or deselect Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone, as appropriate for your Filr server.

Click Close, then click OK to save the security settings.

To configure Windows Vista to support the Filr Edit-in-Place feature in Microsoft Office, you must add new keys to the Windows registry for each Microsoft Office application.

In Windows Explorer, navigate to Program Files/Microsoft Office/Office12.

Scroll down to each Microsoft Office .exe in turn:

excel.exe
powerpnt.exe
winword.exe
...

Right-click each executable, then click Properties.

Click Compatibility.

Select Run this program in compatibility mode for, then select Windows XP (Service Pack 2) from the drop-down list.

Reboot the computer.

You should now be able to use the Filr Edit-in-Place feature with Microsoft Office files.

NOTE:Although these steps enable Edit-in-Place for Filr, they do not fix Vista’s inability to attach via WebDAV in Filr.

For additional information on applets, view the following Sun bulletins:

Bug 6440902

Bug 6432317

WebDAV Limitations on Mac

When you use WebDAV functionality in a Mac environment, you encounter the following limitations:

Limitations When Editing Files on Mac through WebDAV

Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When Using LibreOffice on a Mac

Using WebDAV to Access the Filr folder (via Mac Finder) Is Read Only

Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When Using Safari 7.x with OS X 10.9.x

Limitations When Editing Files on Mac through WebDAV

Edit-in-Place functionality is not supported on a Mac when you use Microsoft Office as your document editor. To use Edit-in-Place functionality on a Mac, you must use OpenOffice or LibreOffice as your document editor.

Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When Using LibreOffice on a Mac

If you are accessing Filr from a Mac and using LibreOffice as your document editor, you cannot edit files through WebDAV using Edit-in-Place functionality (as described in Editing Files with Edit-in-Place in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide).

If you are using Apache to front the Filr system, users are able to edit files through WebDAV when accessing Filr from a Mac and using LibreOffice as the document editor.

Using WebDAV to Access the Filr folder (via Mac Finder) Is Read Only

When using WebDAV to access the Filr desktop application Filr folder via Mac Finder, access is Read Only.

Cannot Edit a File through WebDAV (Edit-in-Place) When Using Safari 7.x with OS X 10.9.x

When accessing Filr with Safari 7.x and OS X 10.9.x, using Edit-in-Place functionality to edit a file (as described in Editing Files with Edit-in-Place in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide) results in an error and you are not able to edit the file.

To configure Safari 7.x and OS X 10.9.x to support the Filr Edit-in-Place feature and to support adding files to folders when using a browser that does not support HTML 5:

With the Filr site open, in Safari, click Menu > Preferences.

Click the Security tab, then click Manage Website Settings.

Select Java, then click the drop-down arrow next to the Filr site URL and select Run in Unsafe Mode.

Click Done.

1.9.14 Viewing a Filr Folder through Windows Explorer Displays an Additional Folder on Windows XP

On Windows XP, when you view a Filr folder through Windows Explorer, an additional sub-folder with the same name as the parent folder might be displayed.

To resolve this problem:

Launch a web browser.

Navigate to the Microsoft Download Center and install the Software Update for Web Folders (KB907306) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=17C36612-632E-4C04-9382-987622ED1D64&displaylang=en.

Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software update.

1.9.15 Cannot Log in to Web Client with Long User ID or Password

Users cannot log in to the Filr web client if the user ID exceeds 128 characters or the password exceeds 64 characters.

1.9.16 Display Issues Due to Third-Party Software

Scroll Bars That Serve No Purpose Are Sometimes Displayed

Filr Is Not Displayed Correctly When the Ask Toolbar Is Installed on Chrome

Scroll Bars That Serve No Purpose Are Sometimes Displayed

Scroll bars that serve no purpose are sometimes displayed in certain folders and collection views. This issue is only occasionally seen and is not harmful.

Filr Is Not Displayed Correctly When the Ask Toolbar Is Installed on Chrome

When the Ask toolbar is installed on a Chrome browser, it inhibits users from being able to view all of the Filr masthead. The Ask toolbar is not a Chrome-sanctioned toolbar and should not be installed on a Chrome browser.

1.9.17 Cannot View ODP and ODG Files That Contain Charts, Graphs, and Tables When Viewing in HTML Format

ODP and ODG files that contain charts, graphs, or tables are not displayed when viewing files by using the HTML view, as described in the following situations:

When viewing the file in a browser

For more information, see Viewing the File in Your Web Browser in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide.

When viewing a file from the Filr mobile app and clicking Generate Online Preview

1.9.18 User Home Directories Are Not Synchronized until Trustee Cache Information is Updated

When you add a user to your LDAP directory, the user’s Home directory in Filr is not displayed immediately after running the LDAP synchronization.

You must wait for the trustee cache information to be refreshed on the file system before Home directory information is displayed in Filr. (The default rights cache refresh interval is every 5 minutes. You can modify this interval as described in Setting Global Net Folder Configuration Options in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.)

1.9.19 Filr Does Not Support Aliases That Have Been Configured in the LDAP Directory

If your users have aliases associated with their user account in the LDAP directory, the alias is not synchronized to Filr during the LDAP synchronization. This means that users are not able to log in to the Filr site with their alias.

1.9.20 Cannot Use Text Editors Such as Notepad or Wordpad as a Document Editor

Filr allows you to change the default application that is used for editing files (as described in Changing the Default Editor Settings for a Single File Type in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide). However, you cannot use text editors such as Notepad or Wordpad as the default document editor for editing files because these applications do not support WebDAV.

1.9.21 Edit-in-Place and Other Applets No Longer Work on Chrome

The ability to edit documents in place (as described in Editing Files with Edit-in-Place in the Novell Filr 1.1 Web Application User Guide) and other Filr applets no longer works on Chrome version 35 and later.

Other Filr applets include the dragging and dropping of files in the following circumstances:

When clicking Add Files in older browsers that do not support HTML 5

When pressing the Ctrl key when clicking Add Files in any browser (this invokes the file upload applet rather than leveraging HTML 5 to do the upload)

1.9.22 Must Restart Filr System after Network Failure with Microsoft SQL

If your Filr system is leveraging a Microsoft SQL database and you experience a network failure, you must restart all appliances in the Filr system in order for Net Folders to become fully operational.

1.9.23 Must Restart the FAMT Service after Running “Test Connection” during Net Folder Configuration

After testing the connection of a Net Folder that is referencing an OES Volume, and when Microsoft Windows is selected in the Server type drop-down list, you must restart the FAMT service.

After the FAMT service is restarted, ensure that Novell Open Enterprise Server is selected in the Server type drop-down list before re-testing the connection to the OES Volume.

For information about how to restart the FAMT service, see Changing System Services Configuration in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

1.10 Database Issues

Section 1.10.1, Filr Installation Program Cannot Create the Filr Database in Microsoft SQL When the Database Name Begins with a Number

1.10.1 Filr Installation Program Cannot Create the Filr Database in Microsoft SQL When the Database Name Begins with a Number

In the configuration wizard when configuring a large deployment (as described in Configuring a Large Deployment for the First Time in the Novell Filr 1.1 Installation and Configuration Guide), the database name that you specify in the Database Name field cannot begin with a number when using a Microsoft SQL database. If the name does begin with a number, the configuration wizard does not allow the database to be created. For example, 1Filr is not accepted, but Filr1 is.

1.11 Search Index Issues

There are currently no known search index issues.

1.12 Desktop Application Issues

The Novell Filr desktop application allows you to synchronize your Novell Filr files with the file system on your computer and then modify the files without accessing the Filr site directly. Additions and modifications are synchronized between Filr and your computer.

For information about how to set up the Filr desktop application for your organization and perform other administrative tasks, see Configuring the Filr Desktop Application to Access Files in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

For information about how to install and run the Filr desktop application, see the Novell Filr Desktop Application for Windows Quick Start and the Novell Filr Desktop Application for Mac Quick Start.

For specific issues related to end users of the Filr desktop application, see the Novell Filr Desktop Application Readme.

Section 1.12.1, Logging in to the Filr Desktop Application Fails after User Name Changes in LDAP

Section 1.12.2, Client Issues

1.12.1 Logging in to the Filr Desktop Application Fails after User Name Changes in LDAP

If a user’s user name changes in the LDAP directory, the login to the Filr desktop application fails until the next time the LDAP sync runs or until the user logs in to the Filr web client.

1.12.2 Client Issues

For a list of issues related to the Filr desktop application (for Windows and Mac clients), see the Filr Desktop Application Readme.

IMPORTANT:You should become familiar with all client-related issues. If you believe any issues will be particularly troublesome for your users, you need to make users aware of the issues before users install the Filr desktop application on their individual workstations.

Issues related to client installation are also discussed in the Filr Desktop Application Readme.

1.13 Mobile App Issues

For information about how to install and run the Filr mobile app, see the Novell Filr Mobile App Quick Start.

Following are known issues in the Filr mobile app:

Section 1.13.1, Files in Downloads Area Are Not Synchronized with Just-in-Time Synchronization

Section 1.13.2, Files from the Home Folder in the Downloads Area Are Removed after Personal Storage Is Enabled

Section 1.13.3, Files from Net Folders Are Removed from the Downloads Area after Being Renamed or Moved

Section 1.13.4, Folders in Net Folders That Contain More Than 500 Folders Are Not Displayed

Section 1.13.5, Cannot Open Files in Another App with BlackBerry OS 10.0

Section 1.13.6, Windows Phone Users See an Authentication Error When the Filr Site Has a Self-Signed Certificate

Section 1.13.7, Email Addresses in Share Dialog Cannot Contain Extended Characters

1.13.1 Files in Downloads Area Are Not Synchronized with Just-in-Time Synchronization

Accessing a file from the Downloads area from the mobile app does not trigger Just-in-Time synchronization.

If you have configured only Just-in-Time synchronization (scheduled synchronization is not enabled), files that are located in a Net Folder that have been added to the Downloads area on the mobile app are not automatically updated with changes made from the file system. The file is updated in the Downloads area only after a user uses one of the Filr clients to browse to the Net Folder that contains the file.

1.13.2 Files from the Home Folder in the Downloads Area Are Removed after Personal Storage Is Enabled

If users have added files from their Home folder to the Downloads area on the mobile app, and then the Filr administrator enables personal storage (as described in Setting Up Personal Storage in the in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide), files from the Home folder are removed from the Downloads area on the mobile app.

1.13.3 Files from Net Folders Are Removed from the Downloads Area after Being Renamed or Moved

If users have added files from a Net Folder to the Downloads area on the mobile app, and then the file is renamed or moved on the OES or Windows file system, the file is removed from the Downloads area on the mobile app.

1.13.4 Folders in Net Folders That Contain More Than 500 Folders Are Not Displayed

Folders in Net Folders are not displayed in the mobile app if the Net Folder contains more than 500 folders. Instead, a message is displayed indicating that users must use the search functionality to locate files and folders within the Net Folder.

1.13.5 Cannot Open Files in Another App with BlackBerry OS 10.0

You cannot open Filr files in another app when using BlackBerry OS 10.0.

To resolve the issue, update your device to BlackBerry OS 10.1, uninstall the Filr app, then re-install it.

1.13.6 Windows Phone Users See an Authentication Error When the Filr Site Has a Self-Signed Certificate

If the Filr site is configured with a self-signed certificate, Windows Phone users see an authentication error when attempting to access the Filr site by using the Windows Filr mobile app.

You can resolve this issue in either of the following ways:

(Recommended) Configure your Filr site to use an official certificate, as described in Replacing the Self-Signed Digital Certificate for an Official Certificate in the Novell Filr 1.1 Administration Guide.

Send a copy of the self-signed certificate via email to each Windows Phone in your system. Users must then open the email and click the certificate attachment. After users click the attachment, the self-signed certificate is installed on the phone. When the certificate is installed, users are able to log in to the Filr app without seeing the authentication error.

1.13.7 Email Addresses in Share Dialog Cannot Contain Extended Characters

When specifying an email address in the Share dialog, if the email address contains extended characters (such as an apostrophe), an error message is displayed indicating that the item cannot be shared with the specified user.

1.14 Localization Issues

Section 1.14.1, Chinese Characters in Activity Logs

1.14.1 Chinese Characters in Activity Logs

When a report.csv file for an activity report is opened in Microsoft Excel, Chinese characters do not display correctly, even though the report.csv file has been created correctly. This is because Excel always reads the file using the ISO Latin character set.

One workaround is to use the OpenOffice.org Calc spreadsheet program instead of Excel. It displays Chinese characters correctly.

As a workaround in Excel:

Import the report.csv file into Excel by using Data > Import External Data > Import Data.

Select the report.csv file, then click Open.

Select Delimited, select UTF-8, then click Next.

Select Comma as the delimiter, click Next, then click Finish.

Excel should now display the Chinese characters correctly.

1.15 Security Issues

Section 1.15.1, Users Are Able to View the Existence of Files and Folders via the Home Folder Interface if Multiple Users Have the Same Home Folder Path

Section 1.15.2, Logout Does Not Happen When Filr Is Accessed Directly and Is Fronted by Access Manager

1.15.1 Users Are Able to View the Existence of Files and Folders via the Home Folder Interface if Multiple Users Have the Same Home Folder Path

If multiple users in your organization have the same Home folder path (for example, //server/share/data), with file system access rights distinguishing which files and folders users have access to, users have access within Filr to see the personal files and folders of other users. However, users do not have the ability to view the contents of the files and folders that they do not have access rights to.

1.15.2 Logout Does Not Happen When Filr Is Accessed Directly and Is Fronted by Access Manager

When Filr is fronted by NetIQ Access Manager, only the Filr administrator is able to access Filr directly. When Filr is accessed directly in this configuration, simultaneous logout for the Filr system is not successful.

After the Filr administrator logs in directly to Filr (and Filr is configured with Access Manager), all browser sessions should be immediately closed to ensure logout.

1.16 Filr 1.1 Bug Fixes

For a list of bugs that have been fixed since Filr 1.0.1, see the Novell Filr 1.1 Bug List. For more information about each bug, you can look up the bug numbers in Bugzilla.

1.17 Filr Documentation

The following sources provide information about Novell Filr 1.1:

Online product documentation: Novell Filr 1.1 Documentation Web Site.

Help system. Click your linked name in the upper-right corner of the Filr interface, then click Help.

The following provide additional information about Filr 1.1:

Novell Filr product site

Novell Filr Cool Solutions

Novell Filr Support Forum

1.18 Legal Notices

Novell, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this documentation, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Novell, Inc. reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes to its content, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revisions or changes.

Further, Novell, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to any software, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Novell, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to any and all parts of Novell software, at any time, without any obligation to notify any person or entity of such changes.

Any products or technical information provided under this Agreement may be subject to U.S. export controls and the trade laws of other countries. You agree to comply with all export control regulations and to obtain any required licenses or classification to export, re-export, or import deliverables. You agree not to export or re-export to entities on the current U.S. export exclusion lists or to any embargoed or terrorist countries as specified in the U.S. export laws. You agree to not use deliverables for prohibited nuclear, missile, or chemical biological weaponry end uses. Please refer to the Novell International Trade Services Web page for more information on exporting Novell software. Novell assumes no responsibility for your failure to obtain any necessary export approvals.

Copyright © 2013-2014 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.

A.0 Legal Notices

Novell, Inc., makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this documentation, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Novell, Inc., reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes to its content, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of such revisions or changes.

Further, Novell, Inc., makes no representations or warranties with respect to any software, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, Novell, Inc., reserves the right to make changes to any and all parts of Novell software, at any time, without any obligation to notify any person or entity of such changes.

Any products or technical information provided under this Agreement may be subject to U.S. export controls and the trade laws of other countries. You agree to comply with all export control regulations and to obtain any required licenses or classification to export, re-export or import deliverables. You agree not to export or re-export to entities on the current U.S. export exclusion lists or to any embargoed or terrorist countries as specified in the U.S. export laws. You agree to not use deliverables for prohibited nuclear, missile, or chemical biological weaponry end uses. See the Novell International Trade Services Web page for more information on exporting Novell software. Novell assumes no responsibility for your failure to obtain any necessary export approvals.

Copyright © 2013-2014 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.

Novell, Inc.

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www.novell.com

Online Documentation: To access the latest online documentation for this and other Novell products, see the Novell Documentation Web page.

Novell Trademarks

For Novell trademarks, see the Novell Trademark and Service Mark list.

Third-Party Materials

All third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.