8.6 Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization

You can enable Just-in-Time synchronization for a given Net Folder in addition to or in place of full synchronization. Before you decide on a synchronization method for a Net Folder, see Section 8.1.5, Planning the Synchronization Method.

Just-in-Time synchronization is one method that you can use to synchronize files from Net Folders to be accessed in Filr. When you enable Just-in-Time synchronization, files are synchronized the moment users access them via the Filr Web application or via the Filr mobile app. This means that data users access through Filr is more accurate and that processes to make the data available are less resource-intensive. However, this also means that files cannot be indexed (and therefore are not returned in searches and are not available to be synchronized via the Filr desktop application) until after users access them for the first time from the Filr Web application or from the mobile app. (For more information, see Searchability of Data.)

Just-in-Time synchronization provides two key benefits:

  • Allows you to make files available to your users without needing to wait for all files within a given Net Folder to synchronize. Only those files that users want access to are synchronized. A file is synchronized to Filr at the time the user accesses the file within Filr.

  • Users do not have to wait for files to synchronize based on the Net Folder synchronization schedule (which by default is every 15 minutes). If one user edits a file and saves it, another user who views the file only a few seconds later will see the recent change.

You must enable Just-in-Time synchronization for the Filr system before you can enable Just-in-Time synchronization for individual Net Folders.

8.6.1 Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for the Filr System

  1. 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.

  2. Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .

  3. Under Management, click Net Folder Settings.

    The Net Folder Global Settings page is displayed.

    The following options for configuring Just-in-Time synchronization are available:

    Enable Just-in-Time synchronization of Net Folders: Select this option to allow Just-in-Time synchronization to be enabled for Net Folders in your Filr system. You can enable or disable Just-in-Time synchronization on specific Net Folder Servers or Net Folders.

    • Maximum wait time for results (in seconds): When a user clicks on a folder, the Just-in-Time operation retrieves the information for x seconds (x being the number that you specify). If the operation has not completed its work within x seconds, it returns to the user the work it has done up to that point, and the work continues in the background. The default is 5 seconds.

  4. Click OK.

  5. Enable Just-in-Time synchronization for each Net Folder where you want this type of synchronization to occur, as described in Section 8.6.3, Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for a Specific Net Folder.

8.6.2 Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for a Net Folder Server

Just-in-Time synchronization settings that are set for specific Net Folder Servers are not active until Just-in-Time synchronization has been enabled at the system level, as described in Section 8.6.1, Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for the Filr System.

By default, Just-in-Time synchronization settings are applied to all Net Folders associated with the Net Folder Server.

To enable Just-in-Time synchronization for a specific Net Folder Server:

  1. 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.

  2. Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .

  3. Under Management, click Net Folder Servers.

    The Manage Net Folder Servers page is displayed.

  4. Click the name of the Net Folder Server where you want to enable Just-in-Time synchronization.

  5. On the Synchronization Options tab, select Enable Just-in-Time synchronization, then specify 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).

  6. Click OK to save your changes.

8.6.3 Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for a Specific Net Folder

Just-in-Time synchronization settings that are set for specific Net Folders are not active until Just-in-Time synchronization has been enabled at the system level, as described in Section 8.6.1, Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for the Filr System.

To enable Just-in-Time synchronization for a specific Net Folder:

  1. 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.

  2. Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .

  3. Under Management, click Net Folders.

    The Manage Net Folders page is displayed.

  4. Click the name of the Net Folder where you want to enable Just-in-Time synchronization.

  5. On the Configuration tab, select Use the Just-in-Time settings defined below, then specify the following 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).

  6. Click OK to save your changes.

8.6.4 Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for a Specific User’s Home Directory

Just-in-Time synchronization settings that are set for specific user’s Home directory are not active until Just-in-Time synchronization has been enabled at the system level, as described in Section 8.6.1, Enabling Just-in-Time Synchronization for the Filr System.

To enable Just-in-Time synchronization for a specific user’s Home directory:

  1. 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.

  2. Click the admin link in the upper-right corner of the page, then click the Administration Console icon .

  3. Under Management, click Users.

  4. Click the drop-down arrow next to the user whose properties you want to view, then click User Properties.

    The User Properties page is displayed.

  5. Click Edit Home Folder. (This option is displayed only if a Home folder has been configured for the user, as described in Section 8.2.1, Configuring Home Folders.)

  6. On the Configuration tab, select Enable Just-in-Time synchronization, then specify 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 30 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 60 seconds.

  7. Click OK to save your changes.