8.3 Exploring Filr Functionality for End Users

After you have completed the setup and administration instructions in this guide, the Filr VMs and your Windows server are ready for the exercises in the following sections:

8.3.1 My Files—Home Folders and Personal Storage

The files and folders that users see when they access My Files are illustrated in Figure 8-1 and demonstrated in the steps that follow the figure.

  • The top half shows that two storage locations can be assigned to users for their own use—personal storage on the Filr data disk and/or home storage on a Windows file server.

  • The bottom half shows how the assigned storage is displayed in My Files, depending on what a user is assigned.

Figure 8-1 What Filr Users See in My Files Depends on What Is Set Up for Them

In the following steps, take the role and do the steps of the users that are indicated.

  1. User ablack is a fan of the Hubble telescope and especially likes this image.

    On the exercise workstation, open a browser, then click the 1280X1024 link.

  2. Right-click the displayed image, then save it to the desktop.

  3. Close the browser.

  4. Open Windows Explorer and access user ablack’s home folder by entering the UNC path to the folder and logging in as user ablack with the password filrrocks.

    The folder is empty.

  5. Drag and drop (copy) the image from the desktop to user ablack’s home folder.

  6. Open the web browser, access Filr on port 8443 (https://172.17.2.112:8443) and sign in as user ablack.

  7. Click MyFiles and notice the folder named Home. This is user ablack’s home folder on the Windows server.

    Refer to Table 4-1 and notice that user ablack has a home Folder and is also assigned personal storage. In other words, user ablack is an example of the section labeled Both in Figure 8-1.

  8. Open the Home folder.

    The Hubble image file is there as you would expect it to be.

  9. Sign out as user ablack.

  10. Sign in as User ID: admin.

  11. Access the Administration Console (upper-right corner).

  12. Under Management, click Users.

  13. Select A Black, then click More and select Disable Personal Storage.

  14. Sign out as user admin, then sign in as user ablack.

  15. Notice that the Home folder has disappeared from user ablack’s My Files folder (the up-arrow left of Home has disappeared) and the Hubble image file is now directly listed as a child.

    Because you removed the Personal Storage that was assigned to user ablack, user ablack now fits the definition in the section of Table 4-1 that is labeled Only Home Folder. (Purging user ablack’s personal storage had no effect on the Windows server’s file structure or files.)

  16. Click the down-arrow next to the image, then select Share.

  17. In the Share with field, type all, then select All Internal Users.

  18. Click OK.

  19. Feel free to explore further if you want to get more experience with Filr’s My Files functionality and the role that traditional home folders play in that context. Then continue with Internal Sharing.

8.3.2 Internal Sharing

The exercises in this section demonstrate how Novell Filr users can share files with users who are internal to your organization.

User ared Initiates User apink’s Annual Review

User ared needs to complete the annual review for user apink, but user apink doesn’t have file system access to the review file (apink_2014.doc). Rather than sending the file in email or assigning user apink the required file system trustee rights on the Windows server, ared simply shares the review file with user apink and includes Editor privileges. First, however, ared optionally ensures that email notifications will be sent when the file changes.

  1. Sign in to the Web application as user ared. (This requires that you sign out as user ablack first.)

  2. Click Shared with Me and notice that the image that ablack shared is listed.

    IMPORTANT:If you are not experimenting with email notifications, skip to Step 4 and skip all subsequent steps that are marked (Email only).

  3. (Email only) Click A Red in the upper-right corner, then select View Profile.

    When the profile displays, notice that the email address you configured in Active Directory for user ared is listed.

  4. Click Net Folders > reviews > apink.

  5. Click the check box for apink_2014.doc, then click the file drop-down arrow to the right of the file and select Share File.

  6. In the Share with field, type p, then select A Pink.

  7. Select Editor, then click OK

  8. (Email only) Click the check box for apink_2013.doc and the file drop-down arrow again, then click Subscribe.

  9. (Email only) Expand the Email Only option, then select the email address you entered for user ared in Directory and click OK.

  10. Click the comment icon .

  11. Add a comment, such as

    Hi pink.

    Will you please edit this with your objectives and achievements and let me know when you have finished?

    Thanks.

    red

  12. Click Send, then close the Comments dialog.

User apink Responds to the Annual Review Request

  1. On the Windows 7 VM desktop in the notifications area, right-click the Filr icon.

  2. Select Synchronize Now.

  3. Select Open Filr folder.

  4. Double-click Shared with Me.

  5. Right-click apink_2013.doc, then select Open.

    The file should open in LibreOffice Writer, assuming the prerequisites are met for the Windows workstation.

  6. Make a few changes, then save and close the file.

    You can be as verbose or brief as you want.

  7. In the Shared with Me folder on the workstation, right-click the file you just edited and select Synchronize now.

  8. Sign in to the Web application as user apink

  9. Click Shared with Me.

  10. Click the drop-down arrow for apink_2013.doc, then click View HTML.

    Your changes are reflected in the view.

  11. Close the HTML view.

  12. Click the review file’s comment icon, type a comment indicating that the review is ready, then click Send and close the comment panel.

  13. Continue with User ared Approves User apink’s Annual Review.

User ared Approves User apink’s Annual Review

  1. (Email only) In the Windows VM, log in to the email account that you assigned to user ared, open the message from filr-admin (it might be in your SPAM folder), then click the Visit Message link.

  2. Sign in to the Web application as user ared.

    If you accessed it through the email link, the message from user apink is displayed. Otherwise, click Shared By Me, then click the message icon for apink’s review document.

  3. In the new comment box, type a comment indicating that the review is approved, then click Send.

  4. Close the view.

  5. Continue with (Email Only) External Sharing.

8.3.3 (Email Only) External Sharing

The exercises in this section demonstrate how Filr users can share files with users who are external to your organization.

IMPORTANT:Completing the instructions in Section 7.8, (Optional) Setting Up Email Communication with the Filr VM is required for the exercises in this section.

About External Users

External users are those who receive share invitations through email and subsequently provision themselves as system users. They can then log in to the system using the credentials they establish with Filr, or they can elect to be authenticated through a Google or Yahoo Open ID account.

For more information about the different kinds of users who can access Filr, see Users and Groups with Filr in the How Filr Works–Overview Guide.

User ared Gathers Input for the Next Release

User ared managed the ABC product release and is responsible for gathering input for the upcoming XYZ product. User ared also wants to invite input from a key partner named M Opaque. Inviting M Opaque to participate requires using the second email address mentioned in Section 2.0, Hands-on System Requirements and further explained in Section 7.8, (Optional) Setting Up Email Communication with the Filr VM.

  1. If you aren’t already signed in to the Web application as user ared, do so now.

  2. Click Net Folders > projects > current.

  3. Click the check box for abc_reqr.doc, then click the file drop-down arrow to the right of the file and select Share File.

  4. Click the envelope icon next to the search field.

  5. In the Share with External Users field, type your second email address, then click the plus sign (+) to add the external user.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Click the check box for abc_reqr.doc and the file drop-down arrow again, then click Subscribe.

  8. Expand the Email only option, then select the email address you entered for user ared and click OK.

  9. Click the comment icon to the right of the down-arrow.

  10. Add a comment, such as

    This is the requirements doc for our current release.

    It's time to gather input for the next release.

    Please log comments to let us know which features we need to include in the next release.

    Thank you.

    Then click Send.

  11. Close the Comments dialog.

  12. Continue with User opaque Self-Provisions and Responds to the Review Request.

User opaque Self-Provisions and Responds to the Review Request

  1. Log in to the email account that you used to invite user opaque to participate in the review.

  2. Open the message from the email address that you assigned to user ared, then click the abc_reqr.doc link.

  3. The Filr registration dialog lets external users register or log in as a guest.

    Register as M Opaque by typing First name: M, Last name: Opaque, Password: filrrocks, and Re-enter password: filrrocks.

    The User ID (email address) cannot be changed.

  4. Open the confirmation email, then click Sign in and access shared items.

  5. Type the password that you registered for M Opaque, then click Sign in.

  6. Read the comment from user ared, click the Actions down arrow, then click Subscribe.

  7. Click the arrow by Email only, then select M Opaque’s email and click Ok.

    Emails will now be sent to user opaque as others comment on the document or perform other actions.

  8. Log the following comment, then click Send.

    Competing products have had morning coffee functionality for over 18 months now.

    If the next release doesn't include this, we will be forced to switch.

    The comment is included.

  9. Continue with User ared Responds to User opaque’s Input.

User ared Responds to User opaque’s Input

User ared receives notification of user opaque’s comment (you can check ared’s email if you wish) and remembers that the requested feature has been discussed. It should already be in the next requirements document (xyz_reqr.doc), but ared isn’t certain that it is.

  1. Log in to the Web application as user ared.

  2. Click Net Folders > projects > future.

  3. Click xyz_reqr.doc, then click OK.

  4. Insert the following text before the period:

    , and it will make the morning coffee

  5. Save the file to the Desktop, then close LibreOffice.

  6. Drag the file from the desktop to the browser.

  7. Click Overwrite Files.

  8. Send a comment indicating that the file has been updated.

  9. Log a comment for the abc_reqr.doc file that Opaque’s requirement has been included in the next version.

  10. Continue with Public Sharing.

8.3.4 Public Sharing

User ayellow wants to get the word out about the abc version of the organization’s product and elicits the help of user aorange with the effort.

  1. Log in to the Web application as User ID: ayellow.

  2. Click Net Folders > cool stuff.

  3. Click the file drop-down arrow for abc_flyer.pdf, then select Share File.

  4. In the Add a user ... field, type o, then select A Orange.

  5. Click Public > File Link > OK.

  6. Log in as User ID: aorange.

  7. Click Shared with Me.

  8. Click the action drop-down for the abc_flyer.pdf file, then click Share File.

  9. Click Make Public.

  10. Click the link for exposing the public links to the file.

  11. Enter one of the URLs in a separate browser window or tab, then click Enter as Guest to see what Internet users who access the URL will see.

  12. Continue with Creating a Filr Group.

8.3.5 Creating a Filr Group

  1. Log in to the Web application as User ID: admin.

  2. Open the Administration Console and under Management click Groups.

  3. Type the Name, Title, and Description shown below, then click Edit group membership.

  4. Type user names in the User: field and press Enter to add the users listed below to the group, then click OK > OK.

  5. Click Close.

  6. Continue with Re-sharing and Searching.

8.3.6 Re-sharing and Searching

  1. Log in to the Web application as User ID: ablue.

  2. In Net Folders, navigate to training > Novell-Filr.pdf, then share the file with the filr_sig group with Viewer rights and rights to reshare the file with internal users.

  3. Close the Group Management dialog.

A few days after user ablue shared the file, user apink is talking with user ared in the hallway and mentions the Filr quick start.

  1. Log in as user ared, then in the search field, type quick and press Enter.

    Because the file is not found, user ared asks user apink to share the file.

  2. Log in as user apink and share the file with user ared.

  3. Log in as user ared and search for the file again.

    The file is listed in the search results window.

8.3.7 More Things You Can Try

There are a few additional files in the other Net Folders that you can experiment with as indicated below. You can also experiment with your own files.

Activity Type

Net Folder

File Location

Task Descriptions

Planning

comp planning

2015.xls

  1. User ared opens the file in LibreOffice and plans a 5.5% increase for user apink’s 2015 salary.

Planning

projections

fy_2015.xls

  1. User ablack shares the file with user agray as a viewer and asks whether the goals are realistic.

  2. User agray comments that the Q3 estimate is low and the Q4 estimate is high. User agray asks that $10,000 be transferred from Q4 to Q3.

  3. User ablack adjusts the Q3 and Q4 estimates, thanks user agray, and acknowledges the change.

Reporting

quotas

fy_2014.xls

  1. User ablack shares this file with user agray as an Editor and requests that user agray update it with Q4 actual results.

  2. User agray opens the file, enters $110,900, and saves the file.

  3. User agray comments that the file is now ready for review.