3.8 Working with Mirrored Folders

A mirrored folder is a library folder within Novell Vibe that is synchronized with a folder located on a system drive outside of Vibe. When you perform basic actions (adding subfolders and files, modifying files, deleting folders and files) by using the Vibe interface or by accessing the file on the drive, the change is reflected in the other interface. The advantage to using mirrored files is that you can apply Vibe tools to files on a drive, including tools such as text search, workflow, and discussion (in the form of comments applied to the entry in the library folder).

For information about setting up mirrored folders for your Vibe site, see Configuring Mirrored Folder Resource Drivers in Advanced Installation and Reconfiguration in the Novell Vibe 3.2 Installation Guide.

Vibe supports two types of external folders:

When you mirror a folder, the action cannot be undone.

3.8.1 Prerequisites

The following prerequisites apply for setting up mirrored folders.

For information on how to modify mirrored folder settings after the Vibe installation, see Reconfiguring the Vibe Site in the Novell Vibe 3.2 Installation Guide.

3.8.2 Creating a Mirrored Folder

Ensure that you meet the prerequisites discussed in Section 3.8.1, Prerequisites.

  1. Navigate to the workspace where you want to set up the Mirrored Files folder.

  2. Click Workspace > New Folder in the Action toolbar.

  3. Provide a title for the folder in the Folder Title field.

  4. Select Mirrored Files in the Folder section, then click OK.

After you create a Mirrored Files folder, you need to configure it. For information on how to do this, see Section 3.8.4, Configuring a Mirrored Folder.

3.8.3 Deleting a Mirrored Folder

  1. Navigate to the Mirrored Files folder that you want to delete.

  2. Click Folder > Delete Folder in the Action toolbar.

    The Delete This Folder page is displayed.

  3. Select Also delete source contents if this folder or any of the sub-folders are mirrored folders.

    If you do not select this option, the folder and its contents are removed from Vibe only, and are restored in the next synchronization.

  4. Click OK.

NOTE:Undeleting files that have been deleted through a mirrored folder is not supported in Vibe. Files that are deleted through a mirrored folder cannot be recovered.

For more information on undeleting items in Vibe, see Section 14.0, Restoring Deleted Items.

3.8.4 Configuring a Mirrored Folder

After you create a Mirrored Files folder, you need to configure it.

  1. Select the Mirrored Files folder that you created in Section 3.8.2, Creating a Mirrored Folder.

  2. Click Folder > Edit Folder in the Action toolbar.

  3. Specify the following information:

    Resource Driver: Use this drop-down list to select the file on the external file system that you want the Mirrored Files folder to mirror.

    You can select only files that your Vibe administrator has configured to be used as mirrored files.

    Resource Root Path: This is the file path to the folder that you selected in the Resource Driver field.

    Resource Path Relative to the Root Path: If you want to display entries in a lower-level folder than the folder defined in the Resource Root Path field, use this field to specify the remaining file path.

  4. Click OK.

3.8.5 Synchronizing a Mirrored Folder

After you have configured your mirrored folder to mirror the appropriate files, as described in Section 3.8.4, Configuring a Mirrored Folder, you need to synchronize the Vibe Mirrored Files folder with the external folder that it is mirroring.

Vibe enables you to manually synchronize your mirrored folder, or set up an automated synchronization schedule for it.

Manually Synchronizing a Mirrored Folder

  1. Navigate to the Mirrored Files folder that you want to synchronize.

  2. Click Folder > Manually Synchronize in the Action toolbar.

    The Vibe Mirrored Files folder is synchronized with the external folder that it is mirroring.

Setting Up a Synchronization Schedule for a Mirrored Folder

  1. Navigate to the Mirrored Files folder that you want to synchronize.

  2. Click Folder > Schedule Synchronization in the Action toolbar.

    The Schedule Mirrored Folder Synchronization page is displayed.

  3. Specify the following information:

    Enable Scheduled Synchronization: Select this check box to enable scheduled synchronization. If you do not select this check box, the scheduled synchronization is not activated.

    Every Day: Select this option if you want your mirrored folder to be synchronized every day.

    Weekly: Select the days when you want your mirrored folder to be synchronized. (You can select multiple days.)

    At Time: Specify the time that you want your mirrored folder to be synchronized.

    If you select this option, your mirrored folder is synchronized only once per day.

    Repeat Every: Select the hourly interval when you want your mirrored folder to be synchronized.

  4. Click Apply > Close.

3.8.6 Mirrored Folder Tips

Consider these tips when working with mirrored files:

  • When you specify the path to the system folder, specify the full (absolute) path to the folder.

  • After creating the mirrored folder, you cannot alter the pathname, and you cannot reconfigure the Vibe library folder to be a non-mirrored folder.

  • To initialize the new mirrored folder, click Folder > Edit Folder, and use the Synchronize tool.

  • Do not attach additional files to entries in a mirrored folder. Behavior regarding additional attachments is unpredictable.

  • When you delete a file on the server, Vibe deletes the entire entry in the library folder (not just the attached file).

  • When you add sub-folders to a mirrored folder in Vibe, sub-folders are added to the folder in the other system.

  • When a Mirrored Files folder is exported, the content the folder is mirroring is preserved when the file is imported. However, the content is no longer mirrored from the original location, but rather is stored within the Vibe database as is the case with any other Vibe content. Only Vibe administrators can import and export workspaces and folders.