Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- top5things [2019_06_18 16:28] – [1 Understanding the unified cloud file system] jim
+++ top5things [2023_06_22 05:41] – external edit 127.0.0.1
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
-If you are one of those people who hates looking at help pages and manuals then this very short guide is for you ! It details the top 5 things you should understand when using the Enterprise File Fabric.\\ \\ The File Fabric enables the unification and access of private / public storage providers in one global file system. This global file system view is the same view from all of the File Fabric clients, whether it is the web file manager, mobile, or the desktop Cloud Drive's.\\ \\ The File Fabric adds extra features and provides Apps available that are not available from storage vendors, making accessing, managing and securely sharing data from different sources easy.
+If you are one of those people who hates looking at help pages and manuals then this very short guide is for you ! It details the top 5 things you should understand when using the Enterprise File Fabric.\\ \\ The Enterprise File Fabric provides accelerated VPN-Less collaboration with file and object storage
+for hybrid and remote workers. \\ \\ The File Fabric enables the unification and access of private / public storage providers in one global file system. This global file system view is the same view from all of the File Fabric clients, whether it is the web file manager, mobile, or the desktop Cloud Drive's.\\ \\ The File Fabric adds extra features and provides Apps available that are not available from storage vendors, making accessing, managing and securely sharing data from different sources easy.
-===== 1 Understanding the unified cloud file system =====
+===== 1 Understanding the unified Global File System =====
@@ Line 14: / Line 15: @@
 {{:/top5things:steps:sme_1_understanding_the_un.png}}
-Any Cloud Provider added is accessible from one "Cloud File System". This enables access and management of all data as if it existed in one unified namespace. To store or access files on a different storage provider, just navigate to a different directory.\\ \\ When you are working with files through the File Fabric files are not copied or moved from their original location. The File Fabric only caches the directory listing and information about the files (it creates metadata).\\ \\ To upload or download files from a storage system simply navigate to the directory and upload/download. If you drag a file from one cloud mapped folder to the other, it will actually be moved (or copied) from one storage system to another.\\ \\ Admins can choose the name that the Cloud is referred to on setup or simply change it later by right clicking and choosing rename on the provider root node.
+Any Storage Provider added is accessible from one "Global File System". This enables access and management of all data as if it existed in one unified namespace. To store or access files on a different storage provider, just navigate to a different directory.\\ \\ When you are working with files through the File Fabric files are not copied or moved from their original location. The File Fabric smart indexes storage in-place, whether it is on cloud or on-premises, and only caches the directory listing and information about the files (it effectively creates and leverages metadata).\\ \\ To upload or download files from any mapped storage system users simply navigate to the directory and upload/download. If users drag a file from one cloud mapped folder to the other, it will actually be moved (or copied) from one storage system to another.\\ \\ Admins can choose the name that the storage is referred to on setup or simply change it later by right clicking and choosing rename on the storage provider root node.
-===== 2 Understanding Smart Folders =====
-{{:/top5things:steps:sme_2_understanding_smart_.png}}
+===== 2 Refreshing the Storage View =====
-Smart Folders can store files from different clouds and they are created by the SME system on account creation.
+{{:/top5things:steps:sme_4_refreshing_the_view_.png}}
-The location of files stored in smart folder will be set to whatever your Default Cloud is set to in the Cloud DashBoard. You can also see this from your sidebar when logged into the web.
+When storage is first added, indexing in-place occurs and a metadata cache is created to enable quick access to files. No files are moved. They remain on the default storage. This metadata cache is merely information about files ie. filename, datestamp, size etc. and enables users to view data without the File Fabric continually asking the storage for the file list. This can be a very timely optimization particularly where large file or object lists exist.
-Any files uploaded to these smart folders will result in a folder being created on the primary cloud and files added stored. You can think of them as a view of files and can easily see which files are stored on which cloud from the icon next to the file.
+The default access mode is 'cached mode'. End users can force a refresh when operating in cached mode simply by click **//Refresh//** from the menu bar on the web File Manager and choosing **//Cloud Refresh//**.\\ \\ Admin's can choose as an alternative to cached mode, real-time mode, which, on each folder navigation, does a call to the remote storage. This may be slower if the remote file or object list is large (such as an S3 bucket with  millions of objects in it for example ,although in practice paging would be implement). Real-Time or cached mode can be setup on a per storage basis from the storage provider settings in the DashBoard by the Team Admin.
-You don't have to use Smart Folders at all but they can be very powerful for aggregating files from different clouds.
-If you wish to turn "off" your smart folders, login to the SME website, navigate to your DashBoard, and locate the "Extended Options" section at the bottom of the page, and turn off the ones you don't require.
+===== 3 Deleting Files =====
-===== 3 Why the Primary or default Cloud is important =====
+When files are deleted using a File Fabric client the files move to the "**//Trash//**" view before they are deleted on the actual storage. Directly on the storage the files deleted via the File Fabric will be accessible, until trash is emptied, from the **//.trash Folder//**.
+If users then choose to remove files from the Trash or empty the Trash then the files are also removed on the storage provider.
+As with a desktop operating system, Trash is a safety feature to ensure users don't accidentally remove files. This can also offer some protection from Ransomware threats that update and lock files and delete the original file (see the [[https://blog.storagemadeeasy.com/ransomware-protection-and-recovery-with-the-file-fabric/|Forever File feature]] for further Ransomware protection information).
-If you add more than one file store to The File Fabric, the first store you add will be what we term as the **//Primary Cloud//**. Basically this is the default cloud that will be used for the following actions:\\ \\ 1. Uploading files to Smart folders. "**//My Syncs//**", "**//My Contacts//**", "**//My email Backups//**", "**//My memos//**"\\ \\ You can change the primary cloud at any time by:\\ \\ **Web:** Click 'DashBoard' from the menu bar atthe top of the Web interface after login.  From the Cloud Providers list mapped to your Account (top right) click the check mark to the right of a provider to set it to be the default.\\ \\ **Mobile:** Click "Cloud Providers" from the menu, select the cloud you wish to make default, and choose "set as default"   from the menu.\\ \\ **Windows**: Choose 'Cloud Providers' from the menu, and then select the provider and click the "set as default"   button.\\ \\ **Mac:** Choose 'System Preferences', select the SME icon, and click the drop down on the Default provider field to select the default provider.
-===== 4 Refreshing the view of File Stores =====
-{{:/top5things:steps:sme_4_refreshing_the_view_.png}}
-When you first add a file store a cache is created to enable quick access to your files. No files are moved. They stay on your Clouds. This cache is merely information about files (metadata)   ie. filename, datestamp, size etc. and enables you to view your data without the File Fabric continually asking the remote file store for the file list. This can be a very timely optimization particularly where large file lists are in place. The default mode is cached mode.\\ \\ You can choose to exit cached mode and work in real-time mode, which may be slower if the remote file list is large. You can activate real-time mode from the DashBoard.\\ \\ To obtain the latest view of your stored files when operating cached mode simply click **//Refresh//** from the menu bar on the web File Manager and choose **//Cloud Refresh//**.\\ \\ **Apps refresh Options:**\\ \\ **Mobile:** Click on the 'Cloud Providers' menu option. Select the Storage Provider   you wish to refresh and either click the Sync icon (iPhone/iPad) or choose to "sync" from the menu (Android and BlackBerry). If you are in the Cloud Files view in the App you can also just click on a Folder action and choose to refresh which will update that directory.\\ \\ **Windows App Suite:  ** From the Cloud Dashboard click "Cloud Providers", select the cloud you wish to sync and click the "Sync now" button.\\ \\ **4. Mac App Suite:** Choose to "**//Refresh Drive View//**" from the Virtual Drive options in the taskbar.\\ \\
-===== 5 Deleting Files =====
+There is no time limit to how long files will remain in trash unless a Trash expiration policy is set.. Without a policy files will remain in Trash until they are deleted or Trash is emptied.
-{{:/top5things:steps:sme_5_deleting_files.png}}
+To remove files as soon as they are deleted  or to let the storage provider handles files that are deleted then there is an option that can be accessed from "**//Dashboard//**" to completely turn off the File Fabric Trash setting.
-When you delete files using a File fabric client the files move to the "**//Trash//**" view before they are deleted on the remote file store. If you look directly on the file store the files you deleted via the File Fabric will be accessible from the **//Trash Folder//**.
+===== 4 Full bi-modal Access to Data=====
-If you then choose to remove them from the Trash or empty the Trash then the files are deleted on the file storage provider.
+As the File Fabric is non-proprietary it means end that IT can offer access to the underlying storage as well as concurrent access to the same storage through the File Fabric. This is especially useful with file storage such as that offered by Windows Filers, SAN / NAS or other SMB accessible storage as it enables users to work directly from a share in the office whilst other users are able to work against the same share remotely.
-This is a safety feature to ensure you don't accidentally remove files. This can also offer some protection from Ransomware threats that update and lock files and delete the original file (see the [[https://blog.storagemadeeasy.com/ransomware-protection-and-recovery-with-the-file-fabric/|Forever File feature]] for further Ransomware protection information).
+If Files or Objects are added/removed/updated directly to the underlying storage then the File Fabric will discover them using its smart indexing features and the files or objects will be added or removed to the Global File Tree.
-There is no time limit to how long files will remain in trash. They will remain there until they are deleted or Trash is emptied.
+===== 5 Policy Driven=====
-If you wish to remove files as soon as they are deleted   or let your storage provider handles files that are deleted then there is an option that can be accessed from "**//Dashboard//**" to turn off the Trash setting.
+The File Fabric is policy driven. A number of policies in relations to things like Security, Sharing, UI etc can be setup by the Administrator for end users enabling the system to be as comprehensive or as simple as required,