# File Server

## Key Features

| ### Files in a vault
| Using the File Server module, you can save files in a safe storage area, a so-called vault, on a local computer. All access to vaults must go through Agile e6. The files may be retrieved from the vault for further processing (check out) or written back to the area after they have been processed (check in). The document is reserved for the user who performs the check out from the vault. Thus parallel editing of files by more than one person is prevented. Other users can only retrieve copies of the file - which may only be displayed but not modified - from the vault. When creating a new vault, a special type and kind of vault has to be defined.
| Types of Vaults
Type | Description | Purpose
IN | Check-in | Check in of files, vault for standard file management operations
BCK | Backup | Backup area, vault that is used for the backup of files. Save files from another vault.
EXT | External | External storage area, is a vault that is used for export operations. The export to this vault releases the file from the Agile e6 file management.
| Kinds of Vaults
| The File Server uses the configuration fiel 'fileserver.cfg' which is located in the File Server root directory. This configuration file contains a list of all valid vaults.
Kind | Description | Purpose
FMS | Standard | Standard storage area, encrypted machine-dependent vault. The file names are crypt, but the content is un-changed. A normal user has no read access to the physi-cal files.
PUB | Public | Public storage area, vault with direct read access for all users via mounts or client programs. Files are stored with original file names. Two versions of a file with the same file name are not possible. Every user has read access and is able to read the files in the storage area (directory). Please note that it is not possible to use File Replication together with public vaults! Please note that it is not possible to replace existing files. To replace a file, the existing file has to be deleted first!
EIF | Extended | Extended storage area, encrypted machine-dependent vault (with cache directories); meta files are created for each file. The files are stored in several subdirectories. Access from the file system is not possible.
| ### Export / Import Files
| Files not needed regularly may be exported or moved to an external vault (such as a CD-ROM). However, exported files must be re-imported before they can be viewed or modified again. Export and import actions can be requested by the user. The actual export or import of files can only be done by manager / system administrator. The following state are shown when performing an export / import:
State | Description
" " | Active file
"A" | File is requested for export
"I" | File is exported (by manager) and is therefore inactive
"E" | File is requested for import
| In addition to export and import functions, files may also be transferred to other vaults. This means files are copied to another vault before they are deleted in the original vault. For backup purposes all files can be stored to a backup vault from which they may later be retrieved.
| ### Distribute Files into a different Vault
| Sometimes files need to be distributed into several vaults. Distribution into several vaults can ensure that users, who do not have access to certain areas, will have access to certain files or you may wish to distribute into additional backup vaults.
| ### Agile e6 File Server Functions
| So-called PLM server processes perform all file handling functions (processes that can modify, copy or delete files are stored in a vault). PLM has full control over this process. Files can only be edited through the corresponding documents. The relationships in the file management relates to the DOCUMENT object. The import, export, and transfer of files as well as backup, retrieve, copy, and distribute functions for files are only available between vaults of the same storage type, i.e. FMS -> FMS, PUB -> PUB, EIF -> EIF. Files can only be deleted after all referenced documents have been deleted as well or if the corresponding relationship document file has been deleted. Files are not overwritten within a vault. In EIF and FMS vaults, new files with identical file names are generated whenever a file is checked in again. The original file is only deleted after the check-in process has been performed successfully. In PUB vaults no new file name are generated and the new file will have the same name as the original file. The check-in is canceled. In PUB vaults no new file names are generated and the new file will have the same name as the original file. The check-in is canceled.
| Vaults must be created by the system administrator as a physical entity in the network. Once this is done, the area can be registered with the storage area management functions of Agile e6. Protected areas - referred to as storage areas - can be defined at any node of the network that provides file server services. Such areas can only be accessed with SYSTEM or ROOT privileges. The import, export, or transfer of files must be performed by a system administrator. Users may only request that files are imported / exported (flag ID) using the file management functions.