CollabraSuite, BEA Edition provides a means to collaborate on critical business data via the room file cabinet and the private briefcase data storage. Users may import documents into the collaborative environment, or export documents onto their local systems. Contents can be assigned privileges for groups or individuals, checked in/out and tracked for change history. Subscription services are also available for all content and data stored in the environment. Groups or individuals can receive a page notification when content subscriptions are activated and content status changes.
The the file cabinet and briefcase allows you to manage your documents by:
Importing, bulk importing, and exporting documents.
Viewing and editing the contents of a document.
Creating other document types.
Retrieving document history.
Moving and copying folders and documents.
Creating folders and sub-folders to hold documents.
Assigning document permissions and document subscribers.
Document Storage
Briefcase Documents
CollabraSuite, BEA Edition provides a means to transport and collaborate on critical business data through the use of a private data storage briefcase. The briefcase moves with the user as they traverse the virtual environment, and the contents can only be viewed by the briefcase owner. Briefcase contents can easily be copied or moved to a room file cabinet to be shared with other users when needed.
Figure 7-1 Briefcase
File Cabinet
CollabraSuite, BEA Edition provides a means to collaborate on critical business data via the room file cabinet. Contents can be imported from a user's desktop to a room file cabinet to facilitate knowledge sharing. CollabraSuite, BEA Edition provides fine grained access control by assigning read and write privileges for both groups and individuals. Documents can be checked out for editing to prevent users from making conflicting changes. An audit trail provides a detailed history of the evolution of every document. Subscription services are also available for all content stored in the environment. Through subscriptions, groups or individuals can receive a page notification when content is changed that may require their attention.
Users can create folders and subfolders in the file cabinet and briefcase to assist in the organization of documents.
To create a new folder or subfolder:
Select a target folder within the file cabinet or briefcase to insert the new folder.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select New > Folder. The Document Importer window will appear with the Folder tab displayed.
Type the name and description of the folder in the General Information section of the window.
Note:
Click Create to create the folder in the collaborative environment.
Figure 7-2 Create Folder
Import Documents
Users can place documents in the collaborative environment by importing into a briefcase or file cabinet. To import a document to the file cabinet, the user must have write permissions to the target folder. To export the document from the file cabinet, the user must have read permissions.
To import a document into a file cabinet or briefcase:
Select a target folder within the file cabinet or briefcase, or select an area within the file cabinet or briefcase to insert the document at the top level.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select New > File. The Document Importer window will appear with the File tab displayed.
Type the name and description of the file in the General Information section of the window.
Select the Browse button in the File Information section of the window. The Choose Local File window will display.
Locate the file to import and click Select.
Note:
Use the Files of type filter to assist in locating files of a specific type.
Click Create to import the document into the collaborative environment. A progress bar will appear for longer transfers.
Figure 7-3 New File
Bulk Import Documents
Bulk importing allows users to import several documents into a file cabinet or briefcase at once, rather than one at a time using the regular import methods.
To bulk import documents and folders into a file cabinet or briefcase:
Select a target folder in the file cabinet or briefcase or select an area within the file cabinet or briefcase to insert the document at the top level.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select New > Bulk Import. The Choose Local Files or Directories window will display.
Locate the files and/or directories to be imported and click the Select button.
Note:
Use the Files of type filter to assist in locating files of a specific type.
Select the Include Sub Folders option to include sub folders of any selected folders.
Select the Create button to create the document in the collaborative environment. A progress bar will appear during longer transfers.
Figure 7-4 Bulk Import
Viewing Documents
Users can view documents in their briefcase or in any file cabinet for which they have read privileges. Users may also select a custom application in which to view the document. Viewing documents opens a read-only version of the document that cannot be edited. To edit a document, it must be checked out. Users may also view the document history to see the changes that have been made.
To view the current version of a file cabinet or briefcase document:
Select the document from the file cabinet or briefcase.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Document > View to use the default application for your system or select Document > View With to select an application for viewing the document.
The document will display using the appropriate application for the document type or the selected application.
To select a custom application to view a document:
Select a document from the file cabinet or briefcase.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Document > View With. The Select an Application dialog window will appear displaying the current information about the document type and the current application used to view the document. This applies to all documents of the given type.
Select the Browse button. A file selection dialog window will appear.
Select an application to view the document and select the Open button.
Select Apply in the Select Application window. The selected application will launch with the document chosen from the file cabinet or briefcase.
Note:
This procedure can also be used for selecting a custom application for editing a document by selecting the Document > Edit With option from the context menu.
Note:
The Use Default button can be used to revert back to the system default viewer/editor for the given docuemnts type.
Figure 7-5 Select Application
Editing Documents
Users can check out and edit documents directly from their briefcase or any file cabinet to which they have write privileges. When a user checks out a document, it is opened in an external application and the filename will be italicized in the file cabinet or briefcase to indicate that the document is being edited.
Only one user may edit a document at a time. If no changes were made, or a user wishes to discard any changes, the editing session may be canceled. Administrators also have the ability to cancel editing sessions in progress regardless of the user. Otherwise, after changes are made, the user must save the document in the external application before checking it back in to the collaborative environment. When a document is checked in the filename will become plain text again. Users may also page the current editor of a document directly from the document location.
Note:
Users may not use the Save-As feature of the external application or the changes will not be saved in the collaborative environment. Document changes are saved and tracked so that other users may see the most recent version of the document as well as the document history for the document.
To edit a file cabinet or briefcase document:
Select the document from the file cabinet or briefcase.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Document > Edit to use the default application for your system or select Document > Edit With to select an application for editing the document.
The document will display using the appropriate application for the document type or the selected application. An Informational Dialog window will display to notify you that an external application is being used to edit this document.
To save an edited document to the file cabinet or briefcase:
Save the document in the external application that was being used to edit the document.
Select the italicized document from the file cabinet or briefcase where it was checked out for editing.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Document > Save. The Document Check In window will appear.
Note:
An information dialog window will display if the contents of the document have not been saved in the external application. If this dialog appears, answer No, save the document in the external application and return to step 1.
Enter a comment describing the changes that you made to the document in the Comment section of the dialog.
Click Check In to save the document into the collaborative environment.
Figure 7-6 Check In Document
To cancel an edit session for a document:
Note:
This process is useful whenever the document was placed in edit mode but no further changes to the document are necessary at the current time.
Select the italicized document from the file cabinet or briefcase where it was checked out for editing.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Document > Cancel Edit.
Creating Other Document Types
In addition to documents that might be imported, file cabinets and briefcases have the ability to hold other types of documents, such as links to websites or user notes that may be created in the collaborative environment.
To create a link in a file cabinet or briefcase:
Select a target folder in the file cabinet or briefcase or select an open area within the file cabinet or briefcase to insert the document at the top level.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select New > Link. The Document Importer window will appear with the Link tab displayed.
Type the name and description of the file in the General Information section of the window.
Type in the URL information in the Link field.
Click Create to create the link in the collaborative environment.
Figure 7-7 Import Link
Moving and Copying Documents
Users can move documents and folders from the briefcase to the room file cabinet and vice versa. In addition, documents and folders within a briefcase or file cabinet can be rearranged.
To move documents and folders between a file cabinet and your briefcase:
Note:
Highlight the document(s) or folder(s) you wish to move.
Right-click to display the context menu.
Select Edit > Cut.
Select the desired new location.
Right-click to display context menu again.
Select Edit > Paste.
To copy documents and folders to a file cabinet or your briefcase:
Highlight the document(s) or folder(s) you wish to copy.
Right-click to display the context menu.
Select Edit > Copy.
Select the desired new location.
Right-click to display context menu.
Select Edit > Paste.
Document Permissions
Document owners or administrators may create Access Control Lists (ACLs) for a document or folder. ACLs may be used to grant or deny users or groups read or write permissions to a document or folder. Any user or group that is granted read permission will be able to view the contents of a document or view the items contained within a folder without editing them. Any user or group that is granted write permission to a document or folder can view and edit the document or modify the contents of a folder. If a user or group is denied read or write permission to a file or folder they will be unable to view or edit a file or folder contents.
To modify the read permissions for a file or document:
Select the document or folder in the file cabinet.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Properties. The Edit Document/Folder Information window will appear.
Select the Read Permissions button.
In the Selected Users/Groups section you may indicate wether selected users will be granted or denied read permissions by selecting either the Grant or the Deny radio button. Granting users gives read permissions to those users while preventing all others from accessing the document. Denying users prevents those users from accessing the document while allowing all others access.
In the Available Users/Groups section, select the Users radio button if selecting by user, or the Groups radio button if selecting by group.
Highlight each group or user in the Available User/Groups list to be included in the Selected Users/Groups list.
Note:
To search for a specific user or group enter the first few letters of the person or group name in the Contains field.
Click the right arrow button to move the highlighted groups or users to the Selected Users/Groups list.
Note:
Accessible remote campuses will be displayed as tabs in the Available Users/Groups section. Click on the tabs to select users or groups from each campus and continue until all desired users or groups are displayed in the Selected Users/Groups list.
Click Apply to grant or deny the selected users and groups read permissions to the document or folder.
Note:
To remove read permissions from a document or folder highlight the user or group in the Selected Users/Groups list and select the left arrow button. Click Apply to save your changes.
To modify the write permissions for a file or document:
Select the document or folder in the file cabinet.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Properties. The Edit Document/Folder Information window will appear.
Select the WritePermissions.
In the Selected Users/Groups section you may indicate wether selected users will be granted or denied read permissions by selecting either the Grant or the Deny radio button. Granting users gives write permissions to those users while preventing all others from accessing the document. Denying users prevents those users from accessing the document while allowing all others access.
In the Available Users/Groups section, select the Users radio button if selecting by user, or the Groups radio button if selecting by group.
Highlight each group or user in the Available User/Groups list to be included in the Selected Users/Groups list.
Note:
To search for a specific user or group enter the first few letters of the person or group name in the Contains field.
Click the right arrow button to move the highlighted groups or users to the Selected Users/Groups list.
Note:
Accessible remote campuses will be displayed as tabs in the Available Users/Groups section. Click on the tabs to select users or groups from each campus and continue until all desired users or groups are displayed in the Selected Users/Groups list.
Click Apply to grant or deny the selected users and groups write permissions to the document or folder.
Note:
To remove write permissions from a document or folder highlight the user or group in the Selected Users/Groups list and select the left arrow button. Click Apply to save your changes.
Figure 7-8 Write Permissions
Document Subscribers
The Document Subscribers feature is used to notify users of modifications to documents or folders. A subscriber is alerted by page when a changed document or folder is checked back into a room. Changes that cause an alert to be sent include additions or deletions to folders or edits to a file. Folder subscribers are notified when changes are made to subfolders or documents in subfolders. Users may also use the document subscriber list to page all subscribers to a document or folder without making changes to the document. Remote users do not have the ability to update document subscribers for documents on a remote campus.
To add subscribers to a document or folder:
Select the document or folder in the file cabinet.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Properties. The Edit Document/Folder Information window will appear.
Select the Subscribers button.
Select the Users radio button to select by user, or the Groups radio button to select by group.
Highlight each group or user in the Available User/Groups list to be included in the Selected Users/Groups list.
Note:
To search for a specific user or group enter the first few letters of the person or group name in the Contains field.
Click the right arrow button to move the highlighted groups or users to the Selected Users/Groups list.
Note:
Accessible remote campuses will be displayed as tabs in the Available Users/Groups section. Click on the tabs to select users or groups from each campus and continue until all desired users or groups are displayed in the Selected Users/Groups list.
Click Apply to add the selected users and groups to the document or folder subscriber list.
Note:
To remove subscribers from a document or folder highlight the user or group in the Selected Users/Groups list and select the left arrow button. Select Apply to save your changes.
Figure 7-9 Subscribers
To page the owner of a document or folder:
Select a document or folder from a file cabinet.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select the Page Owner menu option. The Page Composer window will display with the document owner listed as the page recipient.
Enter the subject and text of the message.
Click Send to send the page to the recipient.
Document History
There are two types of document history that are recorded by the system: the change log and access history. The change log displays which users have made changes, the date of their changes, and the comments each user has added about their changes. Through the change log, users are able to access previous versions of the file in order to view changes in more detail. The access history allows users to track how often the document has been accessed and by which users, as well as their action while accessing the document, i.e., creating or reviewing.
To view the change log for a document or folder:
Highlight the document on which you wish to view the change history.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Properties. The Document/Folder Information window will appear with the change history displayed.
Figure 7-10 Properties
To view the access history for a document or folder:
Highlight the document on which you wish to view the access history.
Right-click to view the context menu.
Select Document > History. A web page displaying the access history for the document will appear.
