Chapter 5 Working with NetFile

This chapter describes NetFile and its operation. To configure NetFile, see Chapter 14, Configuring NetFile.

• Introduction to NetFile

• Supported File Access Protocols

Introduction to NetFile

NetFile is a file manager application that enables the user to access and operate on remote file systems and directories.

The NetFile component of Secure Remote Access is available as Java2 applets. The Java2 applet has a better interface and increased ease of accessibility.

NetFile provides the following key features:

• Facility to add or remove shares or folders

• File upload and download

• Search for files and folders

• File compression using GZIP and ZIP

• Mail facility within the NetFile environment

• Save the current NetFile session information

• Drag and Drop of files

Supported File Access Protocols

NetFile allows you to access remote systems using FTP, NFS, and jCIFS (Microsoft Windows) protocols. It includes the following file access protocol features:

• If the user specifies AUTODETECT to add a system, NetFile uses the following sequence to automatically detect which protocol to use:

  • Checks the host for FTP server on port 21. If the FTP response contains the string "NetWare", this is considered a NETWARE host.

  • Checks the host for NFS server on port 2049.

  • Checks the host for Microsoft Windows on port 139.

  • If all of the above fail, a message saying unable to determine the host type is displayed.

    The first file system type that is detected is used to connect to the requested host. The host detection order can be changed in the Portal Server administration console (PSConsole).

The connection fails if the servers are running on non-standard ports.

• NetFile enables users to select the file server and protocol of their choice.

  For each of these protocols, the platforms that are supported are listed below.

To upload files to a ProFTPD server using NetFile, "AllowStoreRestart" needs to be set to "on" in the proftpd.conf file on the host running ProFTPD server.

Support for Novell Netware is only through FTP server and not through native access.

To access Microsoft Windows (SMB/CIFS) file systems jCIFS must be installed on the Portal Server. jCIFS is an Open Source client library that implements the CIFS/SMB networking protocol.

To Create a NetFile Policy

1. Login to Portal Administration Console as administrator.

2. Select Secure Remote Access tab, and select NetFile tab.

3. Select the Organization/Role/User from Select DN drop-down box.

4. Set the privileges to access/deny hosts and services.

5. Click Save.

6. Restart the gateway.