Views

The Views option allows you to create a customized view of a Virtual File System (VFS). External users accessing the VFS will see only a specific subset of folders instead of the entire VFS.

This feature is useful for complex file systems, enabling you to aggregate selected folders into a single view. Views can also be updated dynamically by configuring user groups.

Before you begin

Before creating a View on the VFS, ensure that the ACL (Access Control List) option is enabled on the VFS.

ACLs determine whether the Virtual File System is accessible to all users and groups or restricted to specific ones.

When ACLs are disabled all users and groups can access the VFS without restrictions.

When ACLs are enabled access is granted only to specified users and groups.

Enable ACL on a VFS

If the ACL option is not enabled, follow these steps:

1. Go to Folders → Folders.

2. Select the VFS from the drop-down list at the top.

3. Click the Settings icon next to the VFS name.

A separate window will appear with the Enable ACL (Access Control List) option. Enable it and save the VFS.

Important: ACLs are not inherited by subfolders

ACL settings apply only to the folder where they are configured. They do not propagate to subfolders, and they are not inherited when a new subfolder is created.

Example: If you enable ACLs on the folder Projects, only that folder will have restricted access. If you create a subfolder called Reports inside Projects, the ACL settings will not automatically apply to Reports. You must configure ACLs for Reports separately.

Create a View

To create a view on the VFS, follow these steps:

1. Go to Folders and select the Views option.

   
2. The VFS with ACL enabled will be detected automatically.

   If multiple VFS have ACL enabled, select the correct VFS from the drop-down list at the top.

3. Click the button in the lower-right corner and select New folder.

4. In the New folder window, enter the name of the folder, which will belong to the VFS shown in the top left corner.

   1. The folder path will appear below the name.

   2. If you want to change the color of the folder, click the folder icon on the left of the Name and select the new color among those available. Then, click the check icon to confirm the new color.

   3. Optionally, enable the Advanced toggle switch to add:

      1. A Retention Class setting how long data shall remain available.​ An already existing retention class can be selected, or a new retention class can be created by clicking the New button.

      2. A Queue to order tasks and define how they must be processed. This means that given 2 queues with different priorities, the tasks associated with the queue having higher priority will be executed before those associated with the queue having lower priority. An already existing queue can be selected, or a new retention class can be created by clicking the New button. Queues are listed and created in Settings → Queues.

   4. Click the Folder link pane and in the Choose folder window select the VFS folder you want external users to have access to:

      1. Click the folder icon or the folder name to open the folder and list subfolders.

      2. Click anywhere in the row to give access to the entire folder, including all subfolders.

   5. Click Confirm and then Save.

   The folder will be listed on the Views page.

When you click the folder row, a panel will appear on the right, loading Basic information about the folder. This panel appears also when clicking the 3-dot button and selecting Details.

Assign external users to this view

Now you must assign an external user to this view. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Show folders tree icon on the top-left corner to list the entire structure.

2. Select the Root folder and the first folder of the view will be shown.

3. Click the 3-dot button on the right and select Details.

4. In the Access Control List (ACL) pane:

   • Click the pencil icon.

   • Select an external user from the drop-down list.

   • Grant at least listing permissions.

   • (Optional) Check User Home to make this folder the user’s starting point.

5. Repeat for all folders and subfolders in the view.

Folder options

When you click the 3-dot button on the right, a menu with the following options will appear:

• Details: a panel appears with Basic information about the folder. In this panel, you can edit the folder name, delete the folder, copy the path of the folder, open the linked folder, unlink the folder, add a tag, manage the ACL editing the permissions assigned to the external user or group and add new external users and/or group. Moreover, details about the ACL appear. Here, you can edit the permissions assigned to the user or group and add new users and/or groups. Remember that the external users must have at least listing permissions on the folders they must access.

• Add to favorites: this option adds the folder to the list of favorite folders. A star will be added to the folder icon. Favorite folders can be quickly accessed clicking the icon at the top of the screen.

• Open Linked target: this option opens the linked folder, listing its contents.

• Unlink folder: click this option to remove the linked VFS folder from the View.

• Delete: click this option to delete the folder in the View.