CTERA provides the following mechanisms to ensure that shared files remain consistent while still ensuring teams have the speed to collaborate locally without waiting on a network, but nevertheless keeping content in sync globally:
- Conflict files, described in Understanding Conflict Files.
- Global file locking whereby specific cloud drive folders are configured so that only one user at a time can access the file for editing and the file will be locked for all other users.
In industries like engineering, media, and finance, overwriting a live CAD file or financial spreadsheet and then depending on conflict files to resolve differences is not viable. For these files global file locking ensures strict locking within a site.
Because not everything needs to be locked when editing, potentially slowing down productivity, the administrator can define specific folders that when files in the folders are being editied they are locked so other users cannot make modifications. In addition, the administrator can selectively enforce strict global locking on the files within these folders that actually need locking further refining the global file locking mechanism. Thus, instead of slowing the whole system down with blanket file locking on every file, the CTERA global file locking mechanism only targets what needs to be safeguarded by locking.
- The CTERA Portal must be licensed for global file locking:
The license is added by a global administrator, described in Installing the Portal License. When global file locking is licensed, the Cloud Drive Folders page is displayed with the locking status for each cloud drive folder.
- Global file locking requires that the CTERA Edge Filers are version 7.11.4900.11 or later and that:
- Files are access using the SMB protocol.
- The edge filer syncing is not disabled or suspended.
- Global file locking is supported by default for the following file types: indd, idlk, dwl, dwl2, dwt, dwg, ppt, pptx, xls, xlsx, doc, docx, rvt, and revit backup files.
- The conflict file mechanism, and not file locking, is applied to files accessed directly from the portal or using CTERA Drive Share, CTERA Drive Connect or a CTERA Edge Filer before version 7.11.4900.11.
- When a user attempts to sync a file to the portal that is locked, using either CTERA Drive Share or a CTERA Edge Filer version before version 7.11.4900.11, a local conflict file is created and the file is not synced to the portal.
Enabling Global File Locking On a Cloud Drive Folder
After the portal is licensed, cloud drive folders can have file locking enabled and the Cloud Drive Folders page is displayed with the additional information that each folder has locking enabled or disabled.
To enable global file locking on a cloud drive folder:
- Either when creating or editing the cloud drive folder, slide Enable Global File Locking on.
The page is redisplayed includng the default list of file type extensions that can be locked when opened for editing:ppt,pptx,xls,xlsx,doc,docx,indd,idlk,dwl,dwl2,dwt,dwg,rvt,dat
- Edit the Supported file types list with the file types you want locked.
All files in the folder with an extension in the Supported file types list are locked when opened for editing so that only one user at a time can edit the file. Locking applies to files that were already in the folder when the locking was applied as well as to files added to the folder after locking is applied. A message is displayed that the file can be opened only for viewing when other users try to open a locked file.
Managing the Files in a Folder with Locking Enabled
An additional navigation pane option, Global File Locking, under Global File System displays all the files that are locked.
where:
Cloud Folder – The cloud drive folder with global file locking enabled.
File Path – The path of a file that is currently locked.
File Name – The name of a file that is currently locked.
Locking Filer – The name of the CTERA Edge Filer where the locked file is being edited.
Lock Time – The date and time the lock was applied.
By default a file in the cloud drive folder is locked as soon as one user opens the file for editing. The administrator can remove locking on a folder, all the files accessed from a specific CTERA Edge Filer, or on a specific file, for example, if the file has been locked for a long time because the user forgot to close it, or if a file that does not need the locking mechanism is in a folder that does need the locking mechanism.
If the administrator removes locking, the conflict file mechanism is implemented.
- Locks are maintained locally when the the edge filer is disconnected from the portal.
- Rebooting the portal does not remove locks.
- When syncing is suspended access to file types that can be locked is prevented.
- If a user attempts to move, delete, rename, or restore a file that is locked, the operation is successful locally but will not be synced to the portal until the lock is released.
To remove locking:
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Select Global File System > Global File Locking in the navigation pane.
The Global File Locking page is displayed.
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Select the row for:
- The file you want to remove locking, or
- The cloud drive folder for which you want to remove all locking, or
- The CTERA Edge Filer for which you want to remove all locking.
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Click the option to stop the locking:
- Release File Lock – Release the lock for the file.
- Release All for Selected Folder – Release all the locks for files in the selected cloud folder.
- Release All for Selected Device – Release locks for all the files being edited from the selected CTERA Edge Filer.
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Click OK in the confirmation window.
