Out of the box installation includes a web client, that you can use to connect to the Alfresco repository through a web-based application. In addition to a web client, Alfresco supports various client applications for accessing the repository content using protocols such as FTP, WebDAV, and CIFS.
CIFS is an enhanced version of Microsoft's Server Message Block (SMB). It is the standard way for computer users to share files across the intranet and Internet. CIFS enables collaboration on the Internet by defining a remote file-access protocol that is compatible with the way that applications already share data on local disks and network file servers.
CIFS supports the usual set of file operations, such as open, close, read, write, and seek. CIFS also supports the locking and unlocking of files and records. CIFS allows multiple clients to access and update the same file, while preventing conflicts by providing file sharing and file locking. CIFS servers support both anonymous transfers and secure, authenticated access to named files.
CIFS helps you to map the Alfresco space to your local file system folder, thus giving you the flexibility of working with files in the repository, as though they are in your local file system. You will be able to bulk upload files to the server and edit them directly by using your desktop applications.
As an example, you will now map one of your spaces, say Intranet | Marketing Communications, as your local folder.
To map a space as a network drive in Windows Explorer, follow the steps given below:
- In Windows Explorer, click on the Tools | Map Network Drive link. The Map Network Drive dialog is displayed, as shown in the preceding screenshot.
- Select an unused drive letter (say, M for the Marketing Communications space).
- In the Folder text box, type \AlfrescoServerNameAAlfrescoIntranetMarketing Communications. Please note that you have to append a capital letter
Aat the end of your machine name. The syntax is:\YourMachineNameAalfrescoYourSpaceName. - Click on the Finish button. Because the space is secured, the system will prompt you for authentication.
- Type in your Alfresco username and password when prompted.
Another easy way of mapping your space as a network folder in your local file system is by using a web client. Go to the space and click on the Open Network Folder icon, as shown in the following screenshot:
Once a space is mapped as a network folder, you can browse the space as if it is a local folder. The following screenshot illustrates that you could browse your Alfresco content on your local file system, and the server name is YourMachineNameA, as shown in the following screenshot:
Once a space has been mapped as a network drive, you can drag-and-drop files from your local hard disk onto the Alfresco server. Similarly, you can copy files from the Alfresco server to your local hard disk.
For example, drag-and-drop an image file from your hard disk into your Intranet > Marketing Communications > Switch to open source ECM > 02_Drafts space.
People belonging to a department can map their department-specific space, and can transfer files from their local file system to this space.
As an administrator, you can map the root space (Intranet) to your local drive, and bulk transfer documents between the server and the local machine.
Carry out the following steps, to try the Check Out and Check In functions for a document in CIFS:
- In Windows Explorer, locate the 02_Drafts folder, and drag-and-drop the Alfresco_CIGNEX.doc file (or any other file) onto the __CheckInOut.exe file, in order to check out the file.
- Notice that a working copy of the document is made, and the original document is locked, as shown in the following screenshot.
- Make your changes to the working copy by directly editing it, using your favorite editor.
- Click on the __Alfresco icon (as shown in the preceding screenshot), given in CIFS, in order to open the web client interface directly from your CIFS folder. You can verify that the file has been checked out in the web client interface as well. You will notice that changes made to the Alfresco repository through the CIFS interface are also visible in the web client user interface.
- Once again, drag-and-drop the working copy onto __CheckInOut.exe, in order to check in the file. You will see that the working copy file is checked in and deleted. The original file is updated and unlocked.
If auto versioning is enabled on the document, then you will also notice that the changes made to the document are versioned. This is a great advantage for content authors, as they can edit the documents in their local file system using their choice of editors, as well as maintain various versions in the Alfresco repository automatically.
The sample works fine with Windows Internet Explorer and other web browsers, which already contain the CIFS plugin. If you are using an older version of Firefox or any web browser that does not contain the CIFS plugin, then you need to install the plugin to take advantage of this feature.
For the Firefox (or Mozilla) browser, a plugin is available on the sourceforge.net site. To install the Firefox extension, carry out the following steps:
- Browse to the URL: http://sourceforge.net/projects/alfresco
- Click on the green box named Download
- Scroll down to the Firefox extension, and click on the Download link
- Click on the link alfrescoext-0.9.xpi
- In the list of download sites, click on the Download link for the site nearest to you
- Allow permission to install the extension
FTP is useful for transferring files from your local file system to the remote server. By using any FTP client, you can connect to the Alfresco server, as if it were an FTP site, and you can upload to and retrieve files from it.
If you are connecting to a space, then all of the space's rules are applied and all of the space's permissions are enforced. If versioning is enabled, then content will be versioned, regardless of how it is updated.
Issue the following commands via the DOS command prompt to use FTP, to upload a file from a local hard disk to your Intranet > Marketing Communications > Switch to open source ECM > 02_Drafts space.
> ftp localhost Login as: admin/admin > ls > cd Alfresco > ls > cd Intranet > ls > cd Marketing* > cd Switch* > cd 02_Drafts > put c:press2A.txt > ls
Verify that the text file is now present in the Alfresco repository. Similarly, you can use any FTP client application to connect to the Alfresco repository and access files.
WebDAV is primarily designed to be used for editing and managing files on remote Web servers in a structured way. For example, an application such as Adobe Photoshop can directly open a file in the Alfresco Content Repository and edit it. This gives you the flexibility of using your own favorite editor to edit content on the Alfresco server.
If you are connecting to a space, then all of the space's rules are applied and all of the space's permissions are enforced. If versioning is enabled, then content will be versioned, regardless of how it is updated.
If you have a WebDAV client, then you can access the Alfresco server by using the URL, http://localhost:8080/alfresco/webdav/.
Windows explorer can be used as a WebDAV enabled file mount, by accessing the URL, as shown in the following screenshot:
