Introduction to edocs

Transcription

1 Introduction to edocs This document provides instructions for using the basic features of edocs, UIS document management system. edocs comes with an extensive built-in help feature, which provides more detailed support information. Overview of edocs... 2 The edocs Interface... 2 Creating Folders and Uploading Files... 7 Downloading Files... 9 Assigning Permissions Creating Groups Assigning Tickets Bookmarking Blackboard Integration Logging Comments Versioning Searching for Files Tagging Subscriptions RSS Feeds Using Wikis Information Technology Services, UIS 1

2 Overview of edocs At its simplest, edocs is a place for you to store files and documents. However, edocs provides more advanced functionality, including managing who has access to your files and for how long, linking to your files from Blackboard, publishing a web site, and much more. One of the many benefits of edocs is that it is self-managed, which means you have complete control over what is uploaded and who can access it. Each user has 1 GB of space allocated for their use. Please keep in mind that deleted files are stored in the trash, which counts towards the 1 GB limit. Be sure to periodically empty your trash to free up space. By default, each user s account has two folders www and private. These folders can be deleted or renamed and additional folders can be created. The edocs Interface edocs can be accessed from any computer with Internet access three different ways. 1. The first way is to go to the ITS home page at Click on the edocs link on the right side of the page below the blue banner. A login area will open where you can enter your UIS NetID and password. Enter your NetID and password. Then click Login. 2. The second way is to login to the UIS portal also from the UIS homepage or at Once you login to the UIS portal using either method, you will see a portlet named My edocs on the Main page where your edocs account can be accessed. You may type a path to a specific folder or file, browse your Home Directory and Bookmarks, or open a full edocs session. Information Technology Services, UIS 2

3 3. The third way is directly from the edocs interface at Enter your UIS NetID and password as shown. Enter your NetID and password. Then click OK. Information Technology Services, UIS 3

4 Once logged in, the view can be divided into 6 sections: Contains links to the Document Manager space, saved bookmarks and searches and the Setup space, Help, the ability to see who you are logged in as, and log out. Contains all of the tabs applicable to the screen you are on, and any links appropriate to those tabs Contains your navigation and search options. Contains all of your buttons. This section combines both your optionally added buttons on the left, and the standard buttons on the right. The standard buttons on the right will change slightly to accommodate the screen you are currently using. Contains information about the file or folders on which you are currently working. For example, you can see listing information, such as the name, date last modified, lock status, etc. 6 Contains information about your account size. The right-click menu is quite helpful in working in the edocs environment. Each file and folder has a right-click menu featuring the following actions (depending on your access): Right-click Menu for a File Right-click Menu for a Folder Information Technology Services, UIS 4

5 The edocs view can be customized. The default view is List View. To customize your view, click on the View button. Note that there is a check mark next to the default List View. Click on Thumbnail View to view the files as thumbnail images. This view is useful for folders that contain picture or graphic files. A preview of the file can be seen which will eliminate the need to open the file to reveal the picture. Move the Slide Bar left or right to adjust the size of the images. You can also customize the listing information that is displayed in the list view such as Name, Shared To, or Data Last Modified. To change the listing information, click on View button. Information Technology Services, UIS 5

6 1. Click on Customize View. 2. Select from the list of Available Columns and click on the right arrow button to add the column to the current column side. 3. Click on OK when finished. Information Technology Services, UIS 6

7 Creating Folders and Uploading Files To create a folder, 1. Click the New Folder button. 2. Type a name for the folder. 3. Click Next to continue with the wizard (to set sharing permissions for other users) or Finish. To upload files, 1. Open the folder in which you want to upload the file, and click the Upload button. Information Technology Services, UIS 7

8 2. Click the Browse button and locate the desired file. a. Click the Add File button to browse for additional files. b. Click Start Upload when finished. 3. Or click Advanced Upload, which allows you to upload entire folders and their contents. However, the Advanced Upload feature requires Java 1.5 or higher. The Launch Web Folders feature can be a very handy tool for uploading multiple files/folders. It allows you to view your edocs environment in a typical Windows Explorer view, where you can drag and drop files. You can also open, edit, and save files from this environment. This feature is only available in Internet Explorer, although an add-on can be installed to make this option available in Mozilla Firefox ( Information Technology Services, UIS 8

9 In this Web Folders view, you can drag and drop files/folders just as you normally would in Windows Explorer. Downloading Files A group of files can be downloaded from edocs to a zip file. 1. Check the files you want to download. 2. Right-click and choose Save to Zip File. 3. Choose Save. 4. Browse to the location where you would like to save the file. Change the file name, if desired. Information Technology Services, UIS 9

10 5. The selected files can be found in a compressed zip folder. Assigning Permissions edocs allows you to determine who, if anyone, has access to your files as well as the level of access. To share files with others, 1. Right-click the file or folder, choose Manage, then choose Permissions. Information Technology Services, UIS 10

11 2. Click Add User/Group. 3. Enter the name of the users with whom you would like to share the resource, then click Next. 4. Assign the users the desired permissions, then click Finish. a. Read permission allows the user to view the file or folder only. b. Write permission allows the user to write to the file or folder only. Write access includes the following: viewing, editing, renaming both the contents and options of the file or folder. c. Delete permission allows the user to move the file or folder to the trash. Information Technology Services, UIS 11

12 d. Administer permission allows the user full access to a file or folder's Manage/Summary screen and the permission to make modifications to all Manage items. 5. Click the Advanced Permissions tab for additional options (for example, to assign read and delete rights, but not write). Use the feature to let people know when a file or folder has been shared with them. 1. Right-click the file or folder that has been shared with others, and choose . Information Technology Services, UIS 12

13 2. An message will be generated for you, addressed to whomever the file or folder has been shared. The message will include a direct link to the file or folder. Additional recipients as well as message text can be added. Click Send, when finished. Creating Groups When assigning permissions to files, you may find it easier to create groups of users who will have the same permissions. For example, you might want to create a group for the people on your team or for the students in your course. To create a group, 1. Click Setup. 2. Click on the My Contacts tab, click on the Groups tab and then click on New Group Information Technology Services, UIS 13

14 3. Enter a name for the group and click on Next. 4. Enter the name of the first user that you wish to add to your group. Click Add Members. 5. Repeat step 4 to add the remaining members of your group. 6. Click on Save when finished. Assigning Tickets Tickets allow both non-edocs and edocs users access to your files and folders. By using the ticket functionality, you may allow specific access to your folders, their sub-folders, and the files within. A folder ticket can be thought of as a direct online link to a folder. The person with whom you'd like to grant access to the file or folder will receive an with the online link. When the link is clicked, the user is taken to the edocs interface and the folder's file and subfolder listing displays just as you would see it in its regular folder listing screen. Information Technology Services, UIS 14

15 When creating a ticket, you have the option of selecting password protection. You can also assign an expiration date to a ticket. Once that date passes, all users who have been accessing the file or folder through the issued ticket will no longer be allowed access to that file or folder. To assign a ticket, 1. Right-click the file or folder, choose Manage, then choose Tickets. 2. Click New Ticket. 3. Set the desired permissions, lifetime, name, and password. Click OK when finished. Information Technology Services, UIS 15

16 4. To the ticket, select the ticket, then click An message will automatically generate for you. Enter the recipients addresses and add your message, as desired. Click Send. 6. The recipients will receive an message with the link. As the recipient of a ticket for a folder, 1. Click the link in the message. 2. Enter a password, if prompted, and click OK. Information Technology Services, UIS 16

17 3. The folder will open up in the edocs environment. As the recipient of a ticket for a file, 1. Click the link in the message. 2. Enter a password, if prompted, and click OK. 3. You are given three actions. a. View the file You are then prompted to open or save the file. Please note that merely saving edits made to the file will NOT post the updated file to edocs. b. Edit the file You are provided with an instructional screen. Please note that you can click Save in step 1 to save the file, thus allowing you to open and edit it. When finished with the editing, you can click Upload in step 3 to upload the Information Technology Services, UIS 17

18 revised file back to edocs. c. View information about the file provides general information about the file as well as access to the edocs interface where, based on the permissions granted, actions on the file can take place (including overwriting the original file with your revisions. Bookmarking Bookmarks are shortcuts to folders and files within your edocs account. Using bookmarks, you can conveniently create shortcuts to your most frequently accessed folders and files. You can also create shortcuts to other users' folders and files you have been allowed to access. You may navigate to your bookmarks at any time by opening the Bookmarks menu located in the upper left corner of the edocs screen. Information Technology Services, UIS 18

19 In order to bookmark a file or folder, you must have read access to that file or folder. Once you bookmark a file or folder, it will be available each time you login to your account and open the Bookmarks menu. To create a bookmark, 1. Right-click the selected file or folder, and select Bookmark. 2. Enter the desired name of the bookmark, and click OK. 3. Another way to create a bookmark is to open the Bookmarks menu and choose Bookmark This Folder. A bookmark of the folder you are currently viewing will be created. You will be given the option to choose a Bookmark Folder. Information Technology Services, UIS 19

20 4. To use a bookmark, open the Bookmarks menu located in the upper left corner of the edocs screen and choose from the list. The Manage Bookmarks option allows you to organize your bookmarks into Bookmark Folders. You can also Delete, Edit, Move and create new Bookmarks from the Manage Bookmarks screen. To Manage Bookmarks, 1. Open the Bookmarks menu and choose Manage Bookmarks from the list. 2. To create a new bookmark folder, click on the New Bookmark Folder button. 3. Give the new folder a name and select a location from the list. Click on OK. New folders will be added under Bookmarks Menu as you create them. Information Technology Services, UIS 20

21 NOTE: Once a new folder is added, a down-arrow will appear next to the Bookmarks Menu. Click on the down-arrow to expand the menu and reveal the folders underneath. 4. To move existing bookmarks to your newly created folder, place a check mark next to the file(s) or folder(s) you wish to move and click on the Move button. 5. There are three steps to move your selections: a. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the Bookmark Location field. Information Technology Services, UIS 21

22 b. Click on the drop-down arrow next to Bookmarks Menu to expand the menu and reveal your Bookmark Folder(s). c. Click on your new folder to add it to the Bookmark Location field and click on OK to complete the move. Once these steps are complete, your Bookmark Folders will appear in the Bookmarks menu. Blackboard Integration edocs comes with a connector for Blackboard, which allows instructors to add links to edocs files directly in their Blackboard course. Because students are already logged into Blackboard, they will not need to log in to edocs separately to view the files. Be sure to set the appropriate permissions to the files in edocs. Information Technology Services, UIS 22

23 edocs also comes with a bridge for Blackboard. The bridge allows you to access edocs directly from Blackboard, automatically logging you in and without having to navigate to edocs yourself. The Blackboard connector is turned on, by default, for all new Blackboard courses that are created. However, if you are copying an existing Blackboard course, you may need to turn on the connector. To do so, 1. Log into Blackboard and select the desired course. 2. Click Control Panel. 3. Click Customization. Information Technology Services, UIS 23

24 4. Click Tool Availability. 5. Scroll to the edocs Bridge Links tool and place a checkmark in the box under the Available in Content Area column. 6. Next, the Bridge needs turned on as well. Scroll to the Xythos Bridge tool and place a checkmark in the box under the Available column. 7. Click on Submit. Information Technology Services, UIS 24

25 To use the connector, 1. Log into Blackboard and select the desired course. 2. Click Course Documents. Make sure the Edit Mode in the upper right corner is turned ON. Click on the button, if necessary. 3. Click on the More button and select Add edocs Bridge Links from the list. Information Technology Services, UIS 25

26 4. Select the files you would like to link to from Blackboard. Then click Add to Cart. 5. Click Make Links when finished. Confirm your selections. 6. Click OK to add the links. 7. Links to the selected files now show up in Course Documents. To use the Bridge, 1. Log into Blackboard and select the desired course. Information Technology Services, UIS 26

27 2. Click Tools. 3. Click edocs Bridge to access edocs, which will open up in a separate window. Logging The Logging option allows you to keep a record of who accesses your files and when they do so. When an action is performed against a file, an entry is added to the log history including: The user who performed the action The type of action performed The date and time the action occurred The IP address of the machine from where the action occurred Actions include but are not limited to users viewing or editing the file, permission changes, and file comments that are added, edited, or deleted. Information Technology Services, UIS 27

28 To turn logging on or to view the log: 1. Right-click the file, choose Manage, then Logging. 2. Click Enable Logging to turn logging on. 3. Once turned on, this screen will display a history of actions. Comments Comments offer the ability to create notes about a particular file or folder without altering the contents of that file or folder. Information Technology Services, UIS 28

29 To add a comment to a file or folder, 1. Right-click the selected file or folder, choose Manage, then Comments. 2. Choose public or private from the drop-down list and click on Apply. 3. Enter the desired comments. Click Save Comment when finished. Information Technology Services, UIS 29

30 4. The comments are displayed with the author and date/time stamps. Versioning The Versioning function is an effective way to keep track of the changes made to any file. Versioning allows you to see changes that were made each time a file was saved; this is especially useful when there are multiple users making changes. When you turn on the Versioning option for a file, the system automatically keeps a copy of each file that is updated. If you or another user edits your file and saves the changes, Versioning allows you to go "back" to the older copy before the changes were made. Versioning provides an automatic backup for overwritten files. Versioning also includes the ability to Checkin and Checkout a file. By checking a file in and out (while versioning is enabled), you can make multiple edits to the file without saving multiple versions of the file. Checkin and Checkout allows you to better leverage your versioning system; you can control exactly which versions are saved in a file's history. To turn versioning on or off, 1. Navigate to the file. Information Technology Services, UIS 30

31 2. Right-click the file, choose Manage, then Versioning. 3. To turn on versioning, click Enable Versioning. 4. To turn off versioning, click Disable Versioning. When you turn versioning on for a file, you are automatically given the option to Checkin and Checkout that file. There are 3 types of actions involved in file checkin/checkout: Information Technology Services, UIS 31

32 Checking out a file allows a user to edit the file and save it multiple times without creating multiple versions of that file. Checking out a file also creates a lock (if the file is not already locked) on a file which prevents other users with write permission on that file from editing it. Checking out a file does not, however, prevent users with read permission from seeing the changes made to the file while it is checked out. Users will be able to see the very latest version of the file whether or not the file has been checked in. Automatically, a temporary version of this checked out file is created. You may now edit this file as you wish and no additional versions of it will be created. Checking in a file creates a permanent version of the file that encompasses all changes made while the file was checked out. Checking in a file also removes the lock on the file. The checked in version overwrites the temporary version that was created when the file was checked out. Unchecking out a file not only removes the lock that was created when the file was checked out, but it also removes the temporary version of the file that was created when the file was checked out. Unchecking out a file essentially reverses the entire checkout process. No changes made to the file while the file was checked out are kept after the file is unchecked out. The temporary version that was created when the file was checked out is automatically deleted. Searching for Files Searches allow you to search for files within your edocs account. You may search for files you own as well as files which are not owned by you but for which you have access permission. To perform a Quick Search: 1. Type in a partial or full name into the search box. 2. Click the Search button (the magnifying glass), or press Enter. To perform an advanced search, 1. Click the dropdown arrow next to the Search button. Information Technology Services, UIS 32

33 2. Enter the criteria as desired. Multiple criteria can be added. Within edocs you may create, modify, and visit your searches at any time. Not only can the search results be saved, but also the search itself. To save a search or the search results, 1. Click the Save Search or Save Search Results button. 2. Enter a name for the search or results. Information Technology Services, UIS 33

34 3. The saved search results will show up as a html file. To open saved searches, 1. Open the Searches menu in the upper left corner of the edocs screen. 2. Any currently saved searches will be listed by name. 3. Click on the saved search of your choice in order to initiate the search. 4. The search screen will open with the results of your saved search criteria. Tagging edocs allows you to create searchable keywords for files, which are called tags. In order to tag a file, you must have Read and Write permission for that file. If, however, you would like to search for a Tag, you need only have Read to view them. Tags may be as long or as short as you like; however, tags cannot contain spaces. There is no limit to the number of tags a file may have. To tag a file (or group of files), 1. Select the file(s). Information Technology Services, UIS 34

35 2. Right-click and choose Tag. 3. Enter the tag. Multiple tags may be entered by separating each tag with a space. Click Add. 4. Click OK when finished. 5. Tags are searchable through the Advanced Search feature. Information Technology Services, UIS 35

36 Subscriptions Subscriptions automatically notify you when a file or folder has been viewed, changed, or commented. Subscriptions are available to users with read access. Subscription notifications are sent via either when the viewing, changing, or commenting occurs or at a certain time of day. Such notifications are known as subscription reports. The type of report (view, change, or comment) and frequency of the report is determined when the subscription is created. To create a subscription, 1. Right-click the file or folder, choose Manage, then choose Subscriptions. 2. Click New Subscription. Information Technology Services, UIS 36

37 3. Make the desired selections for what action will instigate a notice, as well as when the notice is to be sent. Click OK when finished. 4. A subscription notification looks like this: 5. Subscriptions can be cancelled by checking the desired subscription and clicking Unsubscribe. Information Technology Services, UIS 37

38 RSS Feeds edocs allows you to create a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed to any folder, file, or search results listing. RSS feeds are commonly used to publish frequently updated content. A 'reader' or 'aggregator' must be used to access the feed once you subscribe to it. Readers retrieve and present the most recent content to you. You may share your feed URLs with other users; however sharing access still applies so be sure to set the appropriate permissions. Please note that when subscribing to a file, the feed shows any new versions created for that file. Therefore, you should only subscribe to feeds for those files which are versioned. Otherwise, the content of the feed will never change. To subscribe to an RSS feed for a file or folder, 1. Navigate to the file or folder and select it. 2. Right-click the file or folder and choose Create RSS Feed. Information Technology Services, UIS 38

39 3. Follow your browser s instructions for creating the feed. For example, below is a screenshot from IE 7.0: 4. There are numerous readers or aggregators that can be used for RSS feeds. For example, RSS feeds are automatically delivered to Outlook 2007: Information Technology Services, UIS 39

40 They can also be viewed through IE 7.0: Using Wikis edocs allows you to create a wiki. Basically, a wiki is its own website that enables both you and properly permissioned users to add, remove, edit, and change content. Wikis allow for linking among any number of pages. When you create a wiki using edocs, a folder which shares the name of your wiki is automatically created in your Document Manager. To create a wiki, 1. Click the New Wiki button. 2. Give the new wiki a name and click on OK. 3. Click on Launch to open and manage the wiki. Information Technology Services, UIS 40

41 4. Next, select the Panel Type. You may choose from Text Editor, Saved Search Results or Upload Files and then click on OK. 5. On the Name tab, the name of the wiki can be edited. 6. On the Content tab, the panel type that you selected will be displayed. In this case, there is a text editor for adding content. To add another panel, click the Add Panel button. 7. Select the panel type and click on OK. Information Technology Services, UIS 41

42 8. Your added panel will display below the first panel. Any panel can be removed by clicking on Remove Panel. 9. On the Permissions tab, determine which users will have access to the wiki as well as their level of access. 10. On the tab, choose to send an to users notifying them of the wiki. Information Technology Services, UIS 42

43 11. Multiple pages can be created for the wiki using the Create Page button. 12. Click the Finish button. 13. A completed wiki will have a Wiki tab (showing the content you created in Step 6), a Discussion tab for entering comments, and a History tab for displaying each version of the wiki (as users made changes, added comments, etc.). Pages are listed here. Each page has a Wiki, Discussion, and History tab. Information Technology Services, UIS 43