(eroom) This document covers some of the key features available with a Connect site and provides best practice recommendations and guidelines when utilizing these features. Site Owners and Coordinators should be familiar with these best practices and adhere to them to ensure optimal site performance and utilization. Items covered in this document: Access Control Browser Support EMC / eroom Plug-in Internet Access Methods Logging off a Connect Session Member Management Messaging Operating System Considerations Recycle Bin SSL Encryption Access Control Access Control refers to the level of security applied to items such as folders, notes, files, databases, or any other item contained in a Connect site. Access control settings can be used to apply any level of security to an item. These security levels can range from no security at all applied to an item, to maximum security where only one individual can access an item. (Note however, that Site Coordinators will always be able to view/edit all items, regardless of any imposed restrictions.) Items can also be hidden so that they will only be viewable to select members. The decision on how secure to make an item in a Connect site should be based on the nature and sensitivity of the information. It is the sole responsibility of the item owner and/or Site Coordinator to determine what access control is to be applied to any given item. There are two types of access control available for an item on a Connect Site: Open allows members to open and view or read items Edit allows members to modify or delete items There are then three levels of access that can be granted to members: Any member who can get to it Coordinators only Coordinators, plus selected members Documents that are not closed properly will remain in a reserved for edit mode by the individual who opened the document for editing purposes. If this occurs, the individual must go to the access control menu and uncheck the Reserved for Editing box. Site Coordinators also have the ability to un-reserve items, if necessary. Page 1 of 6 (21 August 2015)
Individual Connect item owners and Site Coordinators to determine the level of security appropriate for items stored in a Connect site. By default, only the author has edit rights on a newly added or created item. The author should change this setting if they want others to edit the item. In addition, the open properties of a document are set to any member who can get to it. This can mean something different depending upon where you are in the site. The author should change this setting if they want specific members to have Open access. Browser Support Connect Browser Support is limited to only browsers currently supported by EMC / eroom software. A matrix is provided by eroom, which details supported browser configurations. Connect (eroom version 7.x) supports the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer Windows, Version 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11 Mozilla Firefox, Version 3.6x, 7, 17, 24 Apple Safari, Version 3.2.3, 5, 6, 7 (limited to browser-only access) Google Chrome 23, 27 (limited to browser-only access) To view current browser support, please access the following URL: https://connectv7.mercer.com/connectfiles/compatiblebrowsers.pdf To test browser compatibility, please access the following URL: https://connectv7.mercer.com/eroomtest/default.asp Connect site access is most effective when a supported browser is utilized. Support for Microsoft browsers is more robust at this time. As long as an eroom supported browser is used, Connect will function optimally. Local browser configuration policies can have an affect on Connect site access and functionality. When external client locations are involved, it will be important to have a local IT contact identified to help troubleshoot potential issues. EMC / eroom Plug-in The EMC / eroom Plug-in can be used to enhance your Connect experience. Connect sites can be accessed via a Web Browser in one of two methods, thin client or enhanced client. Use of the thin client requires only a supported Internet browser. Use of the enhanced client requires installation of the eroom client plug-in software. MMCo currently supports eroom software, v7.x. If you are using a v7.x site and wish to use the plug-in, you will need the v7 plug-in. The plug-in can be installed and supported on a single workstation. When first accessing a Connect site you are asked if you want to use the browser only access method or use the client plug-in. If you select the client plug-in, files will be installed on the local workstation. The installation location is determined by the workstation operating system. Modifications are also made to the local workstation s registry file. The client plug-in provides the following features: Drag and Drop The ability to drag and drop items to and from your desktop. Page 2 of 6 (21 August 2015)
Rich Text Editor The Rich Text Editor (RTE) enables you to format your text, insert pictures and links, and check spelling. Otherwise, when you use eroom with just a browser, the standard format for editing text pages and text boxes is plain text. My eroom Sites The My erooms page is your one-stop entryway for all the Connect sites of which you are a member. It contains links to Connect sites you create or join. Outlook Synchronization If you use eroom with the plug-in, the eroom monitor can be set to synchronize your Connect tasks and calendars with Microsoft Outlook tasks and calendars. Plug-in installation is a one time only operation. Users with slower speed connections may wish to acquire the plug-in executable from the Connect administration team and install locally rather than download from the Internet. The plug-in can be disabled and / or removed from the local workstation if necessary. Use of the eroom plug-in provides enhanced capability, maximizes the Connect experience and is recommended where practical and allowed by desktop policies. Internet Access Methods As with any Internet based application, connection speeds greatly influence the response time of Connect. The additional requirement of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption on all Connect URL s also affects response time speeds. Other factors that may influence response times are client infrastructure configuration (including firewall customizations), network utilization and desktop configuration. Internet Kiosks Inquiries have been made into the practice of using an Internet kiosk to access Connect sites remotely. While kiosks are becoming more and more prevalent, we do not recommend this method for accessing Connect. There are several browser capabilities that need to be available as well as necessary browser settings that affect Connect usage. The configuration of any given kiosk is an unknown commodity and therefore very difficult to support. There are many additional precautions that must be taken when accessing Connect sites from an Internet kiosk. Great care must be taken to ensure no remnants of Connect site access are left behind on the kiosk and the user must always remember to close any open browser sessions. Use of the plug-in on a kiosk based system may also leave behind files, if the plug-in can be installed. Try to use the highest connection speed, and avoid use of a kiosk if possible. As with most Internet based applications, the greater the connection speed, the better the application response time. As an Internet collaboration tool, Connect is in no way dependent upon connection speed. The connection speed merely dictates how quickly the Connect application can respond. If Connect is used on a common workstation or from an Internet kiosk, it is highly advisable to use the logout feature (see below) when ending your session. Logging off a Connect Session Connect (eroom version 7.x) software introduces a logout feature. On any v7 site, a logout button will be visible in the upper right navigation. When the logout button is clicked, all temporary files and eroom plug-in settings are removed. Upon subsequent logins, the client will again be asked if they wish to use the eroom plug-in. Upon successful authentication to a Connect site, the eroom server generates a random session ID that serves as a secure key for the duration of the session. As long as activity takes place on the Connect site, the session will remain active. In the event there is no activity on the Connect site for a period of thirty minutes, the session will automatically expire. If this happens, it will be necessary to authenticate to the site again. Page 3 of 6 (21 August 2015)
All session information between the client and the server is destroyed when the browser window is closed. When finishing your work in a Connect site, you should, at a very minimum close the current Browser window. This will end the eroom session and prevent unauthorized site access from the current window. If you are accessing a Connect site from a public location, such as an Internet kiosk or a remote office, it is highly advisable to use the logout feature when ending your session. Member Management The Connect server is equipped with a finite number of member licenses. Any members who successfully log in to a Connect site consume one of these licenses. Member accounts that have previously logged into a site but are no longer active or valid continue to consume a license. Only Site Coordinators can add new members to a site. You can have a number of Site Coordinators and they can be either MMCo team members or non MMCo team members - you decide. The site owners / coordinators are responsible for managing the member lists for any given Connect site. Since the Connect pricing model, where applicable, is based in part upon membership it is very important to diligently monitor and manage the site member list. Membership lists should be reviewed periodically and any accounts that are no longer required should be removed as quickly as possible. Membership for the majority of Mercer employees is granted via an LDAP connection (i.e., links to a central Mercer Active Directory database). When Mercer employees are removed from the LDAP, they are automatically removed from all Connect sites. Membership for non-mercer employees is granted by a central community account. When members are removed from a Connect site, they are not automatically removed from the corresponding facility. When a non-mercer account is deleted from a site, the owner / coordinator should send a request to the Connect administration team to also remove the account from the facility. Only Site Coordinator's and Participants have access to load documents. Below is a brief description of Connect access rights: Site Coordinator: Has full access rights to all areas and all items stored on a Connect site. In addition, the Coordinator role controls the membership of the site and the site's overall permissions, structure and general maintenance. Participant member: The participant member has access to areas and items for which they have been given rights, either by the Site Coordinator, the owner of the area/item, or by default. Participant members can create items, add documents and edit items if they have rights. Participants can also participate in online discussions. Observer Member: Observer members have read-only access if they have been given access to areas/items on a Connect site. Observers can not create/add/edit items on a site, nor can they participate in online discussions. Site owners / coordinators should review their member lists on a regular basis (at least quarterly) and remove any accounts that are no longer required. The number of Site Coordinators should be kept to a minimum to ensure site stability. In most cases, 2-5 Site Coordinators is recommended. Page 4 of 6 (21 August 2015)
When non-mercer members are removed from a site, an email message should be sent to the Connect administration team requesting that they also be removed from the facility. When members are given the role of Coordinator, an email message should be sent to the Connect administration team so appropriate rights and membership to the Site Coordinator site can be granted, and the member can be invited to attend an upcoming orientation session. Messaging The Connect application provides a variety of methods for sending, receiving and sharing electronic mail messages, including mail alerts and the In-box feature. The Connect Alert feature allows you to send messages to other Connect site members directly from within the site either by email or by alerts: email messages are sent to the mailbox specified for site members - the mail message will be delivered to the recipients default mail client The Connect In-box feature allows you to set up a dedicated mailbox on your Connect site that can be used to send, receive and store email messages. Individual In-boxes can be set up throughout the Connect site, each will be assigned a unique address and access to individual In-boxes and/or sub-items within the In-box can also be restricted. In-Boxes for V7 sites can be setup by a Site Member with appropriate access rights. The best practice for Connect messaging depends upon the nature of the message to be sent and the target audience. Operating System Considerations Connect offers support for many Client Operating Systems. Connect (eroom Version 7.x) supports the following workstation operating systems: MS Windows XP Home MS Windows XP Professional MS Windows Vista MS Windows 7 MS Windows 8 MS Windows 8.1 Apple Macintosh OS X (10.X) (Browser only access) Red Hat Linux 7.X or higher (Browser only access) Sun Solaris 2.7 or higher (Browser only access) HP-UX 10.20 or higher (Browser only access) To view current Operating System support, please access the following URL: https://connectv7.mercer.com/connectfiles/compatiblebrowsers.pdf Connect site access is most effective and best supported when these client operating systems are used. Recycle Bin Each Connect site includes a Recycle Bin area, which stores all items deleted from the site. The Connect Recycle bin is similar to those included in many computer operating systems and will retain deleted items indefinitely until they are manually deleted from the bin. Page 5 of 6 (21 August 2015)
The Recycle Bin provides a very valuable function and helps provide recoverability in the event an item is accidentally deleted from a site. However, on sites where items are routinely deleted, the Recycle Bin can become quite large. It is important for the Recycle Bin to be periodically reviewed and cleaned out. Items that are stored in the Recycle Bin continue to consume disk space even though they are removed from the actual site. The site owners / coordinators / users are responsible for managing the Recycle Bin for any given Connect site. Since the Connect pricing model, where applicable, is based in part upon size it is very important to diligently monitor and manage the Recycle Bin. There may be instances where the Connect administration team must prune or empty Recycle Bins to reclaim storage space. This work is done in the background and is transparent to site visitors. Each month, on the 27th day, a script is run that deletes all Recycle Bin items that are over 60 days old. Site owners / coordinators / users should review their Recycle Bin on a regular basis (at least quarterly) and permanently remove any items that are no longer needed. SSL Encryption Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the leading security protocol available on the Internet. When an SSL session is initiated, the server sends a public key to the browser, which the browser uses to send a randomly generated secret key back to the server in order to have a private key exchanged for that session. This encryption protects the data sent between the server and the browser and makes it more difficult for hackers to steal data in transit. The Connect server supports SSL encryption on all sites and URLs, when the https protocol is specified. Use of SSL encryption from the browser can be identified by the presence of https:// in the site URL. A lock icon in the bottom frame border of the browser will also identify a secure connection. Connect (eroom Version 7.x) supports only SSL URL s. All site access must be via SSL. Access to Connect (eroom Version 7.x) sites by all clients will be via SSL encrypted URL s. For help using Mercer Connect, in the first instance contact your Site Coordinator, or if unavailable contact the MGTI Service Desk to open a support ticket for the MHR GL Connect Support queue. Page 6 of 6 (21 August 2015)