Introduction
File Stores allow you to upload attachments through a Kepion Dashboard and share files of any type with your teammates. You can create File Stores and manage the associated files by Dimension. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about setting up and using File Stores.
Before You Start
Here are some things to know before you begin this process:
- 20 MB file-size limit
- File Store attachment is only supported for Dashboard Workflow.
- Users in the Contributor role can attach files, delete and download attached files through the Kepion Dashboard.
- Users in the Modeler role can also manage files within the Modeler.
Set up the File Store Path
1. Create a folder to store your attachments. It can be a shared folder within your corporate network, or a local drive on the Kepion web server machine.
Note: For a production environment, we recommend using a shared folder from an always-on server, instead of a local machine drive. A shared folder is better as it can support more than one instance of Kepion web server.
2. Right-click the folder and go to Give access to > Specific people...
3. Under Permission Level, select Read/Write for the account used to configure Kepion (e.g., KepionSI).
4. Open Kepion.
5. Go to System > File Storage.
6. Select Edit and enter a valid folder directory (\\SERVER\Path\To\File) for the File Store Path.
7. Select Save.
8. Close all your browser tabs and open Kepion again.
Add file store
You can add one or multiple file stores in one application to help manage attachments.
1. Go to Modeler > Application > File Stores.
2. Select Add.
3. Enter a name for the file store and select Save.
You can now start setting up user access through the Dashboard Editor or add dimensions to the file store for advanced usage.
(Optional) Configure file store with dimension
Adding dimensions to a file store allows you greater control over file management. For example, you may want to create a file store that allows each department to share its own cost assumption files.
Add dimension
1. Go to your file store > Settings.
2. Select Edit.
3. Select Add to add file store dimension.
4. In the window:
- Select the Dimension.MemberList from the Member List drop-down.
- (Optional) Update the Name field (case-sensitive) only when a role-playing Dimension is used in the target Form to which you plan to connect this File Store.
4. Select OK.
Remove or reorder dimensions
To remove a dimension, select it and then Remove.
To change the dimension order, select a dimension and select Move Up or Move Down. The dimension order determines how the file path is structured.
Select Save to confirm any changes.
Note: Every time you change the dimensionality of a file store, existing files will be removed. Please back up the files manually if needed.
Add access to a file store on a dashboard
The last step in the configuration is to add an access point to the file store on the dashboard. It is added through the Text component.
1. Go to a dashboard page and select Edit.
2. Right-click the workspace and select Add Text.
2. Style the textbox and enter a name as desired.
3. Select the text settings icon to link the file store.
3. Go to Behavior and select File Store from the Type dropdown.
4. Configure the file store as desired.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| File Store | Select a file store. |
| Form | Select the target form. |
| Dimension | View the dimensions you added to the file store. |
| Filter | Select a filter to limit the dimension's context. |
| Member Override | Select a dimension member to override a filter selection. |
| Hide Path | Exclude the path column in the Files window. |
| Show Rollup | Show all files when filters are not at the lowest level. |
5. Select OK.
6. Select Save.
Manage files
Now that you’ve configured a file store on the dashboard. It’s time to test it out.
1. Go to the Apps page and start a plan with the target dashboard.
2. Locate the appropriate page and select the text component.
In our example, we created a Review Cost Assumption button:
3. You can take any of the following actions:
- Add: Attach any type of file.
- Remove: Select a file and click Remove to delete it.
- Download: To view the content of the file or save a copy of the file, select a file and select Download. You can download files to any folder.
Maintenance
Access to the File Store Path folder from File Explorer
- Security of the File Store Path folder can be managed by the system administrator.
- Users should not be able to access the Workflow Path folder directly, unless granted permission by the system administrator.
Locate Files from File Explorer
File Store attachments are organized using the following structure:
- File Store without specified Dimension: [File Store Path] > [Application Name] > [File Store Name]
- File Store with Dimension: [File Store Path] > [Application Name] > [File Store Name] > [{FirstDimensionName}-{MemberId}] > [{SecondDimensionName}-{MemberId}] > …
Migrate Application Database across Environment
- Files uploaded to the File Store are saved to a shared folder through Kepion UI, but not within Kepion. When you migrate an Application from one environment to another, make sure the new environment has the File Store Path set up correctly.
- If you need the files from the old environment, bring them over manually.