About files

In addition to the special Cochrane documents, such as reviews, you can use Archie to store other files of any type. These can be stored in your group's Files folder and the Files folders for individual reviews . The Super Users in the group control the creation of subfolders and files, and can also give other people access to the folders.
This is not a primary function of Archie, so the space available to each group is limited. In addition to storing the actual file in Archie, you can also create a link to an external location.    

Security

Access to the Files folder and any subfolders is primarily controlled thought the Group role permissions. In addition to that, Super Users and others with 'Max' permissions for Files can grant access to individual folders. Each folder has a Security tab under Properties where it can be specified who should have access to the files in the folder. Permissions can be set individually for each folder, but the default is that a folder inherits the permission of its parent folder. Super Users always have Full control for all folders and files.
The possible customized permissions are:

  • View Folder- permission to see the folder (if user has List contents permission for its parent folder).
  • Read Files - permission to see files in the folder.
  • Write - permission to add new files and folders, and to modify files and their properties.
  • Delete - permission to delete files in the folder or the folder itself .

Shared folders

Super Users can also make the content of a folder available to all Archie users by setting the permissions to Shared Folder. This gives all Archie users access to read (but not edit or delete) files in those folders. Only the group Super Users can modify the folder contents.    

Note: Shared folders should be placed directly under Files or in other shared folders for the sharing to have any effect.

Folder permissions example

In this example, a Centre has the following folder structure:

  • Files
    • Administrative files
    • Procedures and guidelines
    • Shared drafts

The permissions for the Files folder has been set so people with the group roles Director, Administrator and Staff have View Folder and Read Files permissions. This means that everybody working in the Centre by default can view the files and folders in the Files folder - but only the Super User in the centre can create or modify files and folders.
The 'Procedures and guidelines' folder is set to Inherit permissions. This means it will have the same permissions as the Files folder, namely that all employees can read the contents.
The 'Administrative files' folder is not meant to be shared with everybody, and has a separate set of permissions: the Director and Administrator roles have been given Full control. This means that these people can add and edit files. Since the permissions from the Files folder are not inherited to this folder, people with the Staff role can't even see it.
The 'Shared drafts' folder has Full control permissions set for all three employee roles: Director, Administrator and Staff, allowing them all to add and edit files and folders.

To customize permissions for a folder

  1. Right-click the folder and choose Properties.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. If the folder is set to Inherit Permissions, choose Customized Permissions.
  4. Click Add. The Permissions window opens.
  5. Choose the role you wish to add permissions for from the pull-down list.
  6. Check the boxes for the permissions you wish to associate with the selected role (see above).
  7. Click OK. The role and its permissions are now listed.
  8. Repeat steps 4 to 7 to add further permissions, or click Close to exit.  

Versioning

Files can be versioned. This can be used for important documents, where you wish to keep track of all changes made. Versioned files will have a History tab on their Properties. See Document versions.

Quotas

Each group will have a limited amount of storage space in their Files folder. Super users can see the Quota for their group on the Properties of their Files folder. No files can be uploaded if a group has reached its quota, or has a quota set to 'none'.
 
Contact the Community Support Team (support@cochrane.org) if you have quota problems.
 
See also: Creating folders and files, Working with files, Review folders.