Adding / Importing media

[bcrejesse]

Got Daminion server installed a little ago (had to use 0.9.9 as the latest RC wasn't installing) and I'm a bit confused on the procedure to add files to the catalog & the server. I initially was only going to add images to the catalog and leave the media on an existing share, but with the changes planned for granular user permissions in the upcoming releases, I figured I'd starting testing with all of the files on the Daminion server.

 

The 2 options I see on the "choose files to import" window are

 

1) Add files to the catalog without copying them.

 

2) Copy files to a shared folder and add to the catalog.

 

Now I'm assuming I can use #2 to move the files to the server and add them to the catalog. I also assume I can just copy the files to the server via any other tool, then import to the catalog by pointing to them.

 

These choices seem contrary to the installation routine, which led me to believe that there would be some default option to add files to the directory I chose on the server as the data directory. Why did I have to choose a data directory if adding/copying files to the server requires specifying the path to the shared folder? This will be easy for me, but I can't expect users (i.e. non-computer savvy staff) to understand what to do with this. They just want to grab some images from and email or their camera/phone, and upload/add them to the app. They don't want to know where the media is going, and they certainly don't want to be required to choose the location (and I don't want to be required to train them on this ). I can already imagine the calls and emails from people who add files to the catalog directly off their phone, without copying them and then deleting them from the phone, asking me why the photo appears in the catalog but won't let them download/copy it. That would be a nightmare, and I hope the ability to remove that option for users is presented on the server configuration.

 

Finally, I assume I have all of this wrong and there is an easy and obvious answer staring me in the face. The wiki wasn't much help with these questions, but I seem to remember a link to a PDF manual of sorts in a post somewhere, but I can't find it now. Might have been another app or forum though, don't really remember.

[Murat]

...

These choices seem contrary to the installation routine, which led me to believe that there would be some default option to add files to the directory I chose on the server as the data directory. Why did I have to choose a data directory if adding/copying files to the server requires specifying the path to the shared folder?

 

If you import files to Daminion Server with uploading them to the server PC (the first option) - it will be possible to import by default options. All importing images will be stored on a folder that you'll specify in the Daminion Server Administration panel. But a few versions ago we disabled an option to specify a remote network folder as a folder to store uploaded images because "Copy To" option works up to 2x times faster.

 

But we can add an option to specify a network folder to the above option.

 

Please check also out our new tutorial about selecting the right file storage scheme for Daminion Server:

https://daminion.net/tutorials/selecting-the-right-file-storage-scheme-for-daminion-server

[bcrejesse]

I see. I think I'll have to hold off on evaluating this until the later release (v1.0?) comes out with built in security.

 

The current version requires granting all users read and write access to the share at the NTFS level, which defeats the purpose of having permissions in the app itself.

[Murat]

Hi Jesse,

 

Anyway, with or without user roles, you need to decide whether your files will be located: on a shared location(s) or a server based folder. In the first case users might access your files directly via a file manager (except you protect it be ntfs share).

 

So to take advantage of the User Roles you need to import files by the first option.

 

You can start using the current 0.9.9 for this and then upgrade to 1.0 release version.

[bcrejesse]

I have some free time so I'm trying this out again as I don't think I have the process of adding files from a client to the server fully understood.

 

Here is the procedure according to this page (storage scheme b)

 

1. 
    
   
2. Check the “Copy files to a shared folder…†option
   
3. In the right hand panel, specify a storage destination for the imported files.
   

Below that it states:

 

All the chosen files from the local computer will be uploaded to the Daminion Server. In the Daminion Server Administration Panel, you can specify which server-based folder the uploaded files will be stored in.

Doesn't this statement conflict with step 2 above? The only options I see are to select a local folder or network share. The bolded above gives the impression that there is an option on the client to just 'upload to the server' (without the user having to specify a folder, network path/share, etc.) and the daminion server will put the images in the folder chosen via the administration panel, but there is no such option on the client.

 

It's almost as if there is a missing option under "copy files to a shared folder and add to the catalog" which should be something like "copy files to the Daminion server and add to the catalog".

[Murat]

Jesse, thanks for pointing to this text: instead of the "Copy files to..." option you need to select "Upload files to" option. I've updated the tutorial accordingly.

 

By default all the uploading files will be placed on a folder that you specified in the Daminion Administration panel (Folder to Store Uploaded Files).

 

You can specify additionally a sub-folder and file naming rules for the uploading files.

[bcrejesse]

I'm on build 730 (due to the issue with the RC1 server not installing) and this is what I see

 

 

No option for "upload files to". If there were such an option I wouldn't have started this thread. :smile:

[bcrejesse]

I figured it would be easy enough to upgrade the server to the latest build (764) to see if the "upload files to" was added after 730, but I still don't see it.

 

Could this be a configuration issue on my end?

[Murat]

"Upload files..." option will be visible if the files you selected are located on a local (not shared) folders.

 

If the files you have selected are located on remote network folders you'll see the "Add Files..." option.

 

You can also give me a remote access to your PC to check this issue.

[bcrejesse]

Thanks for the explanation Murat, it works exactly as you say.

 

The problem for me, and the reason I never noticed this, is that we use folder redirection on our workstations. The Desktop, My Documents, and My Pictures folders are all located on a file server. As these are the most likely locations people will be working with files they retrieve from cameras, phones, memory drives, email, web, ftp, etc., is there a way to make the 'upload to server' option appear for files located on the network?

 

It would be great if I could set it so all network locations had the 'upload to server' option presented, but just the folders located in the users profile would cover 99% of cases.

[Murat]

The problem for me, and the reason I never noticed this, is that we use folder redirection on our workstations. The Desktop, My Documents, and My Pictures folders are all located on a file server. As these are the most likely locations people will be working with files they retrieve from cameras, phones, memory drives, email, web, ftp, etc., is there a way to make the 'upload to server' option appear for files located on the network?

 

Why would you like to copy network based files to the Server computer? You'll create duplicates of your source documents, and if someone (or you) will change the original document the server based copy will not be changed accordingly.

 

This is why we disable this feature when importing network based files.

 

 

If you'll install Daminion Server on the same computer where your documents are located physically you can upload them using local references.

[bcrejesse]

Why would you like to copy network based files to the Server computer?

 

We use Folder redirection.

 

I think I explained it sufficiently above, but you may want to do some research on it if you did not take it into account when making the decision on local vs. network 'upload' and 'copy' options.

 

This is why we disable this feature when importing network based files.

 

I understand. The problem is this method removes choice, and in our case, we don't have a choice about using local files vs network files as all of our 'local' files (Desktop, My Documents, My Pictures) are redirected to a network share using folder redirection via group policies (for roaming and backup reasons), which I'd say is pretty typical on Windows networks in businesses.

 

Here is a TechNet article on Folder Redirection.

[Murat]

Jesse, thanks for the explanation of the Folder Redirection. We'll discuss about the possibility to change this behavior with our team on the Monday briefing.

[Murat]

Hi Jesse, after some discussions we've decided to add an option to upload network based files to the Daminion Server using "Upload Files to..." option. This feature is planned to Daminion 1.0 RC2 version. Thanks for pointing us to this issue!

[bcrejesse]

Thanks Murat.

 

Do you have a schedule you can share for RC2 release?

[Murat]

It will be available on out forum on the next week. But we can try to build a draft version today for testing purposes only.