Data Management

File / Data Structure

Creating important documents in a team/company environment at its best it is a free-flowing and creative exchange of ideas. Most team/companies work best when they are free to work in an ad hoc fashion -- sharing documents via email and comparing documents without the restrictions of having to check files in and check out files out of a document repository. All too commonly, though, this type of document sharing puts companies at risk for certain problems.

While nothing can replace a clear and informative file name when it come to making your files easy to find and well organized, file folders can provide an added level of organization by grouping your files by topic.

If you have a well organized filing cabinet, chances are you won't have much difficulty defining a similar filing system on your server, as the basic organizational principles hold true. In the event your filing cabinet could be better organized, you'll likely run into the same problems with organizing the files on your hard drive. Here are some pointers to help steer you in the right direction:

• 1. Think of how you will search for your files, then create a category list from it. Since the ultimate goal is to help you find your files, it makes sense to work backwards when you're setting up your folder names.
• 2. While nested folders can add a little more organization within the folders, having too many levels can become cumbersome. If possible, try to keep it to two or three levels.
• 3. Give the folders clear and concise names. Avoid names like "miscellaneous" or "general;" the more specific you are, the less searching you'll do.

File Security

File Security is a feature of your file system which controls which users can access which files, and places limitations on the what users can do to files. For example, a file may be secured so that everyone can view it but only certain specific people may change it, while another is secured so that only the owner may view it. Folders may also be secured in this way.

File security consists of two key elements: authentication and permissions.  Authentication is how the computer finds out who you are -- you tell it this by providing a username and password when you begin using it, also known as "logging on". Permissions are the properties of a file or folder that specify who can access it (a list of users) and how (the type of access they are allowed).

Whenever a user accesses a file or folder, the file security feature kicks in. This is called an access check. The file system considers the user’s identity, and what kind of action the user is performing, and consults the file’s permissions. If the permissions do not allow the action, the user gets an "Access Denied" error.