Shared Link Global User

Audience

This guide is intended for IT administrators or individuals configuring a Shared Link Global User for file sharing.

Introduction

The feature “Shared Link Global User” enables administrators to force shared links to be invoked via a specific system user. Normally, when a recipient opens a shared link, it accesses shared files with the credentials and permissions of the sharing user, namely, the user who created the shared link. By enabling a Shared Link Global User, shared links are associated with the Shared Link Global User, and not with a specific user. This helps ensure that shared links remain valid even when the credentials for a specific user change.

Support for a Shared Link Global User addressed an issue in version 10.0 and earlier where a shared link became invalid when the sharing user’s password changed.

Since version 10.1, shared links no longer become invalid when the sharing user’s password changes. As such, the Shared Link Global User feature has been deprecated and will be removed in a future release.

This feature is not enabled by default. For more information, contact Nasuni Support.

System Requirements

Before getting started, ensure that each of the following requirements has been met.

Important: After the Shared Link Global User feature is enabled in the customer license, the Edge Appliance license must be refreshed on the Edge Appliance.

To refresh on the Edge Appliance UI, click Account Status → Refresh License. Then, on the NMC UI, click Filers → Refresh Managed Filers.

Add Shared Link Global User

After enabling shared links, you can enable a Shared Link Global User. By enabling a Shared Link Global User, shared links are associated with the Shared Link Global User, and not with a specific user. This helps ensure that shared links remain valid even when the credentials for a specific user change.

Links created before a Shared Link Global User is added are still valid but use the Shared Link Global User when invoked.

Important: If User Folders Support is enabled on a share, do not create a Shared Link Global User.

To enable the Shared Link Global User, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the NMC UI, and click the Volumes tab.

2. From the left-side menu, click Shares.

3. Click the volume’s Edit icon .

4. Ensure both Web Access and Enable Shared Links checkboxes are checked.
   

5. Scroll down and click the Enable Shared Link Global User checkbox.

   

6. In the Username text box, enter an NT-compatible name of a user in an Active Directory domain. Include the Active Directory domain name, followed by a slash, followed by the user name. (The domain must be included.)

   In the Password text box, enter the password for this user. If you are editing the configuration of an existing share and do not want this previously entered password to be changed, ensure that this text box is left blank.
   Important: If User Folders Support is enabled on a share, do not create a Shared Link Global User.

   Important: It is important that the password for this Shared Link Global User stays in sync with the Active Directory user account password. Therefore, you should use a dedicated service account for this Shared Link Global User, and this account should be configured with the “password never expires” option.

7. Click Update Share.
   The credentials are not validated on save. Nasuni recommends you test any changes by creating and testing new shared links.

Remove Shared Link Global User

A Shared Link Global User can be removed from a share. Shared links created when the Shared Link Global User was enabled are no longer valid. When those links are opened, users see a general error message. If the Shared Link Global User is enabled again, the links become operational again.

To see a list of all shared links for a share (valid and invalid) see Shared Links Management.

To disable Shared Link Global User support for a share:

1. Navigate to the NMC UI, and click the Volumes tab.

2. From the left-side menu, click Shares.

3. Click the volume’s Edit icon .

4. Uncheck Enable Shared Link Global User.

5. Click Update Share.