KB: Linking vs Copying Documents
Copying Files
The CommitCRM system allows users to import a single document into the CommitCRM documents folder, and create a document entry in the CommitCRM database. This document can be linked to your Accounts/Tickets/Contracts/Assets/Opportunities which are logged in CommitCRM, so that they can be easily accessed via the software application or the CommitCRM Web Interface.
Benefits of Copying
- When copying files into the CommitCRM documents folder, you are enabling other users to view the file, based only on CommitCRM security permissions, assuming the documents folder is accessible to Everyone or Domain.com in windows security.
- When using this method, the documents are all filed in a consolidated documents store, where they are divided on the account level, which ultimately makes the documents backup process much easier to perform.
Linking Files
When importing documents into CommitCRM, the second method of import is linking the original files into the CommitCRM database while leaving it only on the original path. This method allows the importing user to keep his own systems permissions in effect on the imported file/s.
When you import a whole folder into CommitCRM, you aren't actually copying the files from the local computer to the CommitCRM server, you are only linking the files from there current location into the CommitCRM documents database, as mentioned when linking single files into CommitCRM.
If you've imported a document folder into CommitCRM, and other computers than the one which you imported the folder from cannot view/edit these files, by telling you "file does not exist or cannot be accessed ", this would be the reason.
In order to test this theory, you can try to use CommitCRM to access these documents from the computer you've imported from, and if you're successful, then the problem is in the security permissions for the file, on the computer they are linked from.
Benefits of Linking
- When linking files into CommitCRM, the files retain their Windows Security settings, and can be adjusted by any administrative user on the machine hosting the document.
For more information regarding Importing Multiple Documents & Windows Security Settings, please click here.