Sharing library files and folders

You can update sharing settings for library files and folders to control how other users access them. To view the current sharing status of a file or folder, click the Sharing tab on the summary page for the file or folder.

Before you begin

Sharing functions is only available in deployments by using IBM® FileNet® Collaboration Services 2.0 with IBM FileNet Content Manager 5.2.0. It is not supported for IBM Content Manager.

About this task

By default, an uploaded file is shared with people who have access to the library or folder where the file is uploaded. You can change the default access for a file or folder by sharing it explicitly with others.

Community owners have owner access to every file and this setting cannot be changed. Community members have at least contributor access by default, and can access and download library files. You cannot update sharing settings to prevent community members from accessing specific files.

By default, sharing controls are not available from the root library view. To set the default sharing settings for a library, you must edit the role of community members in the library settings. For more information, see Managing a community library. Alternatively, ask your administrator to enable the Change sharing on Library settings feature. When this feature is enabled, you can share contnet on the library level.

When you link to another community's library, you can view the sharing settings for files and folders in the library, but you cannot share library content.

Procedure

To update sharing settings for a library file or folder, complete the following steps.

Open the library that contains the file or folder for which you want to update settings.
Complete one of the following steps:
- To change settings for a file, click the name of the file that you want to share, and select More Actions > Share.
  Note: Depending on how IBM Connections is configured for your organization, you might see a separate Share button instead of having to access this option from the More Actions menu.
- To change settings for a folder, click More next to the folder that you want to share and then click Share.
To update sharing settings for:

Note: Sharing options in the Change Sharing window are disabled if settings cannot be changed for the selected entity. In addition, you cannot specify contributor access for individual files in the Change Sharing window, this access is automatically demoted to reader for files.
- Specific individuals, ensure that a Member is selected from the Share with list, and then enter one or more names in the text field provided. Type-ahead predicts the name that you are typing by comparing it to names in the company directory. When you see the name that you want, click it to select it. For libraries created using the Library app, the member must be added to the community first to be available in the type-ahead box.
  Note: For external users, type-ahead predicts names of people with whom they have already shared a file.
- A group, select a Group from the Share with list, and then enter the name of the group in the field provided. Type ahead predicts the name that you are typing by comparing it to groups in the company directory. When you see the name that you want, click it to select it. For libraries created using the Library app, the group must be added to the community first to be available in the type-ahead box.
  Note: The Community Members group is included in the Everyone (public) group, but is always available so that you can add it or demote its role. If the role of the Community Members group is below that of the Everyone (public) group, then it is hidden in the user interface but you can still modify its role.
  When you share a file from a linked library, you do not have the option of sharing it with the Community Members group. When you are in a linked library, you can add and remove public access to a file or folder with the Everyone (public) group.
- All community members, select Community Members from the Share with list, select the access level that you want members to have, and click Add.
- Everyone, including non-community members, select Everyone (public) from the Share with list, ensure that the appropriate access level is showing, and click Add.
  Note: This option is only available for public communities; it is not available for restricted communities.
- A library, select the Sharing tab on the library level, and select Change sharing on Library settings. You can then use the library edit mode of the app to change sharing settings at the library level.
  Note: This feature is disabled by default. If you do not see the Sharing control on an individual library, ask your administrator to enable it.
Click OK to save your changes.

What to do next

After you change sharing settings for a file and the default folder access is no longer applied, you can remove individual users and groups, or demote special groups from the Sharing tab. Alternatively, you can select More Actions > Share for the file and remove users by using the options available from the Change Sharing window.

You can reset the sharing settings for a file back to the default settings by opening the file's summary page, clicking the Sharing tab, and clicking Reset to default folder sharing.