Self hosted private file sharing & mobile access for file server

A story - Self-hosted file sharing solution for strict compliance and data protection requirements

A service provider for schools in a canton of Switzerland is part of the government for education in that region. Their schools have varying numbers of users, from 80 to several thousand. They have on-premises file servers. The data on the local file servers can be accessed by the teachers and the administration of the school. The users require a secure solution to store their files. They also have some data protection requirements. They are using SharePoint and OneDrive for schools. But they get some legal issues because of privacy. They want to be compliant with Swiss regulations. Because of the legal requirements in Switzerland, the schools cannot use a solution that is not connected to WAN. There is an encryption problem. They can not upload the files to SharePoint because they do not want the encryption key for their documents to be stored with a third party. They would like to have a private, self-hosted cloud storage solution for schools. No third party should have access to the documents, only them.

A self-hosted private file sharing solution brings the cloud experience to your on-premises file servers, providing data ownership, data privacy, and permission control. When cloud mobility cooperates with traditional mapped drive and file locking, you have found a private cloud file server you have been looking for. It retains the security and privacy strength of the file server and empowers it with cloud productivity features like mobile access, secure sharing, data protection, and cloud migration.

Does your file sharing solution keep you awake at night?

Most public file sharing solutions require you to upload the files to their hosting sites before you can share them with your business partners and colleagues. So who owns your data, and how do you audit access to and changes to your data? Do you lose control of your data if it's somewhere on a third-party hosting site in another country?

Regain Control of Your Data

Why Self-Hosted?

While other similar products offer file sync and share, Gladinet is the one that focuses on file server enhancements. Gladinet takes care of permission structure, drive mapping, and file locking from the group up, something you do not often find in other file sharing solutions.

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Data Ownership

Using your file servers and existing Active Directory infrastructure to set up the file-sharing solution guarantees that the corporation retains ownership of the data on the existing IT infrastructure.

Compliance

Self-Hosting the file-sharing solution makes it easy to set up data protection, data retention, and audit policies for various regulatory compliances. And better yet, your file server as the data repository makes it easy to extend the existing auditing workflow.

Data Privacy

Using existing file servers as data repository extends the current data privacy model. In addition to using VPN to access corporate file servers, HTTPS-based access method and web-link sharing are great additions to file server functionality.

Data Management

Data administration and user management are easy since your file server serves as the self-hosted file sharing solution's data repository. You can keep using the present identity providers for data access and the current lifecycle management policies for your file server.

Data Control

Active Directory infrastructure continues to govern the file sharing access. Active Directory federation or SAML single sign-on can continue to authenticate users, and NTFS permissions can continue to protect file access.

Business File Sharing Requirements

Unlike consumer file sharing solutions, business users have these standard requirements:

File Server

Business users are used to accessing files from centralized file server network shares. A file sharing solution that extends current file server capabilities to include HTTPS access and web-link sharing keeps users' daily workflow running smoothly.

Security & Control

Businesses use Active Directory, SAML single sign-on for user authentication. And use various other Active Directory-centric permission control methods to protect files and folders. A file sharing solution must integrate well with Active Directory.

Drive Mapping

Remote workers are accustomed to accessing centralized file servers from remote locations via a drive mapping at work and over a VPN. A file sharing solution that represents files and folders within a drive letter makes it much easier for employees without additional training.

On-Demand Sync

The consumer data working sets are typically small. By comparison, business data working set on corporate file servers are usually very large. It is unusual for a lightweight laptop to store 100% of the corporate file server content, which is not secure to begin with. On-Demand sync and access save storage space on remote devices.

File Locking

File locking is another feature of traditional file servers that business users are accustomed to when multiple users are collaborating on the same set of files. File locking means that when a user starts editing a particular file, the solution automatically locks the file until the user finishes editing and closes the file. This is another familiar feature for users.

End Point Management

Unlike consumer file sharing solutions, the corporate needs to manage all endpoints that can access corporate data. Whether it's endpoint access policies or endpoint backup of the devices, a business-oriented file sharing solution needs to consider endpoint management requirements.

Self-Hosted File Sharing

With the Gladinet solution, the file-sharing solution is interoperable with existing file server network shares. It comes with Active Directory integration, cloud drive mapping, global file locking, and the NTFS permission control integrations. All of these native integrations make the file-sharing solution more like an extension of the current file server rather than another data silo that takes away data.

See how it works

Mapped Drive

Mapped drive over HTTPS channel to the corporate file server is a crucial feature. Employees are familiar with a mapped drive, and no additional training is required.

Active Directory

Corporate users already have corporate identities in Active Directory and related Active Directory federation service and SAML single-sign-on. They don't need yet another set of credentials to access a file-sharing solution.

File Locking

Most of the file-sharing solutions offer manual file locking in the forms of "file check-in" and "check out." Gladinet provides automatic file locking by detecting file opening requests. When Microsoft Word opens a file, file locking process is automatically initiated and automatically terminated when editing of the file is complete.

File Permissions

Finally, the ability to integrate with Active Directory and NTFS permissions makes it so much easier for system administrators to set up the permission control. The permission features make the Gladinet solution stands out among the peers.

Collaboration Features

Cloud Network Shares

The network shares you are familiar with from the file server will become team folders directly accessible from Cloud.

Remote Drive Mapping

You will get a drive letter in Windows Explorer to access the files from the cloud.

Global File Locking

You will get file locking when working with files from the cloud.

Compliance Features

Easy Active Directory

Active Directory integration is simple, whether it's a local or remote file server.

Audit & History Report

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Data Protection

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File Server Access

Bring the cloud experience to your file server by providing Secure Mobile Access to file servers without cloud replication. Leverage existing NTFS permissions and Active Directory identities. Improve data control with features such as file versioning, auditing, reporting, and policy-based collaboration.

Self-Hosted File Sharing

Become a Cloud Service Provider by providing your users a Dropbox alternative that lets you maintain control over their data while reducing costs by 50-80%. At the same time, move file servers to your data center and provide a business continuity solution for your companies.

File Server Migration

Bring Your File Server Experience to the cloud by leveraging existing NTFS permissions and Active Directory permissions with the familiar mapped drive and file locking behaviors. Your file server is synchronized with the cloud and provides the same experience to the end user.

Self Hosted
File Sharing