Your administrator configures and manages the Novell Archive and Version Services for files stored on Novell Storage Services™ (NSS) volumes on an OES 2 Linux or NetWare 6.5 SP 5 or later server. To take advantage of this service, it is important to understand several key concepts.
File versions are point-in-time copies of network files that reside in an archive database. Your network administrator determines which file types are eligible for versioning and how frequently versioning occurs for each data volume. Eligible files that change during an interval of time, called an epoch, are versioned at the end of the interval. No matter how many changes you make to your files during an epoch, only those eligible files that exist at the end of the epoch are versioned and stored in the archive database. Metadata changes for eligible files are also noted in the database. File versions reside in the archive database until they are manually deleted or until they meet criteria for automatic deletion.
NOTE:Filename with a special character colon(:) is not eligible for versioning.
Your system administrator establishes a versioning schedule that meets user requirements for file versioning, given limited storage and bandwidth resources.
File versions reside in the archive database on the archive server. You can retrieve file versions from the archive database at any time, from anywhere, using the Archive function in Novell NetStorage. You can also use the NSS File Version Utility on your Windows* 2000/ XP /Vista* or SUSE® Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED)10 or SLED 10 SP1 workstation to retrieve files from the archive database. For security reasons, the restored file or directory and its content are assigned their most recent settings for file system attributes, trustees, and trustee rights to your NetWare 6.5 SP 5 or later NSS volume or OES 2 Linux NSS volume.
Your administrator sets criteria to determine which files are eligible for versioning. Files can be included or excluded according to their path, file extension, or filename patterns. If your files meet the resultant criteria, they are eligible for versioning. You do not have direct control over which of your files are versioned, when the versioning occurs, or what the state of your files is when the epoch ends and the file versions are copied to the archive database. Work with your administrator to establish your versioning needs.
The administrator controls how long file versions are kept and how many file versions can exist at a time. Versioned files might have a limited lifetime in the archive. The delete policy for volumes can be configured to allow indefinite retention of at least one most recent file version. Work with your administrator to establish your file retention needs.
Administrator sets the versioning criteria like files to be versioned, when versioning occurs, or the state of the files when the epoch ends, filters, delete policy for all the files on a particular volume. All this information is displayed in the Versioning Policy, Right-click the Archive icon in the system tray and select to view the details.
The NSS File Version Utility provides convenient and direct access to archived versions of your files using either Windows or Linux desktop. option is available when you right-click a file or directory in the explorer. The utility allows you to view recent versions of your files in the archive database and restore the desired file.
Novell NetStorage provides Web-based access to archived versions of your files using a web browser and internet connection. The Archive function allows you to view recent versions of your files in the archive database and restore the desired file. Select the previous version of the file, then click to download the file locally or to restore the file version to its last storage location.