Work with data containers
Last updated
Last updated
Every object in Flexible Intake is preserved in a Data Container. Data containers define the policies, functions, permissions and the underlying storage policy for the files they contain, and have many similarities with Amazon S3 buckets or Azure containers, as they can hold files, folders, metadata, etc.
To know more about how you can organize your content, see Organize your content.
Data containers can be arranged in a hierarchical structure (Archival Structure) that is comprised of a series of nodes and sub-nodes. Learn how to configure it in the Archive organization section.
It is possible to create, edit or delete data containers using the platform's Management Interface or using the API. It is also possible to share some content or a whole container publicly, so users without platform's credentials can access it.
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Select Containers and **
3. Select New Container:
In the Container name, enter a descriptive name for the content you plan to have in your container (like "Albert Einstein's Correspondence"). This name allows you and other users to easily locate the container when using the platform's Management Interface.
You can leave any other field as default and select Create. The platform will now open the data container details page. If you plan to work with your data container using any of the file transfer methods the platform supports or with the API, it is important that you remember the data container identifier that is shown next to the container name.
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Select Containers
Select Containers by Archive Structure and select the one you want to edit.
In the Data container view, select Edit Container
Change the options as desired and select Save.
Two distinct deletion processes exist in the platform:
Soft-delete: The platform marks all content and metadata as deleted and hides them in the interface and search results. Users with permissions to see deleted containers are still able to see them, and they can be reverted (undeleted) easily. The storage continues in use as the content is still there, but hidden.
Hard-delete: Once a data container has been soft-deleted, it is possible to hard-delete it for the users with the hard-delete permission. Content, metadata and related events are finally deleted from the platform.
It is impossible to recover a hard-deleted container. Hard-deleted data is lost forever.
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Select Containers
Select Containers by Archive Structure and select the one you want to delete.
In the Data container view, select Edit Container
And select the Delete option.
Now the container is soft-deleted and hidden from users and search. If the user/group has the View deleted containers permission, in the Containers by archive structure view, a button is available (View deleted containers button), that only shows the deleted ones.
If you want fo permanently delete one, open the container, select Details and select Permanently delete.
If you want to revert the soft-delete action and make the container accesible again, select Restore.
The platform's permissions allow for providing or restricting access to platform's users, but the content can also be shared to any external user publicly, without needing authentication or a platform account.
This can be achieved for some items in the container (files or folders) or for the whole container.
When you share a container this way, your content is publicly available to any internet user.
When you share a folder, every item and subitem contained in the folder is also shared. Future items you place in the folder (in any subfolder) are also shared.
Proceed as follows:
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Select Containers
Select Containers by Archive Structure and select the one you want to share
Go to the Explore content tab and select any item or items you want to share. Selecting multiple elements is possible, and any item inside a folder you select will also be publicly shared
Remember that if you share a folder, all EXISTING and FUTURE items (files and folders) inside it are also shared.
The option Share selected content appears in the Functions area. Select it.
Select the sharing method you would like to use, select the Share option and select OK.
In the Shared column you can see if a file is shared or not, and you can always select files and un-share them in the same way.
This interface is showing direct shares only. Even if the content you have selected is inside a shared folder (thus indirectly shared), the platform will show that the items are not shared in the Shared column.
The Shared tab in the data container allows you to see what is shared in the container:
When a folder or item has been shared, you can get the HTTP URL by looking at the sidebar when in the data container Explore tab:
If you open the preceding link of a shared folder (even if the user opening it has not authenticated in LIBSAFE), a read-only interface is shown to the user:
Anonymous users can:
Open the files to preview using the advanced file viewer (including any subfolder and its files or folders),
Download them individually,
Group them in a ZIP file to download all of them at once (select multiple files, right click and download) and
Perform file name searching and filtering.
But they cannot:
Change files or folders,
Remove them in any way or
See or change your metadata, with the exception of the file size, file type and last modification date.
When you share a folder, any item in the folder is accesible using the name/path in the container.
API examples here are just illustrative. Check the API documentation for additional information and all available methods.
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Obtain your API key by selecting your name and then Access Methods:
Use this method:
Use:
url: Your platform address
header: Your API Token (add Bearer prefix)
name: The name of the container that will be created
description: A short description (optional)
container Metadata ID: The ID of the metadata schema to use for the container's metadata
metadata Schema ID: The ID of the metadata schema to use for the container's files/objects
workflow ID: The ID of the workflow that you would like to associate with this container
archival Structure ID: The ID of the archival node to which you would like to add this container
storage ID: The ID of the storage that this container will use.
If you plan to work with your data container using any of the file transfer methods that the platform supports, or with the API, it is important that you remember the data container identifier that is delivered in the response:
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Obtain your API key by selecting your name and then Access Methods:
If you want to edit the container name or description, use this method:
If you want to edit the container metadata, you can use this method:
Use:
url: Your platform address
header: Your API Token (add Bearer prefix)
iecode: The Import/Export code for the metadata descriptor you want to edit
value: The value you want to set.
Multi-evaluated fields are not available for containers. Containers can only have string-type fields.
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Obtain your API key by selecting your name and then Access Methods:
Understand the deletion method to use: Two distinct deletion processes exist in the platform:
Soft-delete: The platform marks all content and metadata as deleted and hides it in the interface and search results. Users with permissions to see deleted containers are still able to see them, and they can be reverted (undeleted) easily. The storage continues in use as the content is still there, but hidden.
Hard-delete: Once a data container has been soft-deleted, it is possible to hard-delete it for the users with the hard-delete permission. Content, metadata and related events are finally deleted from the platform.
It is impossible to recover a hard-deleted container. Hard-deleted data is lost forever.
If you want to soft-delete a container, use this method:
If you want to hard-delete it, use this method:
The platform's permissions allow for providing or restricting access to platform's users, but the content can also be shared with any external user publicly, without needing authentication or a platform's account.
This can be achieved for some items in the container (files or folders) or for the whole container.
When you share a container this way, your content is publicly available to any internet user.
When you share a folder, every item and subitem contained in the folder is also shared. Future items you place in the folder (in any subfolder) are also shared.
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Obtain your API key by selecting your name and then Access Methods:
Use the following method
If you are sharing a folder, only the shared folder appears as the result of the preceding method. Every item contained on it is also shared, but not shown in this list.
Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
Obtain your API key by selecting your name and then Access Methods:
Use the following method
files_id is an array that contains the identifiers of the items to apply the action to. Note that it could be a file or a folder, as folders are just another type of file in the platform.
action could be SHARE or UNSHARE.
When you obtain the details of a file using:
The sharing status of the file and the HTTP endpoint is also delivered under the sharing section:
If the result is false, file is not shared:
When you share a folder, any PRESENT or FUTURE item in the folder is accesible using the name/path in the container.
