NetFile
•NetFile servlet(s). Two NetFile servlets are present in the web container, one for each kind of NetFile applet. The servlets are responsible for connecting to different types of file systems, carrying out the operations that NetFile is configured to handle, and sending the information back to the applets for display.
NetFile is internationalized and provides access to file systems irrespective of their locale (character encodings).
NetFile uses Access Manager to store its own profile, as well as user settings and preferences. You administer NetFile through the Access Manager administration console.
Initialization
When a user selects a NetFile link in the Portal Server Desktop, the NetFile servlet checks if the user has a valid SSO token and permission to execute NetFile. If so, the applet is rendered to the browser. The NetFile applet connects back to the servlet to get its own configuration such as size, locale, resource bundle, as well as user settings and preferences. NetFile obtains the locale information and other user information (such as user name, mail ID, and mail server) using the user’s SSO token. The user settings include any settings that the user has inherited from an organization or role, settings that are customized by the user, and settings that the user has stored upon exit from a previous NetFile session.
Validating Credentials
NetFile uses the credentials supplied by users to authenticate users before granting access to the file systems.
The credentials include a user name, password, and Windows or Novell domain (wherever applicable). Each share can have an independent password, therefore, users need to enter their credentials for every share (except for common hosts) that you add.
NetFile uses UNIX Authentication from the Access Manager to grant access to NFS file systems. For file systems that are accessed over FTP and jCIFs protocols, NetFile uses the methods provided by the protocol itself to validate the credentials.
Chapter 2 Portal Server Secure Remote Access Architecture 45
