Tutorial - Working from home

Rev 1.002, 2020.06.23

How to read this tutorial

  • The tutorial does not cover all features of Accsyn, just a selected set.
  • Entries in Bold are highlighted important input data.
  • Entries in Bold Italic are made up data for this tutorial only, here you provide your own data as appropriate.
  • Labels in Italic correspond to the name of an input were you enter data.
  • Text in [ BRACKETS ] denotes a button within user interface, were LINK points out a link - for example a navigation link.

Summary

This tutorial is targeted companies that:

  • Have a part of, or whole work force working from home.
  • Cannot utilise remote desktop/virtualisation solutions.


Wishing to:

  • Make is easy to transfer work file assets to remote employees, from main servers (hq) and other offices.
  • Enable employees to easily download and upload material.
  • Enable employees to browse each others local proxy storage, initiate transfers.
  • Have file transfers go accelerated and encrypted, having users to choose their own passwords with auditing.
  • Have the opportunity to enable file sharing to external clients, freelancers and other parties.


This tutorial is a complete walkthrough covering:

  • Setting up Accsyn on-prem.
  • Setting up Accsyn at a remote employee.
  • Sending a directory to the employee.
  • Have employee use Accsyn for uploading material back to server/headquarters.
  • Pull a file from the employee back to server/headquarters.


Video


Schematics

Installing and configuring Accsyn


The following guide is a short summary of the installation process described in detail here: Accsyn Admin Manual

  • Register your domain @ https://customer.accsyn.com. In this tutorial we will use company(.accsyn.com) as the Accsyn domain name.
  • Follow the guide to initialise domain. Hint: Read through the admin tour when offered, it gives insight into the architecture of Accsyn and the terms used/names of entities.
  • Install server; when the guide instructs you to install the Accsyn daemon, download and install it on your current file transfer on-prem server ("alpha"). Pick a server that has access to your storage, or a the part of your storage that you want to expose to Accsyn.
  • Network; the guide will ask you to configure your firewall, add NAT port forwards 45190-45210 (tcp) & 443(tcp) to file transfer server "alpha". Note that Accsyn daemon DOES NOT listen to any ports 24/7, it will only start a listening process during file transfer init, software firewalled to accept incoming connections from remote client WAN IP only. For more information, please refer to Accsyn Security Whitepaper.
  • Root share; Browse to your storage where your project files resides. In this tutorial, we assume server is running Linux and have project data accessible/mounted at /mnt/projects (Windows workstation path P: , \\192.168.1.240\projects).
  • Finish installation.
  • Finally, we want to learn Accsyn about the Windows paths, as we have mixed a Linux and Windows setup. Go to Admin>Shares>Root shares and edit the root share (projects). Enter drive letter P: as Windows path and \\192.168.1.240\projects as the UNC path (helps Accsyn identify files accessed over VPN).

Note: it's perfectly fine to skip Windows drive letters, and go 100% on UNC paths. Drive letters simplifies remote workflows, enabling sites and employees to have a local drive letter keeping project file paths consistent across locations.


You now have a fully working file transfer setup, replacing FTP and similar, allowing you to deliver files to users by their E-mail address.

Installing Accsyn client at home work place


Next, we are going to setup a Accsyn at home for one the employees (agnes@company.com).

Prerequisites:

  • A PC running Windows (can also be Mac or Linux).
  • A local storage (hard drive) is formatted and mounted at unified path (P:).


  1. Logon to Accsyn webapp (https://company.accsyn.com) as an administrator.
  2. Go to Admin>Users and click [Invite user].
  3. Enter the Email address of your employee (agnes@company.com) and click [Next].
  4. Choose employee clearance (allowed full access to projects storage) and click invite.
  5. User will receive an Email containing an activation link.
  6. Over at the employee's work PC (AGNES-PC), conclude activation and download the Accsyn desktop app installer.
  7. Install Accsyn desktop app and logon with employee Email (agnes@company.com).


User is now all set to start transferring files, but we have not yet configured the local share mapping at proxy storage - enables mirrored path transfers and access to other users.


Alternative - install as service

If you seek a 24/7 stable experience, not depending on employee running desktop app or now - install the background Windows service version instead:

  1. Logon to Accsyn web (company.accsyn.com) and go to Get app section.
  2. On Windows tab, click Show all downloads and choose [ Windows Service ].
  3. Install it on the PC, instead of PIN authentication - choose standard login.
  4. Conclude installation.


Accsyn will now launch with your computer, staying online regardless if any user is logged in or not.

Configuring Accsyn at home work place


  1. Logged in as employee at home computer (AGNES-PC), go to preferences within Accsyn desktop app (Email button in top right corner).
  2. In Shares section, tick entry for projects and check Override path:
  3. Browse to local storage/hard drive: P:
  4. Check Read and Write options - enables others download from, and upload to local storage.
  5. Click [Done] when ready.


From this point on:

  • Files sent to employee/downloaded from server projects area, will end up with same paths at local project area (P:).
  • When drag-n-dropping a file from local P: on Accsyn, it will suggest to upload/transmig with mirrored paths to on-prem server/hq.
  • When drag-n-dropping a file over VPN path (\\192.168.1.240\projects), Accsyn will suggest to download to local project area, or send/transmit to another employee.

Send a directory to employee

To describe how it would work, we are going to send a directory on server/hq to the employee:

  1. On any computer, logon to Accsyn desktop app. This can also be done in mobile friendly web browser (https://company.accsyn.com).
  2. Make sure submit window is expanded into view, minimising current transfers.
  3. On left hand side, choose Company as source (with office building icon) - this is the server/hq side.
  4. Browse to the directory you want to send.
  5. On the right hand side, there should be an entry for employee : agnes@company.com (AGNES-PC). Choose it and leave Mirror paths option check.
  6. Click [SEND] button in lower right corner.

If employee has client running, transfer will start directly sending the directory the their local projects storage (P:) and emitting an Email to user when finished.


Pull a file from an employee

Another important usage example is the case when an employee have file locally that is needed by production on-prem:

  1. On any computer, logon to Accsyn desktop app.
  2. Make sure submit window is expanded into view, minimising current transfers.
  3. On the left hand side, select remote employee source entry: agnes@company.com (AGNES-PC).
  4. Browse to the file/directory that should be pulled.
  5. On the right hand side, have hq selected (Company with office building icon) and Mirror paths selected.
  6. Click [UPLOAD] button in lower right corner.

If employee has client running, transfer will start directly sending the directory from their local projects storage (P:) back to on prem server, emitting an Email to you when transfer has finished.

Conclusion


With Accsyn in a working from home setup, your employees gets tightly integrated when it comes to file management, with encrypted high speed file transfers that resumes were left off and no missing or corrupt parts.


For more information/tutorials, please head over to support.accsyn.com.