Configuring the File Connector

After you have successfully installed the connector, you should configure a connection between a SQL Database and the document vault. You may configure one or more connections.

Complete the following steps to configure a new connection:


1. Open M-Files Admin.

2. In the left-side tree view, expand the desired connection to M-Files Server.

3. In the left-side tree view, expand the document vault of your choice, and then select Configurations.

4. In the gray navigation area, expand External Repositories and then select the SQLDatabaseConnector.
5. On the Dashboard tab, click Add Connection to configure a new connection, and then click OK at the prompt verifying that you want to add a new connection.

  1. Click Configure on the Dashboard tab to configure the new connection.

7. On the Configuration tab, expand the General Settings section, and modify at least the following settings:

General Settings

Enabled Yes This setting enables the connection.

Display Name <user-defined> This setting is for specifying the display name of the connection. The display name is shown in the home screen under External Views

Authentication:  Personal, Common,or Anonymous
This setting is for defining the authentication mode for the connection. The available options are:

  • Personal: Select this option if you want the vault users to use their personal credentials for accessing the Database. 

  • Common: Select this option if you want all vault users to share the same credentials for accessing the Database. 

  • Anonymous: This option is not available for Database connections.

Permissions

  • Use M-Files NACL:  Set to Always

  • M-Files NACL: Use the dropdown to select full control for all internal users, or an ACL group to restrict the users who should have access.

Automatic Association

Not applicable

Mapping

Expand Object Types. 9. Click Add Object Type and edit the following settings:
Object Type:

This setting is for associating an M-Files object type, such as Document, with the files obtained via this connection.

  • M-Files Object Type: Always set to Document

  • External Type:   Leave this setting as the default ( * ).  Note that filtering of records is done by using where clauses in the Connector View.  Refer to section on SQL Database.

  • Properties: This section is not applicable.

Property Definitions: This setting is for associating the M-Files properties with the columns in the table. The properties will show on metadata card of the file object.  Note that only text based properties can be used.

Select to add a property.  For each property:

  • M-Files Property:  Select and existing M-Files property from the drop down.

  • External Property: Use the ‘External Property’ Name of the column as defined in the Connection-Specific Settings

Search Index

The search index set the criteria for updating the search.  No change is necessary in standard use cases.