Share

Do you need to share files and folders with other PC users and want to record any changes to these documents on every participant’s computer at all times? Mamut Online Backup Share is the solution!

Users working on the same network often share their files, either on a common server or on their own machines so that others can access these files and possibly edit them as well. With Share you can share your files with other users regardless of where they are.

Share differs from Sync in that it allows you to share files and folders with several other program users. You simply send an invitation to the user(s) you want to share the files with and once the invitation has been accepted and the right Mamut Key has been entered, the sharing begins. If one of the users makes changes to a document or a file is added to the folder(s), which is/are being shared, all users will be updated simultaneously.

It is also important to understand the difference between Stream and Share. With Stream you yourself have full control over the files. Changes you make to the files are being streamed continuously to those users you have selected to receive the most up-to-date versions of your files.

With the Share function on the other hand, all 'participants' are able to edit, delete or add files to the shared folders. Therefore, if another user deletes a file, the same file is being deleted on your computer as well!

Note! A file which is deleted in a shared folder will also be deleted on the computers of everyone taking part in the current Share.

When you create a Share folder, you will be guided through a wizard, which will help you to set up the task folders, select who you will be sharing it with and send the invitation(s) on your behalf.

Only the person who created a Share folder can terminate the Share process. Recipients on the other hand can terminate their own participation, i.e. they will no longer take part in the still active Share.

Note! All Share task folders you create are being placed in My documents on your machine. The program has set up a folder called Mamut Online Backup there. When you create a Share, you give it a name and a folder with this name will be set up. All files you add to this folder will be included in the Share. This also applies to subfolders. You cannot, however, choose to share other areas on your machines or network resources. This ensures that you do not risk sharing folders containing sensitive data on your computer, by mistake.

Individual: You have teamed up with your two siblings to throw a great 50th-birthday party for your mum. Songs need writing, place cards need making and you want to produce a memento book with a picture of the three of you. You divide the tasks amongst yourselves and in order to get the job done more easily you set up a Shareto have access to all the same information. Since every change you make to a document is being copied to every participant, you set up a subfolder for each of you and agree that if you make any changes to a received document, this will be saved under a new name combining the initials and version number of the relevant 'editor' with the original file name.

Business: As project leader for the new marketing campaign, you want to set up a common catalogue where you can all share the files you are going to use. To avoid unwanted deleting and editing, you agree on common rules for how to handle new versions of documents, which sub-catalogue to put the documents in and who will be working on what. All project participants have their own subfolder and once a document has been completed, it is placed in the common catalogue.

Share is best suited to folders with pictures, for example, or types of files that do not need updating. If you set up a task for sharing pictures from a trip you have been on with friends, you can put these images in the task folder so that everyone who went on the trip can view the pictures.

The Share function is not the same as file sharing. When using file sharing in a network, the files will be locked for editing when they are opened simultaneously. The files in a Share are temporarily uploaded to the server when they are being saved on a computer, and then automatically downloaded to the recipient again. Thus this function is not suitable for having several users working on the same files simultaneously.

If you would like to be able to have several users update the files, you either have to ensure that you have some kind of control over when this is being done to avoid updating simultaneously, or you should use the Stream-function, so that updates are only possible in one direction.

One example which might apply to Microsoft Word files is to set up a Stream so that you can send a Stream to your recipient(s), who would then set up their own Stream of their edited file back to you. This way you can then make use the functions in Word in order to collate the changes in the files.

You can invite several users to receive your Share files. This is done the same way as for a Stream. Read more in the section Stream.