Watched folders
Connect folders on the server to LOKI so that new and changed files are taken in automatically.
A watched folder connects LOKI to a folder on the server, for example a mounted network drive. LOKI takes in all the files in it and keeps them up to date:
- New files are added.
- Changed files are processed again.
- Moved or renamed files are recognised by LOKI and not processed again.
- Deleted files are also removed from LOKI's documents.
LOKI only reads the folder. It changes nothing in the files on the server.
Only administrators manage watched folders.
Creating a folder
Open the form
Under Watched Folders, click Create new.
Choose the folder
Click Browse server folders…. Navigate to the folder you want and click Select this folder. Which folders are available to choose from is set by the operator of the appliance.
Choose groups
Choose one or more groups. Every file in the folder is shared with these groups.
Include subfolders
Tick Include subfolders if files in subfolders should be taken in too. Otherwise, LOKI only takes in the files directly in the chosen folder.
Create
Click Create watched folder. The files appear in the document list straight away as Pending (or Unsupported file type) and are then processed in the background.
Groups and subfolders cannot be changed later
The path, the groups and the subfolder setting cannot be changed after the folder has been created. If something needs to change, delete the folder together with its documents and create it again. LOKI then processes the files again.
LOKI automatically leaves out system files such as desktop.ini, Thumbs.db or
.DS_Store and recycle bin folders.
Syncing
For LOKI to notice changes in the folder, it has to sync it:
- Sync now in a folder's row syncs that one folder.
- Sync all above the list syncs all folders.
The sync runs in the background; you can keep using the dashboard in the meantime. Whether LOKI also syncs watched folders automatically on a schedule is set by the operator of the appliance.
Protection against accidental deletion
If LOKI suddenly finds a folder empty, or a sync would remove a large share of the files, the sync stops without deleting anything. This protects your documents if, for example, a network drive is temporarily unreachable. The run then appears in the history with the status Error.
The folder list
For each folder you see:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Folder path | the folder on the server |
| Groups | who sees the folder's files |
| Recursive | whether subfolders are included |
| Documents | how many files are searchable |
| Errors | how many files could not be processed |
| Last synced | when LOKI last synced the folder |
If files have the status Error, a red notice above the list shows how many. You can see the reason in the folder's document list. LOKI tries a failed file again as soon as it changes on the server.
A folder's files
Click a folder to see its files as a folder tree, with search and filters as in the document list. Hover over a file's error icon to see the failure reason.
Excluded files and folders
Some files should not be in LOKI, for example an archive subfolder. This is how you exclude them:
- Exclude a subfolder: in the folder tree, click the bin icon next to the subfolder and confirm. LOKI removes all documents in it and no longer takes in the subfolder in future.
- Exclude a single file: delete the document under Documents. LOKI remembers the file and no longer takes it in in future.
Excluded items are listed on the folder page under Excluded folders and Excluded files. Use the × on an entry (Re-include in future syncs) to bring it back.
Deleting a folder
- In the folder list, click the bin icon.
- Decide whether to tick Also delete all … documents synced from this folder:
- Ticked: all of the folder's documents disappear from LOKI.
- Not ticked: documents that have already been processed are kept with their groups, but are no longer updated. Files that are still waiting or have failed are removed by LOKI in any case.
- Confirm with Delete.
Sync status and history
Below the folder list, Sync status shows the latest sync runs. The same view exists for Microsoft 365 and SharePoint.
Each run shows its status (Running…, Success or Error) and what it did:
| Figure | Meaning |
|---|---|
| added | new files |
| updated | changed files |
| removed | files that have disappeared from the source |
| unchanged | files without changes |
| moved | files that only changed their location or name |
| file(s) failed | files that could not be processed |
A run can be Success even though individual files failed. Under History you see earlier runs with their time, result and, where applicable, the Reason for an error.
“A run is holding”
Only one sync per source runs at a time. If you start a second one, LOKI shows “A run is holding” and for how long. If the run is still working, simply wait. If it is stuck, for example after the appliance was restarted, click Release lock and restart. LOKI records this in the activities. An aborted run releases the lock by itself after about an hour at the latest.