Controlling how files are stored in the Assets Server - Studio Server integration

Info: Performing some of the steps described in this article requires direct server access. Depending upon how your system is hosted and the level of access you have to that system, coordination may be required with your Partner or WoodWing Support team. For a full overview of the steps that need to be done by WoodWing and how to request them, see WoodWing Cloud - Change management.

Assets Server can be tightly integrated with Studio Server to use Assets Server as a storage location for files that are used in the Studio workflow.

Part of this integration is controlling how files are stored that are added from Assets Server to Studio Server or from Studio Server to Assets Server.

Various methods of doing this exist. This article describes these methods, explains the workflows in which they are used, and shows how to configure the system for each method.

Workflows

The methods of storing files can best be explained by describing the workflows in which they are used.

Two workflows exist:

1. Files are added from Assets Server to Studio Server (for example by dragging it from Assets into a Dossier in Studio).
2. Files are added from Studio Server to Assets Server (for example by uploading a local file into a Dossier in Studio) and is directly stored in Assets Server instead of in the Studio Server File Storage location.

Each is described in more detail in this article.

Workflow 1: Files are added from Assets Server to Studio Server

In this workflow, a Studio Server user somehow needs to have access to the file, for example to place it on a layout or to edit the file.

One consideration to make during this process is if the original file should be modified or should be left intact. Files that are stored in a central storage location such as Assets Server are typically used in multiple ways and in multiple publications. Modifying a file for the purpose of one publication could therefore have a direct effect on all other publications in which that file is used.

Another consideration to make is whether it should be possible to modify archived files.

To set up these different scenarios, a file stored in Assets Server can be added to Studio Server in one of the following ways:

• As a direct copy of the original file. In this scenario, the full file is copied from Assets Server to Studio Server and used as a standalone file. Transferring large files over the network can potentially take a long time. When editing the file, the original is left intact.

When editing the file stored in Studio Server, the file in Assets Server is also modified.

• As a shadow object in the Production Zone. This is similar to a regular shadow object, but now a copy is first made of the original file in Assets Server and stored in a dedicated folder in Assets Server known as a 'Production Environment' or a 'Production Zone'. Multiple Production Zones can be set up. This makes it possible to use the same file across different Brands.

A shadow object of which the original file is stored in the Production Zone is referred to as a 'Production shadow object' to differentiate if from 'regular' shadow objects.

Because the Production shadow object is linked to the copy of the original, the original file itself is not modified when the shadow object is modified.

Note: For this purpose, using a Product shadow object is the preferred method to use.

Workflow 2: Files are added from Studio Server to Assets Server

In this workflow the file is directly stored in Assets Server as opposed to the File Storage location of Studio Server. This occurs when the following action takes place:

• A new file is added to Studio Server (for example by uploading a local file to a Dossier in Studio)
• An existing file in Studio Server is copied (this only applies to shadow object files that are linked to files stored in Assets Server)

The original file is stored in the Production Zone in Assets Server and a Production shadow object is made available in Studio Server.

It is therefore very similar to a Production shadow object of workflow 1, but now the original file is a standalone file instead of a copy of an existing file in Assets Server.

Note that a file is not stored in Assets Server when one of the following actions take place:

• Save version
• Restore from Trash Can
• Restore file version from object History
• Re-use (restore) from Assets Server archive
• Creating a planned image (only when the planned image is replaced by the actual image is the image added to Assets Server.)

Diagram

The following diagram shows the previously described workflows:

1. A copy of the original file in Assets Server is added to Studio Server. It is not linked to the file in Assets Server.
2. A copy is made of the original file in Assets Server and stored in the Production Zone. A Production shadow object is added to Studio Server. It is linked to the file in the Production Zone.
3. A file added to Studio Server is stored in the Production Zone in Assets Server. A Production shadow object is added to Studio Server. It is linked to the file in the Production Zone.

Configuration

Note: It is assumed here that Assets Server and Studio Server are either already fully integrated or that you are in the process of doing so. For more information, see Integrating Studio Server with Assets Server.

Use one of the following methods:

• Method 1: Creating a copy in Studio Server that is not linked to the file in Assets Server
• Method 2: Creating a Production shadow object in Studio Server that is linked to a copy of the original in Assets Server
• Method 3: Creating a Production shadow object in Studio Server that is linked to a standalone file in Assets Server

Method 1: Creating a copy in Studio Server that is not linked to the file in Assets Server

Step 1. Open the configuration file of the Elvis plug-in in Studio Server in a text editor:

<Studio Server folder>/config/config_elvis.php (recommended: config_overrule.php file)

Step 2. Locate the 'ELVIS_CREATE_COPY' option and configure it as follows:

define('ELVIS_CREATE_COPY', 'Hard_Copy_To_Enterprise');

Note: Setting the option can influence the setting for restoring an archived layout to Studio Server. When making use of this feature, check supported combinations in Restoring a layout archived in Assets Server - configuration.

Step 3. Save the file. The changes will be automatically implemented.

Method 2: Creating a Production shadow object in Studio Server that is linked to a copy of the original in Assets Server

Note: Configuring the system this way also automatically stores images in Assets Server that are added to Studio Server (see method 3 later in this article).

Setting up this feature requires the following steps to be performed:

1. Creating a folder in Assets Server in which to store the files
2. Configuring the Server plug-in
3. (Optional) Defining how files in the Production Zone folder are to be used
4. Running the Health Check test in Studio Server

1. Creating a folder in Assets Server in which to store the files

Log in to Assets as an administrator and create a folder in Assets Server which will act as the 'Production Zone': the location where the files in Assets Server will be copied to.

Note: This folder should be a base folder (a folder at the top of the hierarchy).

2. Configuring the Server plug-in

Step 1. Open the configuration file of the Elvis plug-in in Studio Server in a text editor:

<Studio Server folder>/config/config_elvis.php (recommended: config_overrule.php file)

Step 2. Locate the 'ELVIS_CREATE_COPY' option and set it to 'Copy_To_Production_Zone'.

Note: Setting the option can influence the setting for restoring an archived layout from Studio Server. When making use of this feature, check supported combinations in Restoring a layout archived in Assets Server - configuration.

Step 3. Locate the 'DEFAULT_ELVIS_PRODUCTION_ZONE' option and define the folder location by using the following placeholders:

• ${brand}. This will be replaced by the Brand name once the Brand is created.
• ${date:<format>}. This will be replaced by the current date once the file stored in Assets Server is copied. For details about the format, see http://php.net/manual/en/function.date.php.

if( !defined('DEFAULT_ELVIS_PRODUCTION_ZONE') ) {
	define( 'DEFAULT_ELVIS_PRODUCTION_ZONE', '/Production Zone/${brand}/${date:Y-m}' );
	}

Step 3. Save the file.

3. (Optional) Defining how files in the Production Zone folder are to be used

While the Production Zone folder is meant as a storage location for the system, users who can see this folder might treat it as any other folder in Assets Server and move files from it to Studio Server.

When doing so, these users might expect that a copy is created of this file, similar to when a file from any other folder in files Server is moved.

However, the default behavior is that no copy is created. This is because Studio Server recognizes that a shadow object for this file already exists and uses that same shadow object again.

As a result, the same shadow object is now used in multiple places but users might be under the impression that a different file has been created. When editing the file, they might not be aware that these changes are also applied to the file in the other locations in Studio Server. (See also Working with files that are stored in the Production Zone folder of Assets Server.)

Consider to not give access to the Production Zone folder to users. Modify the Assets Server Rule so that users do not see the folder in Assets Server. When users want to re-use a file stored in Assets Server in Studio Server, they can locate the original file in Assets Server and move it once more to Studio Server. This way, a new copy of the file is added to the Production Zone folder in Assets Server and in Studio Server a new shadow object is created.

4. Running the Health Check test in Studio Server

Important: Do not skip this step; apart from testing the configuration it also creates the required property C_ELVIS_PRODUCTION_ZONE.

In Studio Server, run the 'Elvis Content Source' check on the Health Check page.

Method 3: Creating a Production shadow object in Studio Server that is linked to a standalone file in Assets Server

Note: This workflow only applies to images (files that are defined as object type 'image' in the EXTENSIONMAP option of the configserver.php file or the config_overrule.php file).

The configuration steps are identical to those for configuring a Production shadow object for adding a file from Assets Server to Studio Server. Please follow the steps for option 2.