Trying to link to a file on our NAS from a cloud database application
We have a Church Management program that is web-based. We would like to link a field in the database to a document on the NAS. We tried using the file:// prefix to the file location, but the file is automatically downloaded to the user's pc, and doesn't just open (which is what we need it to do). We usually only need to open these linked documents while we are at the office (where the NAS is physically located). We won't need to access the file if we are in another location.
I am using this file path: file://192.168.8.169\elc\shared\public\ASSIMILATION\BIG Day FollowUp Events\Membership Class\MEMBERSHIP CLASS WELCOME 2.docx
Again, it downloads another copy of the file to our local pc's, but we need it to open only. Is there a setting I can change to make that happen?
Re: Trying to link to a file on our NAS from a cloud database application
The file:// notation is only used in browsers. To access it from another program, you can navigate to Network in the file dialog, then to the NAS, and on through share, folders, and file. The easier way when you have a location that you use often is to map a drive letter to the folder.
Assuming Windows 10: In the window for a drive (like C:), select the Computer tab and then Map a Network Location. In the dialog that opens, and select a drive letter. It is recommended you start with Z and work toward A so USB drives and such that start at A and work forward have less opportunity to collide with network drives starting at Z and working backward, so I'll assume you chose Z in my example. Then either browse to the location of the file using the Browse button or, in our case, type in \\192.168.8.169\elc\shared\public\ASSIMILATION\BIG Day FollowUp Events\Membership Class, which will open the folder. Or, you can go less deep into the share (like maybe \\192.168.8.169\elc\shared\public), and then you can navigate from there for other folderss as well.
Now, you will see a Z: drive on your computer, and each time you open or browse to it in Explorer, you'll see what's on the NAS and any file opening will be of the file on the NAS, not a local copy.
Note that most programs do not work well with multiple users connected to a file, so a second user may be locked out until the first has closed it. In your example of a Word file, you will be informed of who has it open (in case you need to ask them to close it) and be given an opportunity to open a read-only version if you only need to read it, not edit it. But note that any changes to the file by someone else will not show up in the read-only version until you close and re-open it.
I am using this file path: file://192.168.8.169\elc\shared\public\ASSIMILATION\BIG Day FollowUp Events\Membership Class\MEMBERSHIP CLASS WELCOME 2.docx
If the need is only read-access, then you probably need to use a native format for the browser (for instance pdf).
Stepping back a bit - what you kind-of-wanting is to have the web server tell the browser to launch word, telling it to open the file directly on the NAS. Web browsers don't allow that kind of behavior. That's because a malicious web site could tell the browser to launch a program and run a script that did enormous damage.
The closest you can come is to download a copy. You can then choose to set the browsers on the PCs to automatically open Word documents (or whatever other formats you link in this way). They will do that everywhere, with every web site - so there are some security considerations if you do that.
