2 An introduction to HELIOS WebShare
HELIOS WebShare is a high-performance server, which enables fast and secure real time file access via any Web browser. Authorized users, wherever they are, can easily use the file server without exposing it to the Internet.
Remote collaboration becomes a reality with the fully automated two-way access to the server data. File browsing and management allow authorized users to manage files and folders remotely, similar to the local Windows Explorer or Macintosh Finder. Optional HELIOS ImageServer and PDF HandShake provide remote document previews, and offer Internet clients a live content verification/proof of QuarkXPress, InDesign and PDF documents as well as all major image formats. Remote OPI allows Web clients to download OPI low-resolution images from the server and to upload completed documents for later printing with high-resolution images. With the PrintPreview option, remote print job proofing is easy as well.
Security is provided by a two-tier server application, comprised of the WebShare WebObjects Server and the WebShare File Server. The WebShare WebObjects Server handles the Web user interface on a separate server to ensure that the main WebShare File Server is not available on the Internet. The server file system security is enforced according to each user's credentials. Sharepoint based security allows further restrictions per user, e.g. browse, preview, download, upload and file management. Additional SSL encryption is supported.
Due to zipstream (unzipstream)
on-the-fly compression (uncompression), HELIOS WebShare provides very fast performance, optimizing use of the Internet bandwidth.
Note: HELIOS WebShare runs on top of the foundation provided by HELIOS Base. Please read the Base manual for installation instructions and other important details.
2.1 New WebShare features
For new features in the WebShare software see the HELIOS web site:
For HELIOS Base, the foundation used by all HELIOS UB products, see the Base product web page:
2.2 Integration with other HELIOS products
WebShare is part of an integrated product suite that enables the enhancement of WebShare capabilities by adding additional HELIOS products.
When WebShare is used as a stand-alone product, it stores files on the WebShare File Server in the same format as used by HELIOS EtherShare. This preserves special Macintosh file properties, such as custom icons.
In the case when a WebShare File Server is running on Mac OS X, and the defined sharepoint is on an HFS partition, then the files will be saved to disk in the native Mac OS format.
File management (duplicate, copy/paste, rename)
on Mac OS X utilizes the native OS commands ("cp", "mv"), which may not preserve the resource fork of Macintosh files.
HELIOS Base includes the "dt tools" for file management. These utilities properly handle Macintosh resource forks
and Windows file streams during file management, to preserve custom icons, file type and creator information, file streams, etc.. In addition, WebShare sharepoints that are the same as or overlap
EtherShare and PCShare volumes will use the "dt tools" to update the desktop database for the HELIOS volume, providing full compatibility for WebShare users and EtherShare/PCShare users.
PCShare is fully compatible with both WebShare and EtherShare, and adds an advanced file and print server for Windows clients.
HELIOS ImageServer, for server-based OPI, image conversion, and color management, extends the capabilities of WebShare, by adding remote previews of image file and InDesign and QuarkXPress documents. WebShare greatly facilitates the remote OPI capabilities of ImageServer.
