Configure Automatic File Sharing

Automatic File Sharing

The Fleet Orchestrator feature allows you to share files automatically between devices in your fleet. The Fleet Orchestrator feature can share files from one device to other devices in a distribution tree. To share files, set up a trust community. Devices in a trust community work together automatically, without manual intervention. The Fleet Orchestrator feature uses the following terms:

• File Sharing Group: A set of devices set up to trust each other for sharing files. The file-sharing group is referred to as a trust community.

• Tree: A collection of trusted devices organized into a hierarchy to balance the workload of sharing files. Each trust community can have only one tree. To set up more than one tree, you can set up multiple Publishers.

• Publisher: The top node of the tree. The publisher is the only device that can add, remove, or update the files that are shared within the tree. The publisher device sets up and monitors the rest of the tree. A publisher distributes files to subscribers in the tree.

• Subscriber: Any device in the tree besides the publisher. A subscriber pulls files from a distributor, based on the subscriber device schedule.

• Distributor: An intermediate device that distributes files to other subscribers lower in the tree.

• Unassociated: A device that is part of the file-sharing group, but is not connected into the tree. An unassociated device continues to share files with the subscriber devices, but the unassociated device no longer receives new files. You can move devices from the tree so that they become unassociated devices. You can reconnect unassociated devices to the distribution tree at a later time.

You can set up the publisher device to share files with other linked devices within a trust community. A trust community forms when the publisher device links to one or more devices. When file-sharing groups are formed, the devices within the trust community can share files. The publisher device maintains and manages the trust relationship for the devices in the tree. The trust relationship remains intact until you revoke it.

Configuration Overview

To set up file sharing, on the publisher device, you can arrange trusted devices into a hierarchy called a tree. File sharing includes the following tasks:

• Designate a device as the publisher device of the tree.

• Designate a friendly name for the publisher device. The friendly name of the publisher device becomes part of the name for the file sharing group. The file sharing group is called the trust community.

• Create a tree structure for the file sharing group. To create a tree, add subscriber and distributor devices to the file sharing group. The added devices form a trusted relationship.
  
  Note: For customers who use Xerox Device Manager or Xerox CentreWare Web software: The publisher device in the trust relationship can be a printer, Xerox Device Manager, or Xerox CentreWare Web software.
  
  

• Create download and installation schedules for each device.

• Make files available for distribution.
  
  Note: If two or more devices need a device-specific clone file or software upgrade, you can create as many separate distribution trees as required.

On the publisher device, you can view the complete tree structure. On subscriber devices, you can view only certain parts of the tree structure.

The Fleet Orchestrator pages for each device in a file sharing group have links to other devices in the tree. To navigate to a device, click the link. As you add more devices, you can use this system to send files to one device, then cascade the files to other devices. 

Note: To find solutions to common problems for the file-sharing feature, refer to the Troubleshooting section below. 

Configuring Automatic Assembly of a Fleet

To facilitate the management of a fleet of Xerox multifunction printers, you can configure Fleet Orchestrator to assemble a fleet of compatible printers automatically.

After you configure the Publisher, you can distribute the configuration settings to Subscribers, as needed. You can configure the Publisher to share any or all of the following file types: clone, software upgrade, and 1-Touch Add-On. The Publisher distributes its shared files to the entire fleet. Each device downloads the files from its parent device and installs the files automatically based on a defined schedule.

The device discovery process is based on DNS and DHCP.

The Auto-Assembly process requires that you have more than one Xerox AltaLink multifunction printer.

Setting Up the Publisher

1. Choose one Xerox AltaLink multifunction printer to be the Publisher.

2. Set the host name on that printer as XeroxDiscoveryFleet. 
   
   Note: If it is not possible to use the name XeroxDiscoveryFleet, you can set up an alias. 
   
   Note: If you use DHCP addressing on your network, the name is added to your DNS server automatically. If you use Static addressing, add the name to your DNS server manually. 
   
   

3. To ensure that the Publisher can be found on your network, test the connection using one of the following methods:

   • Ping the device on your network at XeroxDiscoveryFleet.{your.domain.com}.

   • To view the Publisher webpage, in a browser, open https://XeroxDiscoveryFleet.{your.domain.com}.
     
     Note: If you cannot connect to the Publisher, ensure that the Host Name is correct.
     
     

4. After you verify that the Publisher host name is correct, log in as administrator to the Embedded Web Server for the Publisher. Click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

5. To configure the device as a Publisher:

   1. Click Configure File Sharing.

   2. On the Configure File Sharing page, select Publish Files & Manage File Sharing Group.

6. To add new Subscribers automatically, on the Configure File Sharing page, click Publisher Policies. In the Publisher Policies area, for Automatically Accept New Devices, select the toggle button. A check mark indicates that the feature is enabled.

7. Specify where Subscribers are situated in your trust community. In the Publisher Policies area, from the New Device Location in Group list, select an option:

   • Publisher: This option allows additional Subscribers to be situated in your trust community and be attached to the Publisher directly. If there are more than 5 Subscribers and they attempt to download at the same time, file sharing from the Publisher can be delayed.

   • Community: This option allows additional Subscribers to be situated in your trust community automatically or be attached to the Publisher directly. This option is the default.

   • Unassociated: This option places additional Subscribers into an on-hold state. 
     
     Note: If you want a partial level of automated assembly, the process begins when you assign the name XeroxDiscoveryFleet to the Publisher. When you choose to assign Subscribers to the Unassociated group, the new devices are gathered, but files are not shared to them. To begin sharing files to a device in the Unassociated group, move the device into the trust community.
     
     

8. In the New Subscriber Admin Credentials area, type the administrator user name and password that you use for the devices on your network. These credentials are used to add other devices to the fleet.

   • The administrator can use the Auto-Assembly feature to situate new printers as child devices of the Publisher or of other trust community members. In this scenario, files are shared from the parent device to the child devices automatically.

   • Alternatively, the administrator can choose for the devices to join the trust community and to be placed into the Unassociated group. This scenario holds the devices but does not allow files to be shared with those devices until the administrator moves the devices into place manually.
     
     Note: The Publisher attempts to add new Subscribers with the user name and password that you specified in Publisher policies. If necessary, the Publisher uses the default credentials for new devices.
     
     

9. To exit the Publisher Policies page, click Save.

After Auto-Assembly is set up, the device is now a Publisher for this trust community. The other Xerox devices in the network are able to contact the Publisher and try to join the trust community automatically. You can create a clone file on the Publisher with the typical settings that your devices use, then share the clone file with the Subscribers. For more information, refer to Adding Files to the Publisher for Distribution. As new devices connect to the network for the first time, if they can find a fleet and a clone file, the devices skip many of the questions in the Installation Wizard. 

Adding Files to the Publisher for Distribution

1. Create a clone file on the Publisher. A clone file is a snapshot of the settings to be shared to the Subscribers.

2.  On the same network, connect a second device, then power on the device. At startup, the second device looks for the Publisher in the DNS server and attempts to connect to the Publisher. The Publisher adds the second device automatically.

As each printer that supports Auto-Assembly powers on, or each day, the devices contact the Publisher and join the fleet. If necessary, you can pause Auto-Assembly. 

After a Publisher shares a clone file, the Subscriber downloads and installs the clone file according to your schedule.

If a Publisher is sharing a clone file already, when a new device joins the fleet, the new device downloads the clone file immediately.

Schedule Cascade

When a Subscriber is situated in the tree, the schedule for the Subscriber is set to one hour later than the schedule for its parent device. The schedule difference allows time for the parent device to receive
and install files before the Subscriber issues a request for the files.

Self-Heal

If a Subscriber cannot contact its parent device for more than 10 days, the Subscriber contacts the Publisher and requests a different parent device. You can manually choose to reconnect a Subscriber. To reconnect a Subscriber manually, in the Receiving Details area, click Reconnect To Publisher.

Activity Log

On both the Publisher and Subscriber, the activity log records activity for each of the major Auto-Assembly operations. If a device shows unexpected activity, or if a device is not showing expected activity, the activity log can be a helpful resource. The activity log is an .xml file that you can download and open in a spreadsheet program or text editor. The newest entries are at the end of the file.

To view or download the activity log, in the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator. Click Activity Log, then open or save the .zip file. From the .zip file, extract the .xml file, then open the file in a text editor or spreadsheet program.

Compatibility

You can use Fleet Orchestrator across various Xerox AltaLink printer models, but the Auto-Assembly functions require that the latest software version is installed on all devices.

Setting the Security Installation Policy for File Sharing

You can use the file-sharing function of the Fleet Orchestrator feature to share configuration files in a file-sharing group. The security installation policy for file sharing is enabled by default. When this policy is enabled, a subscriber device receives files through file sharing, even if the separate cloning and software upgrade security installation policies are disabled.

To change the security installation policy:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Security > Installation Policies.

2. Select or clear Allow File Sharing.

3. Click Apply.

Configuring File Sharing

You can use the Configure File Sharing feature to configure your printer as a Publisher device.

To set up file sharing:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click Configure File Sharing.

3. Click Publish Files & Manage File Sharing Group.

4. To set the preferred address, for Preferred Address, select the IP address or Fully Qualified Domain Name of the publishing device.

5. Click Start Sharing.

6. Click Close.

File sharing is active. On the publishing device, the Share Configuration Files area on the Fleet Orchestrator page provides information about the file sharing group.

Managing a File Sharing Group

To manage a file sharing group from the publisher device:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, for File Sharing Group, click Manage.

3. On the File Sharing page, in the Share Configuration Files area, select an option:

   • Add Device: Refer to the Adding a Device from a Publisher steps below.

   • Edit Selected: Refer to the Editing a Device steps below.

   • Delete Selected: Refer to the Deleting a Device steps below.

   • Advanced: This option allows you to perform advanced actions:

     • Restrict File Sharing: Refer to the Restricting File Sharing at the Publisher steps below.

     • Reset File Sharing Group: Refer to the Resetting a File Sharing Group steps below.

     • Troubleshooting: Refer to the Troubleshooting steps below.

4. To change the management view, click Tree or Table. To manage more than one device at the same time, use the Table view.

5. To rearrange the devices in the file sharing group, in the Tree view, select an option:

   • Drag and drop a device into the publisher or distributor group.

   • Drag and drop a device into the Unassociated Devices group. Refer to the Unassociated Devices steps below.

6. To view information about any device in the group, in the Tree view, select the device.

7. Click Close.

Adding a Device

You can add devices to the file sharing group from the publisher device. You can subscribe to the file sharing group from a subscriber device.

Adding a Device from a Publisher:

To add a device to the file-sharing group from the publisher device:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, for File Sharing Group, click Manage.

3. Click Add Device.

4. Enter the host details for the subscriber:

   1. For Host, select an address type:

      • Host Name: Enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name.

      • IPv4 Address: Enter the IPv4 Address.

   2. Type the user name and the password for the subscriber device.

   3. To check the details of the device that you are adding, click Get Device Details.

5. For the Download schedule, select options:

   1. For Frequency, select Monthly, Weekly, or Daily.

   2. For Time, choose a download time.

   3. For Download Files From, select a device from which to download files.  You can select a publisher or a distributor device.

   4. For Random Download Delay, select a number of minutes for the random delay. Setting the Random Download Delay minutes ensures that devices do not pull configuration files from a distributor device at the same time.

6. For Install Schedule, select options:

   1. For Install Policy, select an option:

      • Install New Files Only: Select this option to install configuration files only if they have changed.

      • Always Install File: Select this option to install files based on the install schedule. For example, to ensure that settings are restored every day, you can reapply a clone file containing security settings.

   2. For Frequency, select Weekly, Daily, or Immediately. If you choose Weekly, select a day of the week.

   3. For Time, choose a time for the installation.

7. Click Add.

8. The Share Configuration Files page appears. You can use the page to manage the file-sharing group:

   • To view the details of any device, click the device that appears in the Tree.

   • To show different views of the device information, select Tree or Table.

   • To move devices within the Tree, drag and drop one device to another.
     
     Note: You cannot change the publisher device, but you can change the relationships between distributor and subscriber devices.
     
     

9. To return to the Share Configuration Files page, click Close.

Adding a Device from a Subscriber

To subscribe to a file-sharing group from a device that you want to act as a distributor or subscriber:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click Configure File Sharing.

3. In the Configuration File Sharing area, click Subscribe & Distribute Files.

4. In the Receiving Details area, enter the host details of the publishing device. For Host, select an address type:

   • Host Name: Enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name.

   • IPv4 Address: Enter the IPv4 Address.

5. Click Start Sharing.
   
   The Fleet Orchestrator feature displays the Add Device page of the publishing device. To add the download schedule and installation settings for the subscriber device, use the Add Device page. For more information, refer to Adding a Device from a Publisher above.

Deleting a Device

At the publisher device, to delete a subscriber device from the file sharing group:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click Manage.

3. On the File Sharing page, in the Devices area, select a device.
   
   Note: To select multiple devices, choose Table view, then select the check box for each device to be deleted.
   
   

4. Click Delete Selected, then confirm the deletion.

Deleting a Device Connection

The preferred method for deleting a device is from the publisher. For information, refer to Deleting a Device above.

Caution: Deleting the connection from a subscriber device is recommended only if you no longer have access to the publisher. Deleting a device connection from a subscriber can cause problems with the file sharing group.

At the subscriber device, to delete the connection to the file sharing group:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click View.

3. On the Receive Files page, in the Share Configuration Files area, click Delete Connection.

4. To confirm the deletion, click Delete.

Getting Files Now on a Subscriber

From a subscriber device, you can get shared files at any time, using the Get Files Now feature. The Get Files Now command downloads available files from the publisher or distributor, and installs the files immediately.

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click View.

3. On the Receive Files page, in the Share Configuration Files area, click Get Files Now.

4. Click Continue.

Restricting File Sharing

You can use the Restrict File Sharing feature to prohibit communication and sharing with other devices in the file-sharing group. The restriction includes management controls such as add, edit, and delete. Operations vary, depending on the device that you are navigating from. When you restrict sharing, the restriction affects only the device that you are using.

Restricting File Sharing at the Publisher:
To restrict the publishing device from communicating with other devices in the file-sharing group:

1. In the Embedded Web Server for the publishing device, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click Manage.

3. On the File Sharing page, in the Devices area, select a device.

4. In the Shared Configuration Files area, click Advanced > Restrict File Sharing.

5. Click Close.

Restricting File Sharing at a Subscriber

To restrict file sharing on a subscriber device:

1. In the Embedded Web Server for the subscriber device, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click View.

3. On the Receive Files page, in the Share Configuration Files area, click Restrict Sharing.

4. Click Close.

Unassociated Devices

Unassociated devices are connected to the file sharing group. Unassociated devices are not associated with a distributor device, and do not receive updated configuration files.

A device is unassociated when:

• You drag a subscriber device to the Unassociated row within the Tree view.

• You add or edit a device, then select the Unassociated option for Download Files From. For details, refer to Adding a Device from a Publisher or Editing a Device.

• The distributor device for the device is deleted.

Reconnecting Unassociated Devices

To reconnect an Unassociated device to the file-sharing group on the Publisher, do the following:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click Manage.

3. On the File Sharing page, in the Devices area, using the Tree view, drag an Unassociated device to the Publisher or a Distributor.

4. Click Close.

To reconnect or edit an Unassociated device, do the following:

• On the File Sharing page, in the Devices area, using the Table view, select the device.

• Click Edit Selected.

• In the Edit Devices area, click Download Files Form.

Stopping File Sharing

To stop publishing a Clone or Add-On file from the publisher:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Configuration Files area, to stop file sharing, on the Clone or Add-On file, click Stop Publishing File.

3. To confirm, click OK.

Resetting a File Sharing Group

You can reset your file sharing group to delete your device connections and shared files. This action allows you to create a different file sharing group, or to operate your fleet without file sharing. 

Note: It is recommended to back up the publisher device before resetting the file sharing group.

To reset your file sharing group:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click Manage.

3. On the File Sharing page, in the Shared Configuration Files area, click Advanced > Reset File Sharing Group.

4. To confirm, click Reset.
   
   Caution: The reset will delete all device connections and file sharing settings. This action cannot be undone.
   

Troubleshooting

Errors can occur when you are managing your devices. The best way to troubleshoot is to open the publisher device and the subscriber device, then view the status of each device.

To view troubleshooting information from the publisher device:

1. In the Embedded Web Server, click Properties > Fleet Orchestrator.

2. In the Share Configuration Files area, click Manage.

3. On the File Sharing page, in the Share Configuration Files area, click Advanced > Troubleshooting.