SharePoint
Files.com integrates with SharePoint in several ways.
The Remote Server Mount feature connects a specific folder on Files.com to a SharePoint location in real time. That folder becomes a client, or window, into the files stored on the remote server.
Once you configure a Mount, any operation performed on or inside that folder acts directly on the remote in real time. Dropping a file into the folder, deleting a file, creating a subfolder, or performing any other file or folder operation your Files.com user has permissions for passes through to the remote.
This enables a wide range of use cases: accessing files on a counterparty's cloud (client or vendor) without provisioning individual user access, reducing storage costs by using on-premise or bulk storage, and letting applications reach third-party clouds through the Files.com API, FTP, SFTP, or Files.com Apps.
Files.com's Sync feature is the alternative. A Sync pushes or pulls files between Files.com and SharePoint so that the files exist in both places at the end of the process.
A sync can be a "push," where files from your Files.com site are transferred to the remote server, or a "pull," where files are transferred from the remote server to your Files.com site.
Add SharePoint as a Remote Server
To connect to SharePoint, add your SharePoint server as a Remote Server in Files.com.
SharePoint resource paths are case sensitive. Use the correct, exactly matching case when specifying the resource path. For example, if the resource path is companyname.sharepoint.com/sites/MYSITE/myfolder/MySubFolder, enter the path using that exact case.
After adding the SharePoint Remote Server, authenticate the connection. Use the Connect option for the Remote Server to launch the authentication process.
Once your Remote Server is connected, you can use it as either a Remote Server Mount or a Sync.
You can create as many SharePoint Remote Servers as you need. Repeat the instructions above and enter different credentials each time the Microsoft login page is presented.
Remote Server Mounts are created by mounting them onto an empty folder in Files.com. The mount target is ideally not the Root of your site, although mounting at Root is supported if you need it.
You can select the remote SharePoint folder you want to mount. You can also manually enter the full path to a SharePoint folder, which is useful for hidden sites within SharePoint that aren't presented to Files.com through their API.
After saving the configuration, the folder reloads and immediately lists the remote folders and files from the selected remote path.
You can also set up Syncs with your SharePoint site.
Case Sensitivity
Be aware of case sensitivity differences when copying, moving, or syncing files and folders between SharePoint and other storage locations. SharePoint is case insensitive, while other systems may be case sensitive. Files can be overwritten and folder contents merged when their case-insensitive names match.
What To Do When Your Remote Server Connection Is Disabled
Because SharePoint uses the OAuth authorization protocol, authentication errors can occur in the future even after your remote server has been configured and running smoothly for some time. When one of those errors happens, Files.com disables your SharePoint remote server connection and records the error in your site alerts. The error also appears in the overall site warnings on the top bar of the Administrator view in the web portal.
Once you have resolved the problem that caused the authentication error, re-enable your remote server by re-saving its configuration. Saving the record causes Files.com to re-enable the connection, even when no fields have changed, so that associated mounts and syncs begin working again.
SharePoint Access and Permissions
Files.com uses OAuth for access delegation to SharePoint.
When configuring a connection to SharePoint, you are redirected to your SharePoint server login page to authenticate.
Access controls and permissions are restricted to those of the SharePoint userID used to authenticate.
For Files.com to access and retrieve files from SharePoint, the SharePoint userID needs at least Read and List permissions on the relevant SharePoint sites, folders, and files.
For Files.com to transfer or upload files to SharePoint, the SharePoint userID needs at least Create, Read, Update, Delete, and List permissions on the relevant SharePoint sites, folders, and files.
Service Account Versus Named Users
When connecting to SharePoint, Files.com acts in the context of the SharePoint userID used to authenticate the connection.
As a best practice, create a SharePoint userID specifically for Files.com and use this "service account" to authenticate the connection. Assign this service account a Microsoft 365 license.
If you cannot use a dedicated service account, you can authenticate with regular SharePoint user credentials instead.
You can configure as many connections to SharePoint as you need, each with different SharePoint credentials, which lets you restrict access to specific parts of SharePoint to specific users.
On-Premise SharePoint
This integration does not support on-premises instances of SharePoint. Only the Microsoft 365 cloud-based service of SharePoint is supported.
The WebDAV integration can be used to connect with on-premise SharePoint servers, provided that your firewall is configured to allow WebDAV connectivity to pass through.