Preserve file times and file security info

Preserve File Timestamps

By default, Anchor does not preserve file timestamps when Anchoring and UnAnchoring files. When a file is Anchored or UnAnchored, Anchor changes the file's "last modified date." The same applies to other file metadata like "last access date" and "last write date." You may want to override this behavior so that the metadata reflects when a file was actually changed. Rather than when Anchor Anchored/UnAnchored the file.

System Interdependency Warning

Anchor's default configuration does not preserve file timestamps because enabling this could cause cloud storage services to behave unexpectedly. Some cloud storage services like OneDrive and DropBox rely on file creation, modified and access dates to identify and make a file sync decision. If we do not change the modified date after Anchor or UnAnchor operations, these services might not catch this action and sync the files to cloud. Please test within your environment before deploying this feature widely throughout your organization.

In Anchor version 5.2.0 and above, you can override the default file timestamp behavior using the steps outlined below.

Step 1

Login to the Anchor Admin Dashboard. Go to Settings > Global Policies > Admin Configurations.

Step 2

Scroll to the bottom of the page. Under Agent File Properties, you will see a toggle switch labeled Preserve File Timestamps. Toggle it on if you don't want Anchor/UnAnchor operations to change the last modified date. Toggle it off if you want Anchor/UnAnchor operations to be recorded as file changes. By default, the file date and timestamp are updated to the current date and timestamp after Anchor/UnAnchor operations. This setting is recommended because it ensures cloud storage services behave as expected.

Definitions

Preserving a file’s security information

With Anchor version 5.2.0 and above, you can preserve a file’s security information after Anchoring/UnAnchoring it. An example of such security information is a discretionary access control list (DACL). A DACL is a security mechanism used in computer systems to control access to resources such as files and folders.

You can configure Anchor to preserve security information using the following steps.

Step 1

Login to the Anchor Admin Dashboard. Go to Settings > Global Policies > Admin Configurations.

Step 2

Scroll to the bottom of the page. Under Agent File Properties, you will see a toggle switch labeled Preserve File Security Info.