Using Federated Cloud Sharing

Federated Cloud Sharing, introduced in ownCloud 7 as Server-to-Server sharing, allows you to mount file shares from remote ownCloud servers, and manage them just like a local share. This feature enables you to:

  • Selectively share files or directories.
  • Combine two private clouds into a single public cloud.
  • Eliminate the need to create user accounts on multiple ownCloud servers.
  • View files in a Web browser or ownCloud client.

Creating a New Share

Federated Cloud Sharing is enabled on new or upgraded ownCloud installations by default. (See “Configuring Federated Cloud Sharing” in the ownCloud Server Administration Manual.) Follow these steps to create a new share:

1. Go to your Files page and hover your cursor over the file or directory you want to share to expose your administration options. Check the Share Link checkbox to create the share, and to expose all of your sharing options.

2. Set any options that you want to apply to your new share: send an email notification, add password protection, allow users to upload files to the share, or set an expiration date. If you check Allow Public Upload then other users can overwrite, rename and delete files in the share. If you do not send an email notification, you will need to figure out some other way to share the link.

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And that’s all there is to it. Your new public share is labeled with a chain link. If you do not protect it with a password, it is visible to anyone who has the URL. (ownCloud server admins have the option of requiring users to set passwords on shares in Admin > Sharing.)

Connecting to a Remote Share

  1. Open the share link in your Web browser.

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2. Click the Add to your ownCloud button, and enter the URL of your ownCloud server. If you are not already logged in you will get a login window.

3. After logging in you will see a dialogue asking you "Do you want to add the remote share [share name] from [remote server name]?"

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4. Click the Add Remote Share button, and enjoy your new share. It is marked with a share icon, and the name of the share’s owner and originating server.

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Remove your linked share anytime by clicking the trash can icon. This only unlinks the share, and does not delete any files.