File Storage

The File Storage plugin (previously called Fishbowl Drive) is an add-on module that can be installed from the Plugin module. After installing the plugin, a new button is added at the top of most modules that allows unlimited files to be associated with items in Fishbowl by simply dragging the file into Fishbowl. These files are then stored in Dropbox, Google Drive, Box.com, Microsoft OneDrive, or any FTP file server. To connect with multiple accounts simultaneously, contact your Account Sales Executive. They can help you activate additional connections.

Install

The documentation on this page is for the most recent version of the File Storage plugin. To get the most recent version, Update Fishbowl.

1. In any Fishbowl Client, open the Plugin module, located in the Integrations group.
2. Select the File Storage plugin and click Install.
3. Completely close all Fishbowl Clients.
4. Exit the Fishbowl Server by right-clicking the Fishbowl Server tray icon and selecting Exit.
5. After re-opening the Fishbowl Server, the admin user can access the File Storage module from any Fishbowl Client by opening the Integrations group.
6. To grant access to additional users, assign the File Storage-View access right to the appropriate groups in the User Group module.

Setup

Complete the steps below to configure the File Storage integration.

1. Open the File Storage module, located in the Integrations group.
2. Click the New button on the module toolbar at the top of the File Storage module.
3. Select a cloud file storage service or connect to your own FTP server.
   
4. Enter the credentials for the selected service and Allow Fishbowl access to the files.
5. Click the Associated checkbox next to each module to display the File Storage button at the top of that module.
   
6. Open a Fishbowl item in any of the associated modules and click the File Storage button to view or add files to the selected Fishbowl item.
   
7. Fishbowl users can be granted access to the files in each module by utilizing the File Storage access rights.

Associated modules

Depending on which options you select, you will be able to see the File Storage button at the top of the following modules. They are listed in alphabetical order below, even though they appear in a different order in the File Storage module.

• Bill of Materials
• Company
• Customer
• Manufacture Order
• Part
• Product
• Purchase Order
• Receiving
• RMA
• Sales Order
• Shipping
• Transfer Order
• Vendor

FTP/SFTP

FTP and SFTP are protocols for transferring files over a network. The other integrations in the File Storage module connect to a specific website (Dropbox.com, Box.com, etc.), but because FTP is just a standard method of transferring files, there are millions of possible FTP servers. You could have an FTP server running on your company's website. You could choose an online FTP provider to host your files. It is also relatively simple to have any computer on your local network host files that are available over FTP, but are not publicly available on the internet. If you'd like to connect to an FTP server, your IT professional will be able to provide you with the specific credentials needed to connect to the server.

1. Enter the username and password given to you by your IT professional.
   
2. The URL Address can be the IP address of the FTP server, or a URL that points to the server. Below are some examples.
   • ftp://mycompany.com
   • files.mycompany.com
   • 172.217.1.###
   • 192.168.29.#
3. The Port will vary depending on how the server is configured, but is often 21 for FTP and 22 for SFTP.
4. The Base Directory is the folder that Fishbowl will use to store data. If it is left blank, Fishbowl will use the server's home directory.
5. In the Type field, select SFTP (recommended) or FTP and then click OK.