Network File Share Web Parts
Description
These web parts can be used to access any network drives that you have in your organization. These
web parts use either Web Folders (WebDAV) if you use Internet Explorer or a web based application for
other browsers to access the Network Drives. The web folders and web application are setup outside of
SharePoint. These web parts then use iframes to bring that content within SharePoint.
Web Parts
There are 2 web parts included in this system. They are not connected via the standard SharePoint
connection method, but use JavaScript to pass the selected information.
Network Share List
This web part displays a list of the available Network Drives. This list created from a SharePoint list of
available drives, but will only display those drives or sub folders that the logged on user has access to.
Access is determined via one of 2 means.
1. This method will read the file system directory based on the user logged on. If the network drive
is not on the same server as SharePoint, then you will need Kerberos authentication to allow the
passing of credential pass the 1 server hop limit. This is the preferred, most secure method.
2. This method will use a super user account to read the file system and the Active Directory
groups for the logged in user and then based on those determine which folders to display. This is
less reliable, since it may miss a folder. However the actual access to the file is based on the
standard windows security which will not allow access even if the folder is displayed in this web
part.
Network Share Frame
This web part simple displays a iframe which is referenced by the Network Share List to display the
selected folder.
Configuration Steps



Install the web parts into the SharePoint server using the standard methods.
Setup the WebDAV web application (See below if not already setup).
Setup the Web application for when WebDAV won’t be used.
o This application is not part of this project.
 Create a custom SharePoint list. This list is used to list the various Network Shares that need to
be displayed in the Network Share List web part. The list needs to contain the following format;
you need to remember what you called these columns, so that you can define them to the web
part.
Name
Format
Function
Example
Title
Single line of text
Displayed on the Network Share (H:)
List web part prior to the folder
name.
UNC Path Single line of text
This is the UNC path that the
C:/foldername/
web part will look into to find
\\server\sharename\
the selected network drive.
(Note this is used within the
web part and is not visible to the
user).
WebDAV
Single line of text
The URL to display if displaying
https://servername/shar
URL
the folder in WebDAV format
ename
(for Internet Explorer)
Web App Single line of text
The URL to display if not using
https://servername/defa
URL
the WebDAV format (All
ult.aspx?base=c:/sharena
browsers except Internet
me
Explorer).

Enter the appropriate entries into the list.


Create the web part page that will contain the Network Share web parts and add the 2 web part
to the page.
Set the Properties on the 2 web parts.
o Network Share Frame Web Part
 There are no properties to set on the Network Shares Frame web part.
o Network Share List web part.
Property Name
Network Share
Site
Network Share List
UNC Path Column
UNC Description
Column
WebDAV URl
Column
Web Application
URL Column
Use Impersonation
Usage
This is the URL to
the site that
contains the
custom list of
Network Shares to
be displayed.
This is the name of
the custom list that
contains the list of
Network Shares to
be displayed.
The name of the
column that
contains the UNC
path to the actual
file share.
The name of the
column that
contains the display
title for the
network share.
The name of the
column that
contains the URL of
the WebDAV
application to
display for this
network share.
The name of the
column that
contains the URL of
the Web
Application to
display for this
network share.
Use to determine
whether to use the
users credentials or
the impersonation
Example
http://servername/sitename
Listname
UNC Path (from example
above).
Title (from example above).
WebDAV URL (from example
above).
Web App URL (from
example above).
Defaults to unchecked
(best).
credentials to
create the file share
list

Web.config changes.
o If you use the “Use Impersonation” option, then you will also need to modify the
web.config file and add the following options to the <appSettings> section (at the
bottom of the file).
 <add key="IntegrowLDAPConnection"
value="LDAP://domaincontrollerservername/DC=xxx,DC=xx,DC=xxx" />
 This specifies the URL to access Active Directory to retrieve the users
group memberships. (please note that LDAP must be in upper case).
 <add key="IntegrowLDAPUserId" value="user id" />
o The fully qualified (i.e. domain\userid) of the account that will
be used to access Active Directory and the file shares. (this
account must have read access to all network file shares.)
 <add key="IntegrowLDAPPassword" value=”password" />
 Password for the account above.
WebDAV Application Setup/Configuration
These instructions are for Windows server 2003.
 On the server that will be serving as the WebDAV web application server, ensure that IIS has
been installed. (You’re on your own with that).
 Ensure that the “WebDAV Publishing” features of IIS have been installed.
Under Control Panel Click on “Add or
Remove Programs”
Click on “Add/Remove Windows
Components”
Highlight “Application Server” and
click on details
Highlight “Internet Information
Services (IIS) and click details
Highlight “World Wide Web Service”
and click details.
Ensure “WebDAV Publishing” has
been checked, if not, then check and
press OK several times to install this
feature.
Open up the “Internet Information
Services (IIS) Manager”. Start –
Administrative Tools – Internet
Information Services (IIS) Manager
Create a new Web Site or use an
existing web site.
Create a new “Virtual Directory”.
Right click on the web site, then
select New – Virtual Directory from
the context menu.
Click Next when the Wizard stats
Enter the “Alias” name for this
network share, and click Next.
Enter the path to the network share.
This can either be to a drive locally
attached to the server, to a network
drive or to a UNC path. Click Next.
If you entered a UNC path, then you
will receive this screen, otherwise
skip. It is recommended to leave the
defaults, so that the logged on users
credentials flow through to the
network share.
You need to at least select “Read”,
“Write”, and “Browse” on the Access
Permissions screen. Click Next
That’s it. Now define this in the
custom list and your done.