Attachments Encrypted?

[Goran]

I'm coming in blind on this. I've been tasked with backing up our system to prepare a move to a new more powerful box. I found a folder called applied/. In this were other folders for each year, inside that were folders named for the month and day. In today's folder 1106 were .doc files and .pdf files. My thoughts were that they are attachments made through WinTam. However, if I try to use Word or Acrobat to view the files they don't open. Is there some kind of encryption used for file attachments? I'm concerned that if we move the system to the new box, then 8 years of attachments may not function. Any ideas? I've opened them in notepad to try to see anything, but there isn't anything that would indicate what programs would open them. In word it can't find the format to complete opening the file. I would be grateful for any help.  Thanks!

[Alice Mooney]

Yes they are encrypted by default and cannot view the items outside of TAM.
We've moved the attachments several times over the years and as long as the Attachment Routed Paths are correct (consider share on new server) then they'll be accessible from Tam. We did not unencrypt/decompress prior to moving them. I suggest you contact Applied to let them know your intentions so they can provide additional info to assist you.
Attached is a screen shot of the System Setup accessed from Tam Homebase / Tools menu option / System Setup, and another showing the Efiling options.

[Charlie Charbonneau]

If you have encryption on in TAM then yes they will be encrypted and unviewable outside of tam, but it really shouldn't matter whether or not they are encrypted for a move. The biggest concern for the move is that you set up your shared drives and folders exactly the same and copy the data to the same location on the new box as it was on the old box!   There is a utility to turn off/on encryption within TAM, but it can take a long time to run.

[Bob]

You are correct it is TAMs filing system for attachments.   Had a recent discussion here on encrypting attachments.   Under the main screen homebase they use to call it, drop down called tools.  Scroll down (everything is alphabetical) to "E" area.   Box EFiling - Encryption Off.   By default I believe this remains unchecked therefor everything attached is compressed and encrypted.  No going back and undoing this can only work forward should you decide to change.

If you wanted you could check the box now files attached remain just that files.  They continue to be filed as you discovered but now you can browse those folders and open any attachment while browsing.  Encrypted you can only open from TAM and where they are attached.

I tend to think encryption has gone overboard.  Some things no doubt required and need do to for privacy but attachments, well that's why I firewall and secure my network with encryption, from there many layers of securities even down to TAM and security manager.  I think it's over kill so we do NOT encrypt attachments.  Makes it easy for us to access outside of TAM.  I've had to a few times but not often.  Main thing not that were leaving Applied (happy), should we do so, I can easily access my attachments and not have to rely on Applied to decompress and convert.  Simply said, makes for easier conversion should you change systems.

Your concerns about a new server are not needed.  I've been through 6-8 servers in our lifetime use of TAM.  Applieds TAM is easy product to move to any new Server.  Nothing going on in the servers registry.  Just folders containing app/data.   Workstations that get updated to know how to fetch and use this structure.  Why we run asupdate or tamclient after every update equipment replacement.  Each time we change servers we simply copy the files/folders to new box and done.  Nothing complicated about it.  It's even easier if you can contain TAM to a folder/share with nothing else.  TAM likes to use the root, many other folders so storing it all in it's own share/folder makes it easier to contain, copy/move etc.    If you just install TAM on a network drive, it will be all over it intermixed with other folders for other apps.   If doing a move to new server and not setup that way, now would be a good time to get control of TAM let it all reside in it's own share.

To encrypt attachments or to not, personal preference in my opinion and why it's an option under tools.  If you do nothing, that box remains unchecked therefor all attachments are being encrypted. 

Hope this helps some.. 

[Goran]

Thank you everyone. Like I said, I was coming in blind on this. I don't work with Tam so I know nothing about how it works or any specifics. I've had situations before when moving to an upgraded box where the program generates a new key when you install the software. That has rendered all previous files unavailable since the key used was on the old server and not on the new server. Glad to know I can just do a straight move and not worry about making things fubar.. Thanks again!

[Goran]

One more question about this. If I turn off the encryption, in the tables for Tam it records the name of any attachment. However, when I go looking for that attachment on the drive, it isn't there. But if I create a dummy file and attach a document, the name in the TAM table doesn't match the attachment created by Tam in the attachment folder. Is it possible that the file name continues to be encrypted even when encryption is turned off?

Thanks again !

[Mark]

Hi Goran,

Things have changed a few times over the years with TAM, and I've found that attachments can be located in a few different places if your TAM install has been around for as many years as ours has.  In addition to that, the tables store the file names differently, but if you look closely, you'll see where/how they line up.  What I mean by all that, is I have seen where the file extension is in a different column in a table, and also where they use character/field locations as "fields" so one field in a table could actually contain multiple TAM fields of data.

Its been a while since I've looked at this, so my explanation may sound a little off.  I'd just make sure you move the entire Applied share to a new applied share, and make sure all the mappings are the same (meaning, if the share name on the old server is "applied" then name it the same on the new server).  Also, check the setup in the screenshot that Alice posted and make sure you move all shares necessary.

It really is as simple as moving the files, though.

[Conan_Ward]

If I understand correctly, you're thinking the filenames will change from the 0000A4C3.JPG back to the original filename of 'crash-picture.jpg'
Filenames will stay the same before/after encryption and represent a number used in the tam databases to reference the file that should be unique to that file. TAM does record the original filename in the databases, but it isn't really used by TAM for anything.

Hopefully thats what you meant and helps.