Access and Permissions

 

Organizing Access and Permissions with NAS Photo Database

A NAS Photo Database helps the user organize their access and permissions over a networked database. With this type of system, the NAS Photo Database will allow users to use a centralized database as opposed to individual ones on individual computers. This will help to eliminate potential challenges that arise from using an outdated folder structure or being unable to locate something on their hard drive.

It is extremely important to organize and restrict access and permissions of your NAS photo database. One way to do this would be through the use of a NAS system with RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks). My current system has 4TB drives mirrored. A NAS system can enable you to leverage more data storage on one disk than on a single device, and the redundancy can help ensure that your data will remain safe from failure or disaster.

No matter what the size of your photo database, you have to ensure that all your data is safe and secure by giving the correct permissions. With new technology, this can be made easier using NAS devices. NAS devices are external hard drives that are often used for storing data off-site which makes them safer from burglary or natural disasters.

NAS Permissions and Access

When accessing a NAS device, the first point of concern should be to understand what permissions are necessary to access the storage space on the NAS. Making certain that the correct permissions have been granted will cut down on any potential threats. The next step is identifying who should have access to which folders or data sets on the NAS, and what type of permissions this person should have.

NAS permissions are fairly complicated and can be confusing. For security purposes, the administrator of the NAS needs to set permissions on the folders it holds, limiting access to specific users or groups.

Synology Photo Station Permissions

One of the features of Synology is Photo Station, where users can upload their photos to the server and access them from anywhere with various levels of permission. Synology makes it easy to customize permissions for each user so that some may only be able to see your pictures while others may modify them as well.

Permission levels for each user can be individually configured. There are two types of permissions: viewing and editing. A user can edit photos on the gallery but not download them, view all photos but not download or delete them, only view their files, or have full control over everything.

How to Share with Others

Synology Photo Station grants you the ability to share photos with others in a multitude of ways. One handy feature is the ability to change the permissions of shared photos, so they are viewable by just your friends or colleagues. Synology Photo Station allows sharing with friends or colleagues by adjusting permissions. One of the most critical features of Synology Photo Station is how permissions can be set so that you can share with others and prevent others from downloading your photos.

What is the Difference Between Read and Write?

Synology Photo Station is designed to simplify the storage and sharing of photos. Permissions are set for each folder, determining who can view or edit the items stored on it. Synology Photo Station includes three permission levels: Read (the user can only see what is stored in the folder), Write (the user can view and edit files stored on the folder), and Full Control (the user has control over all aspects of accessing, viewing, or using anything stored on that folder).

Tips for Managing Usage

Synology Photo Station is a photo management software that allows users to securely store and share photos from multiple devices. For this to work properly, you will need to set up an account with Synology and use their Synology Assistant or DSM app to set permissions for editing or adding new folders for any user on the NAS. Otherwise, you may have some unexpected visitors in your photo directory!

The service offers several different options for managing permissions, from the simple setting of read-only user accounts to granular settings for individual photos. With so many options available, it can be difficult to determine which is the best option for your situation, but with a little time and knowledge, you will find the settings that work best for you!

Our Provisional Permission Scheme

Jessica Freasier (JF) and I have worked out a provisional permission scheme for the photo database on my NAS. The ultimate aim of the scheme is to allow family members to view, download, upload, and tag photos on the database. For the most part, the scheme depends upon creating user accounts on the NAS and giving them different permissions in Photo Station.

Synology offers three types of accounts for users: Admin, Shared, and Normal. The Admin account is created with a root password and can be used to manage the other two account types. Creating a Normal user account requires you to provide that user's name and password as well as to select a privilege level from the drop-down lists.

Synology users can create user accounts to help manage their files on the Synology drive. User accounts also allow for individual permissions, which is helpful if you have multiple people using your Synology. Creating an account means that you can permit yourself to access certain folders without giving anybody else permission to them. Synology offers different levels of security for user accounts, which makes it possible to set what kind of permissions a certain account has.

So, we have provisionally decided upon three types of users (accounts).

Coordinator

This user has complete administrative privileges on the NAS and the photo database. This user has complete discretion to upload, delete, tag, and organize the photos on the database. There should be at least two coordinators for the database.

Facilitator

This user will act as a facilitator for a family group for which they will act as a conduit for photographic information. They will be allocated a file area inside the database where they can freely do all of the types of things that coordinators can do more globally. It is envisioned that most of the work in adding new photos to the database will be done by the facilitators.

Browser

This is a special user account that gives the user the ability to download and browse photos in the database (assuming the photos have permission to be downloaded). They can leave comments, both literally and by email). The account is password-protected, so access is granted by either a facilitator or coordinator. If the browser user wishes to upload pictures, they must either become a facilitator or pass them through a facilitator.

Relevant Links

Create a user on a Synology NAS

Editing permissions in Synology Photo Station