The DataTrails Dropbox Integration provides automated provenance and an immutable audit trail for files that are stored on Dropbox.
The first step is to sign up for an account with both Dropbox and DataTrails.
After that it is simple to set up, the next step is to connect Dropbox to DataTrails and then to select which folders will be linked. Any files in the selected folder will be recorded on DataTrails as Assets. Any changes to these files will be recorded as Events on the Asset.
General questions.
What happens when I set up a Dropbox Integration?
As part of the set up process you will connect DataTrails to Dropbox to allow communication between them and then you will select one or more Dropbox folders to be linked to DataTrails.
Your Dropbox account must contain a folder before you can set up the integration. If there are no folders to scan the set up process will fail.
Any files that are present in these folders (and their subfolders) will have provenance metadata records automatically created and recorded in DataTrails. Your files remain in Dropbox.
The provenance metadata stored in DataTrails is a public Document Profile Asset.
Any changes made to those files, as long as they are in Dropbox folders connected to DataTrails, will have provenance metadata records recorded as Events. This enables a verifiable and immutable audit trail with long term data integrity guarantees.
Public Document Assets work with our Instaproof tool enabling any party to instantly verify and validate the authenticity and lineage of a Dropbox file.
How many Dropbox Integrations can I have?
There is a limit of one Dropbox account connection per Tenancy but you can connect multiple tenancies to the same Dropbox account.
You cannot connect a single tenancy to multiple Dropbox accounts.
Can I make changes to the list of linked folders at a later date?
Yes, it is possible to change which Dropbox files are linked to DataTrails at any time.
What happens if I disconnect and reconnect Dropbox from DataTrails?
Disconnect
If the Dropbox to DataTrails connection is removed then provenance will stop immediately for all files in all linked folders. The audit trail for these Assets will no longer be updated.
The Folder list will be forgotten, no new Assets will be created and no new Events will be recorded on existing Assets.
Reconnect
This has the same effect as setting up the connection for the first time. It will create a new Asset for all the files in the folders that are reselected to be linked.
The audit trail of a previously created Asset for a specific file will not be updated but the audit trail of the new Asset for the same file will be updated.
This means that the audit trail will be recorded across two Assets with the exception of any changes made to the file while Dropbox was disconnected.
Note: As long as the connection to Dropbox is not disconnected, files and folders can be moved to other storage media and other unlinked folders in Dropbox and then moved back to a linked Dropbox folder without new Assets being created. An Event will be recorded and added to the Asset history upon return to a linked folder.
Who has access to the provenance metadata records stored in DataTrails?
The Dropbox Integration creates Public Document Profile Assets and so anyone who has received the public link can access the Public view of the Asset.
By default, only tenancy administrators can access the private view using the DataTrails Application user interface but they do have the ability to grant access to other users if necessary. For more information, see the articles on granting users or organizations access to your tenancy.
What happens if the integration fails or stops working?
The connection between Dropbox and DataTrails is not continuous. When a change is made, Dropbox sends an alert to DataTrails which triggers DataTrails to scan the linked folders for any changes.
If communication is interrupted while DataTrails is scanning the linked folders then DataTrails will try again.
If DataTrails does not receive the alert from Dropbox the linked folders will not be scanned and Dropbox will not resend the alert. This means that any changes to files inside the linked folders will not be picked up until Dropbox next sends an alert.
Will I receive notifications for important events or changes made to my files?
No. Currently DataTrails does not send out alerts.
Can DataTrails integrate with other cloud storage services or tools besides Dropbox?
Not yet, but more will be coming soon.
What file types or sizes are supported or restricted by the Dropbox Integration?
DataTrails stores metadata about the file, not the file itself. This metadata is independent of the file size or the file type which means that DataTrails can provide provenance and create an audit trail for any file type and file size.
How far back does the provenance history go, and is there a limit to this history?
The provenance history and audit trail begins from the moment that Dropbox is connected to DataTrails and continues until the file is deleted or it is moved to an unlinked directory.
Questions about files.
What happens when I create a file?
A corresponding Asset will be created whenever you create a file in a linked folder.
What happens when I modify a file?
Any modification to a file will result in a new Event being recorded against the corresponding Asset.
In compliance with the Document Profile, all Events will be of the type “Publish”.
What happens when I edit a file?
If you edit the contents of a file, for example changing the text of a document or manipulating an image, an Event with the description “Document updated, content hash changed” will be recorded.
What happens when I rename a file?
This is recorded as an Event against the Asset. If the file content does not change the Event description will be “Document updated”.
What happens if I overwrite a file?
This is recorded as an Event against the Asset. If the file content does not change the Event description will be “Document updated”.
What happens when I delete a file?
No more Events will be recorded for the corresponding Asset. The Asset will not be deleted and nothing is lost from the Event history but there will be no more updates to the Asset audit trail.
What happens when I move a file to a different folder that is linked to DataTrails?
The movement is recorded as an Event against the Asset. If the file content does not also change the Event description will be “Document updated ”.
What happens when I move a file to a folder that is not linked to DataTrails?
The file is no longer linked which means that any changes made to the file will not be recorded by DataTrails. The Asset will remain and nothing will be lost from the Event history but there will be no more updates to the Asset audit trail.
What happens when I delete a file and then restore it from the recycle bin?
The audit trail will stop while the file is in a folder that is not linked to DataTrails.
As long as the connection between DataTrails and Dropbox has not been disconnected, the audit will resume when the file is moved back to a linked folder because DataTrails and Dropbox will “remember” which Asset the file corresponds to.
If the file contents have not been changed the Event description will be “Document updated"
If the file was edited while it was in an unlinked folder the Event description will be “Document updated, content hash changed”.
Note: The Event will be for the return of the file and the latest version only. Any additional Events that happened while the file was in the unlinked folder will not be recorded.
What happens when I move a file out of a linked folder and then move it back?
The audit trail will stop while the file is in a folder that is not linked to DataTrails.
As long as the connection between DataTrails and Dropbox has not been disconnected, the audit will resume when the file is moved back to a linked folder because DataTrails and Dropbox will “remember” which Asset the file corresponds to.
If the file contents have not been changed the Event description will be “Document updated"
If the file was edited while it was in an unlinked folder the Event description will be “Document updated, content hash changed”.
Note: The Event will be for the return of the file and the latest version only. Any additional Events that happened while the file was in the unlinked folder will not be recorded.
Is there a limit to the number of Assets and Events that I can have or the number of folders and files that I can link to DataTrails?
There is no limit to the number of folders that can be linked. The number of Assets and Events depends on your pricing tier and is set by your Attestation limit. This is what determines the number of files that can be linked.
An Attestation is either an Asset creation or an Event. Users of the free tier have a limit of 500 attestations regardless of the proportion. For example, they can have one Asset with 499 Events or 500 Assets with 0 Events.
Questions about folders.
What happens if my Dropbox account does not contain any folders?
The integration will fail. The DataTrails integration expects to be configured with the linked folders that it will scan for new content and for file updates. You can replace or rename the folder used for the initial configuration after the setup is complete.
What happens when I add an existing folder to the list of linked folders?
Any files in that folder will be registered as new Assets.
What happens when I create a folder?
If you create a new folder at the top level nothing will happen but it will be available to be added to the linked folder list.
If you create a folder as a subfolder of a linked folder it will be automatically added to the linked folder list.
What happens when I rename a folder?
If you rename a subfolder of a linked folder it will continue to be linked.
If you rename an unlinked folder nothing will happen.
We do not recommend that you rename a linked top level folder at this time. There is a risk that all your folders will become unlinked. If this happens create a folder with the original folder name and then reselect your linked folders as soon as possible.
What happens when I move a folder to a different location?
If you move an unlinked folder to an unlinked location, nothing will happen.
If you move an unlinked folder into a linked folder, the contents of the unlinked folder will be created as Assets.
If you move a linked folder to an unlinked location, the audit trail will stop for every file in the folder but the contents of all other linked folders will remain unaffected.
If you move a linked folder to a different linked location, all assets in the folder will register the change as an Event with the description “Document updated” because their file path has changed.
What happens when I delete a folder?
If you delete a folder that is not linked, nothing happens.
If you delete a folder at the top level that is linked, the audit trail stops for all files within the folder, and its subfolders, but the Assets remain on DataTrails. The Assets will not be deleted and nothing is lost from their Event history but their audit trail stops immediately.
If you delete a subfolder of a linked folder, the audit trail stops for the contents of the subfolder but the parent folder is not affected. The Assets that correspond to the files of the deleted subfolder remain on DataTrails. The Assets will not be deleted and nothing is lost from their Event history but their audit trail stops immediately.
What happens when I restore a deleted folder?
If you restore a top level folder, all files within the folder will record a new Event with the description “Document updated”. You will not need to do anything.
If you restore a subfolder of a linked folder, all files within the subfolder will record a new Event with the description “Document updated”. You will not need to do anything.