A link is a connection between resources. When you click a link in a browser, the linked file is displayed. Many factors play a role in this process, which can sometimes lead to errors. Ensure that all system requirements are met and only the approved browsers are used. If, for example, you install a security update for your browser that is not approved by Software AG, links may no longer work.
If you create a Publisher export and use links to large files (>15 MB), you may need more memory for your ARIS Server. If the memory is insufficient, the export process is canceled.
Using file servers is one way to exclude the possibility of faulty links. All files that have been linked in databases are managed on a file server.
Type of file (MIME type)
Not every browser can display all files. Some systems do not return files without an extension, since the MIME type cannot be determined directly. Access can also be limited to files of a specific type. Your system administrator may have defined these restrictions in various places:
Correct notation
Depending on your system configuration, the notation of the link may also cause errors. Generally, a URL is processed in 8-bit representation. Unicode coding must be handled separately.
No problems should be expected if you:
If you specify links in languages such as Japanese, or with spaces and special characters, etc., you must place these links in quotation marks.
Many systems cannot process more characters than that.
Type of link
Depending on the domain from which a link is started or to which a link leads, a distinction must be made between local and external links. Different errors may also occur depending on system and security settings.
Correctly written and absolute links pose no problems. All links to files that were copied from ARIS Publisher to the ARIS Publisher Server also work correctly. The browser handles these as external links.
All links to local files are subject to strict security restrictions. These restrictions are not at all uniform and differ between various browsers and different versions and patches. If, for example, you install a security update for your browser that is not approved by Software AG, links may no longer work.
Syntax
The link ///C:/Program Files/Internet Explorer/readme.txt opens a file in the local directory structure C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\readme.txt
The link ///V:/External/Version.txt opens a file in the network structure V:\External\Version.txt, with V representing a direct connection to a network drive.
UNC path
The link with a different syntax, for example, //SERVER/www/trace.txt, ///\\SERVER\www\trace.txt, or /////SERVER/www/trace.txt, opens a file in the drive structure \\SERVER\www\trace.txt.
Direct access (that is, without a drive link) to any resource in the network is possible with a UNC path.
Security risks
Not every browser always makes interactive reference to possible security risks. More frequently, functional links are blocked.
Mozilla Firefox® generates a message in the error console in these cases (Tools/Error console), but does not distinguish between local and external links. All local access is blocked automatically. You can remove blocking of specific sites by customizing or creating the file <drive>:\Documents and Settings\<User>\Application data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<GENERATED_NAME>.default\users.js:
user_pref("capability.policy.policynames", "localfilelinks");
user_pref("capability.policy.localfilelinks.sites", "http://pcsomeone");
user_pref("capability.policy.localfilelinks.checkloaduri.enabled", "allAccess");
Authorizations
Missing authorizations and the location of linked files may be reasons for faulty links.