FOIAXpress Collaboration Release Notes 11.8.0

1 Collaboration Portal 11.8.0

1.1 What’s New in Collaboration for 11.8.0?

You’ll see the changes from the first time you log in to the Collaboration Portal.

The biggest upgrade to Collaboration for 11.8.0 is the addition of Document Management to the features list. With Document Management, Collaboration Portal users have access to the same DM tools enjoyed by FOIAXpress users, including creating and managing the document tree, review and redaction capabilities, review flags, comments and annotations, everything needed to comprehensively review documentation.

Beyond DM, we revamped the Administration side.

1.2 Important Note on 11.8.0 Upgrades

We’ve made significant changes to the deployment process for Collaboration v11.8.0. These changes apply to new and upgrading customers.

The inputs.json file used for previous installations CANNOT be used to upgrade to v11.8.0. There is a new file for this deployment included in the installation package. You must use this new file for the upgrade; however, you can copy data over from a previously used file to the new one as needed.

If your organization is using the new Document Management features, a few additional configuration steps are required. You’ll need to manually create and configure the PNG cache location (Administration > System Administration > System Settings), and add all the required system jobs to the scheduler (Administration > System Administration > Scheduler Configuration).

1.3 Collaboration Portal Installation  

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Collaboration Portal can now be installed from the FOIAXpress source code. The same prerequisites for FOIAXpress apply, and the AppPoolAccount user should have permissions at the application installation location.

2 Document Management  

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New to v11.8.0, Document Management is available for the Collaboration Portal. This integration enables collaborators to upload and manage documents directly from the Collaboration Portal, rather than utilizing a third-party site.  

Users completing Consultation tasks can manage folders and document uploads within Document Management. Users tasked with a Request for Document task can also use Document Management to add redactions and annotations directly to the files.  

2.1 Consultations

Document Management enables enhanced folder management and simplified document review for Consultation requests. When a Collaboration Portal user receives a Consultation task, they have the option to Review Records Electronically.

This opens the Document Management interface, as shown below.

From here, users can navigate through folder(s) in the (A) document tree and review each document/page. Use the (B) toolbar to edit the page view and save to disk/print the

document. Once the documents are reviewed, users can return to the Task page and submit the completed task back to the requester.

2.2 Request for Documents

Document Management provides all the same functionality for Request for Document tasks, plus users can make redactions and manage folder structures directly within the platform.

If a FOIAXpress user needs records from an external source, they can send a Request for

Documents (RFD) through Collaboration Portal. The RFD recipient can then log onto Collaboration Portal and upload, review, and redact documents using Document Management.  

2.2.1 Uploading Records

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To add records to an RFD task, navigate to the Task page and click Upload Records.

The Document Management interface opens in a new tab, as shown below.

Use the document tree in the left panel to navigate between folders, sections, and pages. Create a new section by right-clicking on a folder, then Add Section. Once the desired file structure is established, upload documents by right-clicking on a section and selecting Add Pages.

The Add Documents screen appears, prompting users to upload the requested documents. Once the job has completed, the pages will populate in the document tree.  

2.2.2 Add Redactions

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Users can also add redactions to RFD files via Document Management tools, and view annotations and redactions in separate review layer and pin review objects before they are returned to the requester.

To create redactions, right click on the page, section, folder, or file cabinet drawer. There are two redaction methods available via the (A) menu: Redact in Full and Find and Redact. You can also use the (B) toolbar to add redactions and annotations manually.

The Redact in Full option allows users to redact the entire page. To redact specific content within a page, such as email addresses, words/phrases, or telephone numbers, use the Find and Redact feature.

Document Management also includes Find and Replace functionality for bulk replacement of redaction codes. To use Find and Replace, right-click on any folder with redactions and select Find and Replace Redaction Codes from the menu. Then, configure the replacement criteria and click Find and Replace.

2.2.3 Review Actions Report for Redaction Layer

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Users can also create a Review Actions Report for each reaction layer in order, including the folder/section, page number, user, date, and action.  

To open the report, right click on any folder with redactions and select Review Layers.

Select a layer from the list, then click Review Actions.  

The Review Actions Report opens, and the report can be exported or printed.

2.2.4 Lock Redactions

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We’ve added the ability to lock redactions, allowing FOIAXpress users to “pin” redactions on documents containing confidential information that should not be shared with collaborators. When Collaboration Portal user opens a document with locked redactions, they are unable to move the redaction or make it transparent/translucent, protecting sensitive information during the collaboration process.

2.3 Read Only Mode for Submitted Tasks

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When a task is sent from Collaboration Portal back to FOIAXpress, the documents are delivered in read-only mode. FOIAXpress users are not able to modify or redact the attachments; they can only view, print, or save the documents.

2.4 Review Flag Sync Between Collaboration Portal & FOIAXpress

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Review flags applied in Collaboration Portal Document Management will be preserved when the document is synced to FOIAXpress, along with layer data.

3 Collaboration Portal Administration

The Collaboration Portal Administration folder has been completely redesigned and modernized. Now, it looks and functions similarly to the FOIAXpress Administration page. Administrators have access to an Administration tab in their Collaboration Portal environment.

The Administration folder opens to the System Configuration page. You can navigate through the (A) pages and click into each (B) subpage.

In addition to design enhancements, 11.8.0 includes new configuration options as described in the following subsections.  

3.1 Consultation and RFD Instruction Configuration

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You can now modify Consultation Instructions and RFD Instructions by navigating to Administration > Organization Setup > Enterprise.

3.2 System Settings

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The System Settings page (Administration > System Administration > System Settings) has additional options, including General Settings fields and a Document Management Settings checkbox, where Administrators can enable Document Management in their agency’s environment.

3.3 Application and Email Templates

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We’ve added two new subpages under Administration > System Configuration: Application Templates and Email Templates.  

On these pages, Administrators can edit Application and Email templates, respectively. Select the template you’d like to edit, then click the Edit button.  

The Edit Template page opens, where Administrators can edit the template name, subject, and body text.

3.4 Search Users

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We’ve also updated the Users page (Administration > Organization Setup > Users). Here, you can view Collaboration Portal accounts, search for specific users, and edit account information.  

3.5 Session Audit Log

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The Audit Log is now available under Administration > Security > Audit Log. On this page, administrators can access two different Audit Logs: the Session Audit Log and the User Action Audit Log.  

The session audit log lists all user sessions, including the IP of the workstation where the portal was accessed and the access times. The user action audit log lists user actions including task views, message views, and task submissions. Use the Filters to search for users using the First Name, Last Name, or Login From dates, then click Search to display matching results.

4 Bug Fixes

We’ve corrected the following bugs in v11.8.0: