Live View

License: PRO+ (Professional Edition or higher)
Plugin Type: File Action
Author: Diskover Data, Inc.

Overview

Live View is a file action that enables real-time browsing of filesystem directories directly from the Diskover web interface. Unlike the standard Diskover view which displays indexed data from Elasticsearch, Live View queries the actual filesystem in real-time, allowing you to see the current state of directories immediately after changes occur.

This capability is particularly valuable in dynamic environments where files change frequently between indexing intervals, such as media production facilities, research data repositories, and active project directories.

Key Features

• Real-Time Directory Listing: Browse filesystem contents as they currently exist on disk, with no dependency on index freshness. View directories that have not yet been indexed and see recently added or modified files immediately.

• Amazon S3 Support: Native S3 bucket browsing with AWS profile-based authentication. View storage class information for each object and seamlessly navigate between buckets and prefixes.

• Shopping Cart for Batch Operations: Select multiple files and directories, persist selections across navigation, copy cart contents to clipboard, and submit items to other file actions for processing.

• Integrated File Actions: Launch additional file actions directly from Live View, including PDF viewing, permission fixes, rclone archiving, file downloads, and uploads.

Use Cases

For Data Managers and Administrators:

• Verify Recent File Changes: After an SFTP upload completes or a rendering job finishes, immediately verify that files arrived correctly without waiting for the next scheduled index.

• Browse Unindexed Paths: When exploring new storage locations or directories added after the last index, gain immediate visibility without requiring a new scan.

• Troubleshoot Index Discrepancies: When the index shows different data than expected, identify whether the discrepancy is in the index or the actual filesystem.

For Media Professionals and Analysts:

• S3 Storage Class Visibility: Browse S3 buckets and immediately see the storage class of each object, helping plan data retrieval and cost optimization. Identify GLACIER or DEEP_ARCHIVE objects that require restore before access.

• Pre-Archive Verification: Before archiving data to tape or cold storage, verify the exact contents that will be archived by reviewing all files and subdirectories in real-time.

Requirements

Diskover Requirements

System Requirements

AWS Requirements (for S3 Support)

If you plan to browse S3 storage with Live View:

Note: Live View automatically uses the same AWS profile that was used to scan the S3 storage. This profile information is stored in the index metadata (indexinfo document) and does not require separate user configuration.

Installation & Setup

For Administrators

1. Install the File Action Package

dnf install diskover-file-actions-liveview

2. Restart Required Services

Restart the Diskover Admin service on the Diskover Web host:

systemctl restart diskover-admin

Restart the Celery service on all Diskover Task Worker hosts:

systemctl restart celery

3. Configure the File Action

Navigate to Diskover Admin > Configuration > Plugins > File Actions > Live View and configure the parameters as needed (see Configuration section below).

4. Verify Installation

1. Log into the Diskover web interface

2. Select any indexed directory

3. Open the File Actions menu

4. Confirm "live view" appears in the available actions list

Configuration

Configuration is managed through the Diskover Admin interface.

Location: Diskover Admin > Configuration > Plugins > File Actions > Live View

Configuration Parameters

Understanding Root Depth

The root_depth parameter controls how high in the directory tree users can navigate. This prevents users from exploring sensitive system directories outside their intended scope.

When a user attempts to navigate above the allowed depth, they receive an error message and are redirected to their previous location.

Understanding Exclusions

The excludes parameter provides pattern-based blocking of specific paths using prefix matching:

excludes:
  - /etc           # Blocks /etc and all children (/etc/passwd, etc.)
  - /var/log       # Blocks /var/log but allows /var/cache
  - /mnt/secret    # Blocks /mnt/secret but allows /mnt/secrets

When a user navigates to an excluded path, a warning message appears and they are redirected to their previous location.

Configuration Examples

Default Configuration (Full Access):

show_dot_files: False
root_depth: 0
excludes: []

Secure Production Configuration:

# Hide system dotfiles, restrict root navigation, block sensitive paths
show_dot_files: False
root_depth: 2
excludes:
  - /etc
  - /var/log
  - /root
  - /home
  - /proc
  - /sys
  - /dev

Media Production Configuration:

# Show dotfiles for pipeline tools, restrict to media paths
show_dot_files: True
root_depth: 3
excludes:
  - /mnt/backup
  - /mnt/archive/glacier
  - /tmp

Usage Guide

Launching Live View

1. Navigate to Your Starting Point: In the Diskover search interface, locate and select any directory or file. The selected path determines where Live View opens.

2. Open the File Actions Menu: Click on your selected item, then select File Actions from the context menu.

3. Launch Live View: Choose live view from the available actions.

4. Wait for Initial Load: Live View opens in a new page. A loading indicator displays while the system fetches the current directory contents from the filesystem.

Navigating Directories

Basic Navigation Controls

Directory Listing Columns

Live View displays comprehensive file metadata in a table format:

Sorting and Filtering

• Sort by Column: Click any column header to sort ascending; click again for descending

• Search/Filter: Use the search box to filter visible entries by any column value

• Page Size: Select the number of entries displayed per page from the dropdown

Using the Shopping Cart

The shopping cart allows you to collect files and directories for batch operations across multiple navigation steps.

Adding Items to the Cart

1. Select Items: Click rows in the table to select them. Hold Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Cmd (Mac) to select multiple items.

2. Open Cart Menu: Click the Cart dropdown menu.

3. Add Selection: Choose Add to cart to add selected items.

Cart Operations

Note: Cart contents are stored in your browser session and persist as you navigate within Live View. The cart is cleared when your browser session ends.

Submitting Cart Items to File Actions

Live View integrates with other Diskover file actions, allowing you to process your cart contents with additional tools.

From the File Actions dropdown menu, you can submit cart contents to:

Note: The list of available nested file actions is currently predefined. The ability to configure this list will be available in a future release of the Live View plugin.

Browsing S3 Storage

When browsing paths that were indexed from Amazon S3 (paths beginning with s3://), Live View provides S3-specific functionality:

S3-Specific Behavior

• Storage Class Column: Each object displays its S3 storage class (STANDARD, INTELLIGENT_TIERING, GLACIER, DEEP_ARCHIVE, etc.)

• Limited Metadata: Owner, group, permissions, and access time display "-" as S3 does not track this information

• Prefix Navigation: S3 "directories" are represented by common prefixes and can be navigated like regular folders

• Automatic Authentication: Live View uses the same AWS profile that was used during the original S3 scan

S3 Storage Classes Reference

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Error Messages Reference

Debug Logging

For troubleshooting, administrators can enable verbose logging:

Diskover Admin Logs (Flask application, route handling, security checks):

/var/log/diskover/diskover-admin.log

Celery Worker Logs (Task execution, filesystem access):

/var/log/celery/worker.log

Web Server Logs (Entry point errors):

/var/log/nginx/error.log

Set the log level to DEBUG in configuration for detailed output.

Useful Log Search Commands:

# Search Flask logs for Live View activity
grep "diskover.flask.liveview" /var/log/diskover/diskover-admin.log

# Search Celery logs for task execution
grep "diskover.task.liveview" /var/log/celery/worker.log

# Search for S3-specific errors
grep "S3 error" /var/log/celery/worker.log

# Search for permission errors
grep "Permission error" /var/log/celery/worker.log

Support

• Documentation: https://docs.diskoverdata.com

• Support Portal: https://support.diskoverdata.com

Last Updated: January 2026
Diskover Data, Inc.