Building a VDR - quick start | VDRPro

The Documents tab is where files will be stored and displayed. Your files need to be organized in a folder structure, which you can build in your computer, then drag and drop onto the VDR. Note that once files are uploaded, they will not be visible to some user roles until the permissions are configured.

Video - How to upload documents in VDRPro

Watch this short video walkthrough on how to upload documents to your VDR in VDRPro.

Options to upload documentation

• Drag and drop from computer
• Request Intralinks assistance to create the folder structure

Option 1 - Drag and drop from your computer

1. Select the folders and files in your local computer.
2. Drag the selection over to the main content area on the VDR and drop them.
   • If you are uploading loose files, be sure to drag them into an existing folder. 
   • If you are updating an existing structure, open the destination folder in the VDR, then select the content in your computer and drop it into the folder.
3. A wizard will open for review and additional configuration (permissions and alerts). If you are starting the buildout of the VDR, we recommend that you skip this configuration for now.
4. Click Upload.

Important tips:

• Files need to be saved locally.
• Select a smaller batch in the first uploads.
• Do not upload more than 25 GB at once.
• Size limit for single file - 15 GB.
• Avoid folders and files with very long names; they can confuse participants and may cause issues with Windows' limit of 256-character file paths.
• Don’t close the browser during the upload.

Option 2 - Request Intralinks assistance to create the folder structure

• If you do not have a folder structure already in place, Intralinks can create it based on your input. Send your checklist with folder names and hierarchy to assist@intralinks.com identifying the name and ID of the target VDR. For instructions on how to find the name and ID of your VDR, click here.

Note: The checklist must be in Excel or Word format. PDFs or other image formats will not be accepted. You can also use this template.

VDRPro has three main user roles:

• Managers have full visibility and control rights over files, permissions, reports and participants.
• Publishers have rights to upload files and folders. They can see all folders but only see the files that they uploaded. Publisher+ is a variation with fixed visibility and control rights to all files in the VDR.
• Reviewers have no fixed rights to see or upload files and folders. Reviewers cannot see other reviewers. 

For a more detailed description of every user role and their rights, click here.

Video - How to add users & groups in VDRPro

Managers will be tasked with adding users and groups in VDRPro - view this comprehensive video tutorial to learn how.

Organizing and inviting participants

In most projects, participants work in teams to review the documentation. In VDRPro, these teams can be organized in groups.

Intralinks can help you organize the participants in their respective groups. Fill in this template and send it to assist@intralinks.com identifying the name and ID of the target VDR. For instructions on how to find the name and ID of your VDR, click here.

Creating groups

Reviewers and some Publisher roles always need to be organized in groups, since permissions to view files are applied to groups, not individuals. Create groups before you start inviting participants.

1. 1. Click on Add Group(s).
   2. Type the group name.
   3. Select Group type (use Exchange Group by default unless you will use the Q&A functionality).
   4. Click Next.
   5. Click Add.

Adding users

1. Click on Add User(s).
2. Copy and paste participants' email addresses.
3. Select the role (if not selected, it will default to Reviewer).
4. Select their Group (leave blank if not yet created).
5. Click Add Users.

By default, Reviewers and some Publisher roles cannot see any files until permissions are configured for their respective groups.

Note: This tab may not be available in some contract types. To set permissions outside of the permissions tab, please review this article.

Video - How to assign permissions in VDRPro

Assigning permissions involves careful attention to detail for the content within your VDR. Watch this video for a contextual breakdown of permission options and how to apply permissions via the Permissions tab in VDRPro. 

Layout Overview

The Permissions tab is essentially a matrix with folders and files in rows, groups in columns (the purple area in the below image). The intersection of a row (folder) with a column (group) is where you define what permission and protection you want to configure.

Permission and Protection Overview

Permission Options

Permissions define visibility and control over files. The default for non-Manager and non-Publisher+ roles is No Permission. 

• No permission - Files are invisible.
• See - Files are visible and accessible.
• Control - Users with the Publisher role will be allowed to access, update and delete the files.

Protection options

• Protected - Encryption is applied to PDF, Excel, Word and PowerPoint files. Users who download an encrypted file will be prompted to authenticate with their Intralinks credentials every time they attempt to open it. If permission is revoked on the VDR, the downloaded copy will no longer open. Printed copies of the file will contain a confidentiality watermark identifying the user and access timestamp.
• Protected/No print - An additional security layer that prevents users from printing the files.

Steps for setting permissions

The steps below will reference colored areas from the Layout Overview at the top of the Permissions tab section in this article.

1. Make sure that you see the groups to whom you will grant, modify or revoke permissions. They are identified in columns in the below GIF. To include or remove a group, click Select Group (the green section in the Layout image).
2. Select the folder and group combinations that you want to edit in the matrix. Your selection will be highlighted in blue.
3. Right-click the highlighted selection to open the permission menu.
4. Select the permission level that you want to apply.

In the below example, 

• Group Blue - Clean Team is being granted permission to see the contents of folders 2.0 and 5.0. The files will be encrypted, and can be printed with a security watermark.
• Group Red - Lawyers will be allowed to see and print all files from all folders; the option Protected means that the files will be encrypted.
• All groups will be able to see the entire contents of folder 5.0. These files will be encrypted and can be printed with the security watermark.

Note: The dark shade of yellow above indicates that the permissions are only staged. You must apply (save) the configuration for them to take effect.

Saving Staged Permissions

1. To save your configuration, click Apply at the top right corner of the screen and select Apply Changes. A new screen will load.
2. Select the group(s) to which you want to send an alert and click Apply. The alert will notify the group participants that new documents are available for review.

All VDRs are initially created in a phase that restricts the access of certain user roles. This allows for the complete setup of a project before all participants are activated and receive their invites.

The phase is visible from within the VDR at the upper-left corner of your screen, next to the project name.

This is a summary of the phases:

• HOLD: Most VDRs are initially created in this phase. Only Manager roles are active and receive invite and document notifications.
• PREPARATION: In addition to the Managers, Publisher and Previewer roles are activated and will start receiving notifications. Some VDRs are created in this phase to allow the collaboration of Publishers in the buildout.
• OPEN: In this phase, all user roles are active. Reviewers will be sent their invites and will start receiving document notifications.

Steps to change the phase:

1. Click on Settings at the upper-right corner of the VDR and select Exchange Settings.
2. Under Details, search for the field called Phase.
3. From the drop-down menu select the desired phase. If you want to activate Reviewers, select Open.
4. Across the top of the screen, a banner will appear for confirmation. Click Apply changes.

5. A side bar will appear for confirmation to send users their invites, also known as welcome emails.

Note: Even if no welcome alerts are sent, users will still be activated and will be able to access the VDR if their role allows them to. It is not possible to suppress the welcome notification for first-time Intralinks users, as the system will trigger an alert with instructions to set up their profile and password.