Anchor Version 3.0.0 Release Notes

Anchor Version 3.0.0 Release Notes

Introduction                                                                                                                                                                                        

This document describes the changes that have been made to the Anchor since the last release. Specific issues resolved in this release are listed in the Issues Resolved section at the end of this document.

What’s New in this Release                                                                                                                                                     

We have made some important changes in v 3.0.0 to make it easier to deploy and manage Anchor in your organization.
  • Added support for agent auto-update
    • Anchor Administrators can now enable a minor Anchor version for auto-update with a single click. (More Information)
    • Once a version is enabled for auto-update users can use Check and Install Updates option in Anchor Tray app to update the agent or Anchor agent automatically detects that a new version is available and prompts the user to update to the new version. (More Information)
    • Major releases still require to uninstall and reinstall, but we will be addressing this in the future.
    • Downgrade is not supported.
  • Added time in milliseconds precision in log file entries
    • Added milliseconds in the log to assist in better debugging.
  • Anchor agent is now available in Add/Remove Programs list in Control Panel (More Information)
    • Anchor agent version is available in Add/Remove Programs list in Control Panel to assist admins to audit software installed on client machines.
    • Anchor agent cannot be uninstalled from Add/Remove Programs list. Users will now see a message that directs them on how to uninstall Anchor agent.
  • Added Services status in log files
    • The log file created from the tray app will now have service status details to better assist in debugging.
  • Added registry to manage Outlook add-in (More Information)
    • Admins can now disable outlook add-in using a registry entry.
    • The registry key should be added in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DAtAnchor\Parameters\MSOfficePlugin as a REG_DWORD value. 0 means enabled and 1 means disabled.
  • Added option to Anchor unAnchored files in outlook (More Information)
    • When users attach Anchored and unAnchored files to outlook mail an option is presented to users to Anchor the unAnchored files before sharing the files as a link.
  • Anchor File Sharing is out of Beta (More Information)
  • Improved user messages.
  • Anchor preserves common folder config after user uninstalls and reinstall.
Resolved Issues                                                                                                                                                                         
  • Fixed file access log when an Anchored file is opened from a non-protected folder (Note: These are backend logging improvements to help Anchor our team provide better support.)
    • We now send a DENY file access log for the above case
  • Restrict upgrade to the current release from the versions below 2.6.0
  • Removed unnecessary file tracking check before unAnchor operation
    • This was causing issues when users tried to unAnchor files when an Anchored file was open using the same application
  • Fixed Anchor agent install issue when another version is already running
    • A message is shown to users if they try to install Anchor agent when another version is running
  • Proper message when users use Right-Click options on unAnchored files
    • A message will be shown to users if they Right-Click on unAnchored files to view File Access Rules, File Access Logs or Edit Access Rules
  • Fixed an issue while zipping Anchor logs
  • Fixed an issue with Anchor scanner while scanning Egnyte folders
  • Fixed an issue while handling damaged files in Microsoft Office apps
  • Fixed save-as issue while saving an Anchored file into the non-protected folder when protected folder name is a substring of the non-protected folder.
Known Anchor Limitation                                                                                                                                                           
Note: We have all these covered as part of our Future release roadmap.

  1. Anchored Files: 

    1. Printing: Physical printing is possible on Anchored files when opened by non-Microsoft Office applications. Anchor administrators may restrict all printing options (physical and digital) for Anchored files opened by Microsoft Office applications. This can be managed in the Anchor Dashboard.

    2. Saving: 

      1. Save as protection is only available for Anchor Certified Applications (More Information)

      2. Anchor-certified non-Microsoft applications (Acrobat Reader, Phantom PDF, Libreoffice, Wordpad, Irfanview Image Viewer). Users will not be allowed to save data into or out of Anchored folders. 

        1. Example: The following action will be blocked by Anchor - A user opens a unAnchored (plain text) file located in a folder not protected by Anchor, then attempts to save the file into an Anchored folder.  

        2. Example: The following action will be blocked by Anchor - A user opens an Anchored file located in an Anchored folder and attempts to “Save-As” into a folder not protected by Anchor. 

      3. Anchor admin-approved applications (More Information). Users will be allowed to save data into or out of Anchored folders. 

  2. Cloud Drives

    1. OneDrive and SharePoint: In the rare situation where Anchor automatic encryption service fails to encrypt the newly added file, the file will remain unencrypted until the user edits and saves the file in the same location. 

      1. Note: For files stored on networked drives like Windows Server. The Anchor server agent will encrypt the newly added file(s) even if Anchor sync fails to encrypt the file.  

  3. Data Loss Protection 

    1. Copy/Paste Controls: When copy/paste blocking is enabled, the user can only copy and paste in the same file. When an Anchored file(s) are open, Anchor will not allow content to be moved from one file to another. (More Information) 

    2. Screenshot Tool Blocking: When screenshot tool blocking is enabled, Anchor will not allow taking screenshots using default windows screenshot tools. (More Information) 

      1. Note: It is possible to take a screenshot using other 3rd party tools when screenshot tool blocking is enabled.

  4. Anchor Services:

    1. File extensions and authorized applications: if the user opens a UnAnchored (plain text) file with an unauthorized extension using an Anchor authorized application (More Information) and saves the file. Anchor will encrypt the file when it is saved.  For example: if .xml is not an authorized extension, but you open it within Microsoft Word (a certified application) then save the file, Anchor will protect the saved output.Note: This behaviour will only occur on Anchored folders.

    2. Microsoft Office protections: Should the Anchor Microsoft Office add-in be disabled (by user or unintended actions), Anchor services will not allow any Anchored files to be consumed.  

  5. Installing and Uninstalling Anchor: If configured, Anchor allows individual users to protect folders they choose. Should Anchor be uninstalled then reinstalled, personal protected folders beyond what is configured by Anchor Administrators in the dashboard will be lost or not restored.


Known Issues  with Anchor install and uninstall                                                                                                                       
Note: These are very rare issues and only happened a couple of times.    
  1.  Anchor installation fails if all files from the previous version are not removed properly. It only happens when users uninstall and reinstall anchor. Please follow the instructions from this page to troubleshoot the installation issue: https://help.anchormydata.com/portal/en/kb/articles/failed-to-start-anchor-installation
  2. Command prompt stuck on Anchor install. Please follow the instructions from this page to troubleshoot the issue:https://help.anchormydata.com/portal/en/kb/articles/command-prompt-is-stuck-during-install
  3. Command prompt stuck on Anchor uninstall. Please follow the instructions from this page to troubleshoot the issue: https://help.anchormydata.com/portal/en/kb/articles/command-prompt-is-stuck-during-uninstall
  4. Anchor uninstall app is missing on windows.  Please follow the instructions from this page to troubleshoot the issue: https://help.anchormydata.com/portal/en/kb/articles/how-to-uninstall-anchor-if-uninstall-app-is-not-present




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