DropBox Odoo Integration v.11
The tool to automatically synchronize Odoo attachments with DropBox files in both ways
Synchronization is bilateral. All Odoo attachments are put in DropBox regularly. DropBox files create attachments in Odoo in case they are placed in a correct folder. Look at the sections From Odoo to DropBox and From DropBox to Odoo
Integration is automatic in both ways. Based on scheduled jobs, Odoo send attachments to DropBox and retrieve files from there
Any Odoo document might be synced: customers, opportunities, sale or purchase orders, tasks or issues, employees or users, etc. You decide by your own which records should be in DropBox, and which should be left in Odoo
Synchronization works for any DropBox tariff, including Personal DropBox (Basic, Plus, Family) and business DropBox (Professional, Standard, Advanced)
All synced files are easily accessible though clicking on an attachment. You might also open a whole document folder by clicking on 'Open folder' on the attachment widget. This feature migth be optionally turned off: look at the section DropBox URLs
All sync activities might be logged. Control over files and folders creations, moves, name changes and removals. Just turn on the option 'Log sync activities' and access history through the button 'Sync logs'
New For each document of this type you may create a default directories' structure. When this folder is firstly synced, Odoo would generate default folders. For example, for all employees you may have pre-defined folders 'Scans', 'Scans/Official', 'Photos', etc.
The tool is compatible with Odoo reporting and mailing apps. If such an app faces a synced file, it retrieves a real content from DropBox. In particular, the reports 'always reload' feature and messages & mass mailing attachments work properly
Integration is based on a single user endpoint. It means that a single user login/password of DropBox is used. Afterwards for integrations Odoo would use that credentials disregarding an actual Odoo user
- Prepare and keep updated folders' structure in DropBox
- Upload new attachments to a correct folder
Odoo creates a convenient directory structure in DropBox: Odoo / Document type name / Document name / Files, where:
- Odoo is a central directory for Odoo Sync in your cloud storage.
- Document type is a synced Odoo model, for example, 'Sale orders', 'Opportunities', 'Customers'
- You select document types by yourself. It might be any document type
- Moreover, you might have a few folders for a single document type. Use Odoo domains to have not global 'Partners, but 'Customers' and 'Suppliers', not just 'Sale orders' but 'Commercial offers', 'To deliver', and 'Done orders'
- With each sync Odoo would try to update document types' folders. Add a new document type at any moment. It will appear in DropBox with a next sync
- You are welcome to introduce or change document types folder names at any moment in Odoo. Take into account: renaming in DropBox will be recovered to Odoo names
- If you remove a model from integration, it will not be deleted from DropBox to keep already synced files safe. However, new documents of this type would not be synced
- In case you removed a directory in DropBox, but it is still configured in Odoo, with a next sync a folder structure is going to be recovered (not files, surely).
- Document is an exact object to sync. For instance, 'Agrolait' or 'SO019'
- Documents are synced in case they relate to a synced document type and satisfy its filters. For example, you are not obliged to sync all partners, you may integrate only 'Customers' and 'Vendors' or only 'Companies', not 'Contacts'
- Odoo would generate a folder in DropBox for each suitable document even for documents without attachments. It is needed for a backward sync to easily add new files
- DropBox folder name equals a real document name. It relies upon Odoo name_get method. Thus, Odoo 'Michael Fletcher' (a contact of 'Agrolait') would be DropBox 'Agrolait, Michael Fletcher'
- If an exact document changes its document type (e.g. a quotation is now confirmed), Odoo will automatically relocate its related folder to a proper parent directory (in the example: from 'Commercial offers' to 'To deliver')
- In case a document relates to a few types (for instance, you have 'Vendors' and 'Customers', while Agrolait is both), this document folder would be put into the most prioritized document type. A document type priority is higher as closer to the top in Odoo interfaces it is
- If an Odoo document is removed, the next sync will remove a corresponding DropBox directory
- In case you remove a directory in DropBox, but it still exists in Odoo, DropBox folder structure would be recovered (while files would be unlinked in both Odoo and DropBox)
- Folders renaming in DropBox will be replaced with Odoo names, Odoo document names are more important
- Files are real files taken from Odoo attachments
The resulted path would be, for example, 'Odoo / Quotations / SO019 / commercial offer.png'.
The only exclusion of the rule are stand alone attachments which do not relate to any Odoo documents (their document type is 'ir.attachment'). Such attachments' path is 'Odoo / Stand Alone Attachments / image.png'.
The direct sync might take quite a long, since a lot of folders should be created. It is not recommended to make sync too frequent: once an hour or two hours is fine.
FilesWith each direct sync, Odoo tries to find not yet synced attachments. If such attachments suit any document type to sync, a file will be uploaded to DropBox to a proper folder. In Odoo such attachments will become of 'url' type (look also at the section DropBox URLs). It means that a file is not any more kept in Odoo server space, but now it is in DropBox. Until sync is done, Odoo attachment remains binary and stores an actual file. Such approach helps Odoo to work faster.
If you unlinked an attachment from Odoo, it would be deleted in DropBox as well.
Take into account that file names should be managed in DropBox: each backward sync would recover DropBox names, Odoo is here less important.
- If a new file is added to a proper document folder (e.g. to 'Odoo / Customers / Agrolait'), the same attachment will be added to Odoo document (in the example – to 'Agrolait')
- In document folders you can put not only files but also child folders. In that case a link for this folder (not its content) is kept in attachments
- In case you rename a file in DropBox, it will be renamed in Odoo as well
- Files' removal from DropBox leads to related Odoo attachments' removal
- If you move a file to another document folder, in Odoo a related attachment would be re-attached to this new document. Take into account: if you move a file for a not document folder, this Odoo attachment will be deleted as it has been removed from DropBox
- If you deleted a document type or document folder, their child files are deleted as well. Thus, Odoo would remove related attachments. The folders, however, will be recovered with a next direct sync. Folders' move to another directory is also considered as a removal. Avoid such situations by following the simple rule: folders are managed mostly by Odoo, files – mostly by DropBox.
Backward DropBox might take quite much time, since each folder should be checked (the more folders, the more time the backward sync requires). It is recommended to make frequency oftener than once an hour or two hours.
DropBox has a specific way to generate links for existing files and folders. In particular, there are no concepts of internal or private URLs. Instead, each DropBox item might get so-called shared URLs. Such shared links are either public or team-only. Moreover, the latter feature is available only for DropBox business account.
This tool relies upon share links' mechanics. It means, that each attachment link is either public (all personal DropBox accounts) or team-only (all business DropBox accounts).
Sometimes it is considered to be not fully safe. Although website URLs will be hardly known by external users, there is a slight chance that they become available as a result of some user actions. Besides, sharing links generation is not super fast and might make a sync process slower. That is why the feature to switch off sharing urls is introduced.
If checked, all DropBox urls in Odoo will be of type https://www.dropbox.com/home/Odoo/[PATH]. Such links will not work in quite a many cases. Thus, if you need to open DropBox files / folders from Odoo, do not switch off the feature 'No links to DropBox from Odoo'.
Configuration and Login
- Follow the url https://www.dropbox.com/developers/apps/create
- Choose an API as 'Scoped access'
- Choose the type of access as 'Full Dropbox'
- Select any suitable name for the app and push the button 'Create app'
- Add the redirect URI as YOURODOOSITENAME]/dropbox_token (e.g. https://faotools.com/dropbox_token). A valid SSL certificate (https) is required
- Grant permissions to the app: 'Account Info (Read)', 'Files and folders Metadata (Write)', 'Files Content (Write)', 'Collaboration (Write)'. For team DropBox assign also 'Team Data Members', 'Members (Read)'. Make sure no other permissions are assigned.
- Submit App
- Go to Odoo general settings - DropBox
- Copy App Key, App secret, and redirect URI to the Odoo configuration page
-
For team DropBoxes only
- Check the box 'DropBox Team'
- Set an email of DropBox user. Inside this user folder all Odoo related items would be created and only after that they are shared to all other users. Under this user all files and folders are created, changed, moved, and deleted
- Choose a suitable name for the root Odoo folder, e.g. 'Odoo' or 'ERP'
- Press Save
- Press 'Login and Confirm'
Create a DropBox app
Set up DropBox App: redirection URL
DropBox permissions for personal accounts
DropBox permissions for business accounts
Set up Odoo for DropBox integration
Odoo server configuration and cron job configuration
To make sure the synchronization works correctly apply proper timeouts to the Odoo configuration file: LIMIT_TIME_CPU, LIMIT_TIME_REAL should be more than 900 seconds.
For Odoo.sh this should not be done, since timeouts are predefined and are not configurable.
Then, timeout should be entered to your Odoo. To that goal find the section 'Settings' on the app configuration page and copy the number there.
Afterwards, it is needed to make the cron jobs suit the applied timeouts. In the debug mode go to the Settings > Technical > Automation > Scheduled Jobs:
- Set up the job 'Synchronize attachments with cloud' as (a) frequency - 2*timeout; (b) the next execution as the next hour +timeout. For example, for 900seconds timeout: frequency - as 30minutes; the next execution - at 08:15
- Set up the job 'Synchronize attachments from cloud' as (a) frequency - 2*timeout; (b) the next execution as the next hour + timeout*2. For example, for 900seconds timeout: frequency - as 30minutes; the next execution- at 08:30.
Frequently Asked Questions about DropBox Odoo Integration Odoo v.11
Yes, you can. To this end:
Turn on debug mode
Go to technical settings > Automation > Scheduled jobs
Find the jobs 'Synchronize attachments with cloud' and 'Update attachments from cloud'.
Take into account that you should not make them too frequent. It is preferable this job is finished until a new one is started. Thus, the configuration should depend on how many items you to sync you have. Usually, the frequency is set up between 15 minutes to 4 hours.
Make also sure that you have set up enough time limits in your Odoo configuration file. Thus, LIMIT_TIME_CPU and LIMIT_TIME_REAL parameters should be equal or bigger than planned cron job time. Starting from the version 13 consider also the parameter LIMIT_TIME_REAL_CRON.
An import notice for Odoo.sh clients: the maximum time for cron job might be set up as 15 minutes only.
No, this feature is available only from version 15. Prior to that version, the module works with the pre-defined structure of folders:
Odoo - a core folder for sync
Models - folders for each Odoo document type. For example, 'Projects', 'Partners'. Distinguished by domain there might be more specific folders: e.g., 'Customer 1 Projects', 'Projects of the Customer 2', 'Internal Projects', etc.
Objects - folders for each document, e.g. 'Project 1' or 'Customer 1'
Files and folders related to this Odoo document to be synced.
As a result you may have for instance:
Odoo / Projects / Project 1 / files and folders related to the project 1
Odoo / Customer 1 Projects / Project 1; Odoo / Customer 2 Projects / Project 3, ...
Odoo / Customers / Customer 1 / files and folders related to the customer 1
This structure is always flat, meaning that there are only those levels of hierarchy. Thus, it is correct that various document types can't be done within the same structure. Within the folder 'Customer 1' we can't keep the files related both to sale orders, invoices, and projects. Each of those document type has an own (or a few own) folders. Otherwise, we will not have a chance to make backward synchronization, since there would be no criteria to rely upon.
The app assumes that the binary content of attachments is kept in Cloud Client instead of the Odoo server. So, such attachments in Odoo become of the URL type, and you may any time access them either from the attachments box or from the Cloud Client.
After the setup, no manual actions are required, as the synchronization is fully automatic. Just decide which Odoo document types should be synced and set up a related model to sync for each of those (Customers, Sale or Purchase Orders, Tasks, Projects, etc.).
Yes, you can. To that goal, prepare a rule for each, and then those apply filters: for example by type of a project.
Try to make filters self-exclusive in order a document can be definitely assigned. For instance, 'customer but not supplier', 'supplier but not customer'. Otherwise, a specific document folder would jump from one model to another.
No, the tool relies upon a single user end point. It means that all sync processes are done under a single cloud admin (app). Access rights for created folders / files are not automatized. You should administrate those rights in your cloud storage solution.
No. We have strong reasons to avoid real time sync:
Performance issues. In case a sync is real time, each file upload will result in the loading screen.
Conflict issues. If 2 users simultaneously change an item, it might lead to unresolved situations. In case of regular jobs we can fix it afterwards, while in case of real time we would need to save it as some queue, and it will be even more misleading for users.
Functionality issues. In particular, renaming and restructuring of items. In the backward sync the tool strictly relies upon directories' logic, and during each sync 100% of items are checked. In case it is done after each update, it will be thousands of requests per second. If not: changes would be lost.
No, the tool is only a technical core. You also need the connector for your cloud client.
Yes, depending on your cloud client configuration.
Yes, although in case of many folders / attachments to sync, the process might be slow. Simultaneously, our clients reported to us the environments with >10k partners and ~5k product variants to be synced, and the processes were acceptable.
A few points to emphasize:
The sync is constructed in such a way that anyway any item will be synced and will not be lost, although it might be not fast. It is guaranteed by first-in-first-out queues and by each job commits.
The number of objects might be limited logically. The models' configuration let you restrict sync of obsolete items (e.g there is no sense to sync archived partners or orders which are done 2 years ago).
No, this feature becomes available only from version 15.
According to the current Odoo Apps Store policies:
- every module bought for version 12.0 and prior gives you access to all versions up to 12.0.
- starting from version 13.0, every module version should be purchased separately.
- disregarding the version, purchasing a tool grants you a right to all updates and bug fixes within a major version.
Take into account that the faOtools team does not control those policies. For all questions, please contact the Odoo Apps Store representatives directly.
The easiest approach is to use the Odoo store built-in workflow:
1. Open the module's page and click the button Deploy on odoo.sh
2. After that, you will be redirected to the GitHub page. Login to your account and click 'Create a new repo' or use the existing one. Please, make sure, that your repository is private. It is not permitted to publish the apps under the OPL-1 license. If necessary, create a new repo for your Odoo.sh project
3. Then, go to odoo.sh and click on the deploy button, submit the decision in the pop-up window and click 'Continue'. The action will trigger the installation process.
These steps will install the app for your project production branch. If you want to deploy the apps for other branches or update the module, you should undertake the following actions:
1. Upload the source code for the app from the Odoo store
2. Commit the module to a required GitHub repository. Make sure that none of the app folders/files are ignored (included in the .gitignore of your repo). Repositories are automatically created by odoo.sh, which might add by default some crucial items there (e.g. /lib). You should upload all module directories, subdirectories, and files without exceptions
3. Deploy a target branch of the odoo.sh project or wait until it is automatically built if your settings assume that.
Unzip the source code of the purchased tools in one of your Odoo add-ons' directories;
Re-start the Odoo server;
Turn on the developer mode (technical settings);
Update the apps' list (the apps' menu);
Find the app and push the button 'Install';
Follow the guidelines on the app's page if those exist.
Yes, sure. Take into account that Odoo automatically adds all dependencies to a cart. You should exclude previously purchased tools.
A red/orange warning itself does not influence features of the app. Regretfully, sometimes our modules do not pass standard automatic tests, since the latter assumes behavior which is in conflict with our apps goals. For example, we change price calculation, while standard Odoo module tests compare final price to standard algorithm.
So, first of all, please check deployed database features. Does everything work correctly?
If you still assume that warning influences real features, please contact us and forward full installation logs and the full lists of deployed modules (including core and third party ones).
No, we distribute the tools only through the official Odoo apps store
Regretfully, we do not have a technical possibility to provide individual prices.
No, third party apps can not be used on Odoo Online.
Yes, all modules marked in dependencies are absolutely required for a correct work of our tool. Take into account that price marked on the app page already includes all necessary dependencies.
The price for our modules is set up in euros. The Odoo store converts prices in others currencies according to its internal exchange rate. Thus, the price in US Dollars may change, when exchange rate changes.
Bug reporting
In case you have faced any bugs or inconsistent behavior, do not hesitate to contact us. We guarantee to provide fixes within 60 days after the purchase, while even after this period we are strongly interested to improve our tools.
No phone number or credit card is required to contact us: only a short email sign up which does not take more than 30 seconds.
Please include in your request as many details as possible: screenshots, Odoo server logs, a full description of how to reproduce your problem, and so on. Usually, it takes a few business days to prepare a working plan for an issue (if a bug is confirmed) or provide you with guidelines on what should be done (otherwise).
Public features requests and module ideas (free development)
We are strongly motivated to improve our tools and would be grateful for any sort of feedback. In case your requirements are of public use and might be efficiently implemented, the team would include those in our to-do list.
Such a to-do list is processed on a regular basis and does not assume extra fees. Although we cannot promise deadlines and final design, it might be a good way to get desired features without investments and risks.
No phone number or credit card is required to contact us: only a short email sign up which does not take more than 30 seconds.
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