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QualityNet FileCloud allows users to upload and download files and documents while operating within the HCQIS cloud from any workstation with an internet connection.


FileCloud Announcement 12/05/2022

New FileCloud Request Process 

To consolidate request channels and make requesting work of the team more efficient and convenient, the File Management team has created a central location to make requests, either for FileCloud or MFT. You must have a HARP ID to submit a request.

To submit a request to the File Management team, go to https://qnetjira.cms.gov/servicedesk/customer/portal/8, and click on the File Management Request link on the page to get started.

On the File Management Request link page, fill out the form completely with the title, summary and acceptance criteria or goals of the request, as well as a need by date. If you know who your Product Owner is, you can provide that information as well; this is optional. Once you complete the requested information on the form, click on the “Create” button.

Once you click on the “Create” button, a JIRA ticket will be automatically created, and you will receive an email with the JIRA number as well as a link to view the status of your ticket at any time. The File Management team will follow up if there are additional questions. Please note: all requests are prioritized by the File Management CMS Product Owner.

This new method of requesting work will be available beginning Monday, 12/5/2022. If you have previously submitted work through the various Slack channels or through a Service Now ticket, both methods will remain open through 12/9/2022 as we transition to this new process.

FileCloud Announcement 05/03/2022

New FileCloud Policy for Permanently Removing Deleted Files

   In an effort to reduce the number of data files on the FileCloud servers, CMS is introducing a new FileCloud policy to permanently remove deleted FileCloud Team Folder files from the FileCloud application.   The new CMS FileCloud policy will go into effect on Monday May 9, 2022.  The FileCloud policy will permanently remove any deleted FileCloud Team Folder file after seven (7) calendar days.   

As an example of the new CMS FileCloud Policy, if a file is deleted from a FileCloud Team Folder on May 9, 2022, the file will be permanently removed from the FileCloud application on May 16, 2022.

Note, any FileCloud Team Folder files  deleted prior to May 9, 2022 will be permanently removed from FileCloud starting May 16, 2022.  This FileCloud policy does not impact deleted My Files or deleted Network Share files.


FileCloud Announcement 03/02/2022 

The File Management Team has been made aware of issues with users not receiving notifications when changes occurred within a particular directory or other events. Upon investigation, the team worked with the FileCloud vendor and received a patch which was applied to production the evening of 3/1/2022.

By default, FileCloud will automatically send you an email notification with these events:

  • A file or folder is shared with you
  • One of the following actions is performed (by you or another user) on a file or folder you have access to:
    • a file or folder is uploaded
    • a file or folder is downloaded
    • a file or folder is shared
    • a file or folder is deleted
    • a file or folder is renamed
    • a file is updated
    • a file is previewed in the browser or one of the mobile apps
    • a file or folder is locked

Users may experience several emails coming in from changes which occurred over the past seven days. Afterwards, the mail server will have caught up with the notifications and they will be sent every fifteen minutes by default after a change occurs. You can customize notifications by going to Settings à Notifications à Use my own notification settings.

FileCloud Announcement 01/24/2022 

For any FileCloud users who are still experiencing issues with the desktop version of FileCloud Drive, please download the latest version of the drive from https://www.filecloud.com/additional-downloads/#drive. The File Management Team recently upgraded the FileCloud product to version 21.3 which rectified these errors. If you are still experiencing an issue with FileCloud, please contact the HCQIS Services and Operations Support Team at (866) 288-8914, Slack: #help-service-center-sos or Email: ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov.

FileCloud Announcement 01/20/2022 

FileCloud System release 9.8 deployed FileCloud release v21.3 on January 20th. The FileCloud v21.3 release contains the upgrade for Apache Log4J version 2.17.1 and a fix for FileCloud Drive issues reported by users following the FileCloud v21.2 upgrade in November 2021.

FileCloud Announcement 01/03/2022 

The File Management Team has received reports of some users of FileCloud Drive experiencing connectivity issues after an upgrade or after logging out of FileCloud Drive. The File Management Team is working with the FileCloud vendor on these issues, and the vendor is currently investigating. In the interim, please continue to use the web version of FileCloud (https://filecloud.cms.gov) for any tasks where you may have previously used FileCloud Drive. Further communications will be distributed when remediation is provided by the vendor.

FileCloud Announcement 11/15/2021 

Per CMS direction, the File Management Team will be disabling any FileCloud accounts if a user has not logged in during the past 180 days. If you have not logged in to FileCloud in the past 180 days, or are unsure, please take a moment to log in to ensure your access remains active. We will be distributing a targeted communication to those users who have not logged in on 11/17/2021 and again on 11/24/2021. Any user who has not logged in within 180 days will have their account disabled in FileCloud on 12/1/2021 and will need to request access again through HARP.


FileCloud Announcement 09/22/2021 

The File Management Team has made some modifications to the FileCloud Request form on Slack to mitigate submitters from accidentally identifying any sensitive information while making their requests. For the interim, we are asking for a need by date, type of request, Product Owner and point of contact. Once this is provided in Slack, the team will be notified, a JIRA item will be created, and the number provided to the requester. At that point, we will ask the requester to complete their documentation within the JIRA ticket itself, which has limited exposure, and enables the work to be prioritized and executed. We acknowledge this is an additional step which we are asking and appreciate the flexibility while we try to balance obtaining crucial information through a secure method.



Getting Started with QualityNet FileCloud:

QualityNet FileCloud is an easy-to-use file management system that can be utilized to share and store files by members of the QualityNet community. Learn how to get started with QualityNet FileCloud.


Business Case

In support of HCQIS' move from the Ashburn Data Center, the QualityNet FileCloud application was implemented to allow HCQIS contractors to store and share files without needing a direct connection to the Data Center or the HCQIS network. 

Features include:

  • File Management: Create and delete new folders, upload/download files and contract deliverables
  • Internet-Facing: Explore files using any web browser without the need for connecting to the HCQIS network
  • File Versioning: Collaborate effectively using unlimited automatic file versioning
  • Cross-organizational Collaboration: Create team-level folders, where CMS employees and HCQIS contractor employees can upload, edit, and share files in a centralized location
  • Drive Mapping (via FileCloud Drive): Map your workstation to your organization's FileCloud file share to seamlessly access and retrieve files
  • File Support: Supports virtually all common file types

Accessing FileCloud

As of September 2020, FileCloud's URL has been changed. The web version of FileCloud is now reachable via https://filecloud.cms.gov. Please bookmark this new URL.

Who will get FileCloud?

All HCQIS organizations may request access to FileCloud. Based on your scope of work, organizations may request access to FileCloud by reaching out to their COR with a business need for the service, the number of users, and a Security Official (SO) ID. The COR should then reach out to ISG's Contract Engagement team for next steps. If you have any questions about this process, please send an email to ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov.

If your organization has already been approved for FileCloud in HARP, you can proceed with requesting a FileCloud user role by following the Quick Start Guide below.


1. QUICK START GUIDE

Requesting a FileCloud User Role

If you do not yet have a HARP account or an EIDM or EUA account, you must first register for a HARP ID. (For instructions on the process, refer to the HARP page)

Step 1: Once your HARP account has been created, log into HARP and request a FileCloud account via User Roles:

  • Select the “QualityNet-FileCloud” Program
  • Select your Organization (CMS employees should select CMS, and contractors should find their organization in the drop down)
  • Select a FileCloud Member role (Security Officer (SO) or User)

Step 2: Your organization's SO approves the user role request. You will be notified via email when your role has been approved.

Step 3: Log in to FileCloud at https://filecloud.cms.gov using your HARP credentials for access to the FileCloud application.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. FILECLOUD WORK REQUEST PROCESS GUIDE

To submit a request to the File Management team, go to https://qnetjira.cms.gov/servicedesk/customer/portal/8, and click on the File Management Request link on the page to get started.


On the File Management Request link page, fill out the form completely with the title, summary and acceptance criteria or goals of the request, as well as a need by date. If you know who your Product Owner is, you can provide that information as well; this is optional. Once you complete the requested information on the form, click on the “Create” button.


Once you click on the “Create” button, a JIRA ticket will be automatically created, and you will receive an email with the JIRA number as well as a link to view the status of your ticket at any time. The File Management team will follow up if there are additional questions. Please note: all requests are prioritized by the File Management CMS Product Owner.

     

QualityNet FileCloud Resources 

For QualityNet FileCloud Users:

*NOTE: FileCloud Drive is not approved for CMS employee workstations and the download will be blocked on CMSNet. Contractors having trouble downloading the FileCloud Drive App should seek help from their organization's IT department. 


Getting Started with QualityNet FileCloud:


Additional Information for Technical Users (i.e. developers interested in integrating their QualityNet applications with FileCloud):

*NOTE: FileCloud is a COTS product. However, the above links for developers do not directly reflect QualityNet's Implementation of FileCloud. For specific information regarding how QualityNet has implemented FileCloud, please reach out to our support team via email at  ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov or via QualityNet Slack at #help-filecloud.

Currently, FileCloud is running v20.1.1.7769. Release notes are available here.

For Assistance

  • Please contact the QualityNet Help Desk with questions regarding registering or access via email at ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov or phone at 1-866-288-8914 or via QualityNet Slack at #help-filecloud.
  • Users with HCQIS Slack can reach our team for assistance utilizing the #help-filecloud channel
  • Business hours are 7 am-7 pm CDT Monday through Friday.  

FAQs

GENERAL  |  ACCESS  |  WORKING IN FILECLOUD 


General

FileCloud allows users to upload, download, and share contract-related files and documents while operating within the HCQIS cloud. (FileCloudUserGuide)

Features include:

  • File Management: Create and delete new folders, upload/download files and contract deliverables
  • Internet-Facing: Explore files using any web browser without the need for connecting to the HCQIS network
  • File Versioning: Collaborate effectively using unlimited automatic file versioning
  • Cross-organizational Collaboration: Create team-level folders, where CMS employees and HCQIS contractor employees can upload, edit, and share files in a centralized location

Your Security Officer (SO) is the person designated by a line of business (LoB) or other CMS contractor who has the authority to approve requests for FileCloud access.


Access

To consolidate request channels and make requesting work of the team more efficient and convenient, the File Management team has created a central location to make requests, either for FileCloud or MFT. You must have a HARP ID to submit a request.

To submit a request to the File Management team, go to https://qnetjira.cms.gov/servicedesk/customer/portal/8, and click on the File Management Request link on the page to get started.

On the File Management Request link page, fill out the form completely with the title, summary and acceptance criteria or goals of the request, as well as a need by date. If you know who your Product Owner is, you can provide that information as well; this is optional. Once you complete the requested information on the form, click on the “Create” button.

Once you click on the “Create” button, a JIRA ticket will be automatically created, and you will receive an email with the JIRA number as well as a link to view the status of your ticket at any time. The File Management team will follow up if there are additional questions. Please note: all requests are prioritized by the File Management CMS Product Owner.

This new method of requesting work will be available beginning Monday, 12/5/2022. If you have previously submitted work through the various Slack channels or through a Service Now ticket, both methods will remain open through 12/9/2022 as we transition to this new process.

For instructions on how to register for a HARP account, visit the HARP page.

Users must register for a HARP ID. Once the HARP account has been created, log into HARP and request a QualityNet FileCloud account via a HARP User Role. (See "Requesting a User Role" process above.)

For additional information regarding HARP ID's and instructions on this process, visit the HARP page. 

Yes, a HARP ID or an EIDM account is required to access the FileCloud application. For instructions on this process, visit the HARP page. 

No, you must use your HARP ID in order to access FileCloud.

Per CMS request, FileCloud users will not be able to access the application from mobile devices or use the following apps:

FileCloud Mobile, FileCloud Sync, and File Sharing

FileCloud Mobile, FileCloud Sync, and File Sharing applications have been disabled per CMS request. Users should utilize their team folder when file sharing is needed.

An internet connection is required to access the cloud-based application by logging in to https://filecloud.cms.gov using your HARP credentials.

FileCloud Drive is an app that permits mapping of FileCloud to your local device, but must be installed at the admin level. Learn more about FileCloud Drive and how to install.

Login to FileCloud at https://filecloud.cms.gov using your HARP credentials

  • When the POP ends, the contractor needs to provide the following information to the Offboarding Team:
    • Name of the folder they want archived (so we know what to archive)
    • The date that their POP ends (so we know when to archive it and when to remove group access on FileCloud side)
    • The name of the subfolder that includes the folders they believe will be utilized by new contractor (so we know what data may be needed in the near future)
  • Data will remain in FileCloud but won’t be accessible to anyone
  • Data will be retained for 6 years (CMS requirement)
  • Once confirmed, the Offboarding Team will submit:
    • A JIRA ticket for the decommissioning phase
    • Contractor SO will remove roles in HARP
    • The SD Collab team will manually remove access from FileCloud and rename Contractor folder to “FolderName_Archive”
    • ServiceNow Ticket created with the following tasks:



Working in FIlecloud

Yes. FileCloud is regularly backed-up. Feel free to contact the Service Center @ 866-288-8914 or via email at ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov if you need assistance.

Files can be moved by uploading files from your local device. For unusually large file transfers or unique conditions you may contact the Service Center @ 866-288-8914 or via email at ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov

No. Shared files should be stored in your organization's team folder(s).

To obtain access to team folders, users should forward their HARP ID to their organization's SO during the User Role registration process.

Once the SO has provided your HARP ID to the FileCloud Onboarding Team and you login to FileCloud, you will have access to team folders.

FileCloud does NOT have a check out and check in capability with the Team Folders like Microsoft SharePoint, but it does allow a user to lock a file in FileCloud that has been downloaded to their local drive and unlock it when it is uploaded back to the folder.

https://www.getfilecloud.com/supportdocs/display/cloud/File+Locking

Storing PII/PHI on FileCloud is permitted, as long as the organization has a Data Use Agreement in place.





Full Release Notes for FileCloud are available here: https://getfilecloud.com/releasenotes


Date

Action

Release #

Environment

Notes

10/1/2019N/AFileCloud v19.2PROD
  • First version of application released to the HCQIS community
04/10/2020UpgradeFileCloud v19.3PROD
  • A new modern user interface is now available for FileCloud Drive
07/10/2020UpgradeFileCloud v20.1PROD
  • The Notification system has been redesigned to enable greater customization of notifications
  • ServerLink has been enhanced. New features include improved status reporting and instant folder creation
  • FileCloud now supports configuring up to six different IDPs for single sign-on (SSO)
  • FileCloud can now convert MS Office tags to FileCloud tags when it imports MS Office files
12/19/2020UpgradeFileCloud v20.2PROD
  • User Portal redesign – Completely new, easy-to-navigate user interface
  • FileCloud Sync application – Updated look with intuitive functionality
  • Digital Rights Management (DRM) – A new feature that provides more restrictive security for documents
March 2021 (Tentative) UpgradeFileCloud v20.3PROD
  • OCR support – A new character recognition feature that enables searching for content in image and PDF files.
  • Metadata color tagging – Enhancement that enables users to apply color tags to metadata.
  • TLS 1.3 support – Support for TLS 1.3 on all Windows, Mac OS, and Linux clients.
  • ICAP DLP – ICAP DLP has been added as a provider for FileCloud’s content classification engine, enabling it to flag files for blocking or deletion by DLP rules.
  • Theme settings – New settings have been added for customizing themes and more built-in theme choices have been added.

March 2021

(Tentative)

UpgradeFileCloud Enterprise VersionPROD

Main benefits:

April 16/2021Maintenance 6.1PRODThe FileCloud website (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline on Thursday, April 15, 2021 for system-wide maintenance. System wide maintenance was successfully completed and all systems are active.
May 7/2021Maintenance 7.1PRODThe FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline on Friday, May 7th, 2021 for system-wide maintenance. System wide maintenance was successfully completed and all systems are active.
May 28, 2021Upgrade7.2PRODFileCloud System release 7.2. was successfully deployed to production on Friday May 28th, 2021. FileCloud System release 7.2 deployed the FileCloud v21.1 Upgrade which contains 508, Apache, and PHP updates.
July 8, 2021Feature added7.3PRODFileCloud Release 7.3 deployed to production on Thursday July 8th, 2021. FileCloud Release 7.3 enables FileCloud Sharing capabilities.  File and folder sharing allows users to provide private access to files stored in FileCloud with various levels of access privileges.  Users who are logged into the system during this change will need to logout and log back in for the changes to take effect.
July 22, 2021Maintenance7.4PRODThe FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline on Thursday, July 22, 2021 for system Maintenance. System-wide maintenance was successfully completed and all systems are active.
August 3, 2021Maintenance8.1PROD

The FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline  on Tuesday, 08/03/2021 for system-wide maintenance.  System-wide maintenance was successfully completed and all systems are active.

August 9, 2021Maintenance
Prod

The FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline  on Monday, 08/09/2021 for system maintenance.  System maintenance was successfully completed and all systems are active.

August 19, 2021Maintenance
Prod

The FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline  on Thursday, 08/19/2021 for system-wide maintenance.  System maintenance was successfully completed and all systems are active.

September 9, 2021Access Added8.2Prod FC Onboarding / Access HCQAR-RA
September 14, 2021Maintenance8.3Prod

The FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline  on Tuesday, 09/14/2021 for system-wide maintenance.  System maintenance was successfully completed and all systems are active.

September 28, 2021Maintenance8.3.1Prod

The FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, for system maintenance.  Maintenance was completed successfully, and all systems are active.

October 21, 2021Maintenance9.1
FileCloud S3 Bucket Key Rotation
October 26, 2021Maintenance9.2ProdThe FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, for system maintenance.  Maintenance was completed successfully, and all systems are active.
November 4, 2021Upgrade9.3ProdFileCloud System release 9.3 deploys FileCloud v21.2 which contains general bug fixes and database patches.
November 18, 2021Maintenance9.4ProdFC S3 Key Rotation
December 9, 2021Maintenance9.5ProdFileCloud System reboot for security patches
December 13, 2021Security Remediation9.5.1ProdFC Mitigation for Apace “Log4J2” utility Common Vulnerabilities & Exposures
December 14,2021Maintenance9.5.2Prod

The FileCloud application (https://filecloud.cms.gov) was taken offline on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, for system maintenance. Maintenance was completed successfully, and all systems are active.

Replace Expiring Access Key for AWS.

December 21, 2021Security Remediation9.6ProdFileCloud System release 9.6 deploys FC Apache Log4J Security Remediation.
January 20, 2022FC Release 9.8ProdFileCloud System release 9.8 deploys FileCloud release v21.3. The FileCloud v21.3 release contains the upgrade for Apache Log4J version 2.17.1 and a fix for FileCloud Drive issues reported by users following the FileCloud v21.2 upgrade in November 2021.
February 10, 2022Maintenance10.1.3ProdGeneral Maintenance
March 1, 2022Maintenance10.1.4ProdGeneral Maintenance
March 22, 2022Security Remediation10.1ProdThe FileCloud application will be upgraded to version v21.3.2.18465 to deploy a security patch.
July 5, 2022Maintenance
ProdGeneral Maintenance
July 19, 2022Maintenance
ProdGeneral Maintenance
July 26, 2022 Maintenance
ProdGeneral Maintenance
August 09, 2022 Maintenance
ProdGeneral Maintenance
September 12, 2022Maintenance12.4ProdGeneral Maintenance. FileCloud Upgrade v21.3.6.
November 15, 2022Maintenance
ProdGeneral Maintenance
December 13, 2022FC Release
Prod

Release to upgrade FileCloud to version 22.1.0

January 31, 2023Maintenance14.1ProdGeneral Maintenance
March 7, 2023Maintenance
ProdGeneral Maintenance
March 28, 2023Maintenance
ProdGeneral Maintenance


Security Guidelines

  • Storing PII/PHI on FileCloud is permitted, as long as the organization has a Data Use Agreement in place.

  • FileCloud users shall be mindful of the type of content that is made publicly vs. within private channels.
  • ONLY CMS approved FileCloud apps will be made available. To request an application plug-in, please contact the Service Center at:

    Phone: (866) 288-8914 (TRS:711)

    Slack: #help-service-center-sos

    Email: ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov

    Hours of Operation: 24/7


Need Help ?
  • CCSQ Support Central: Provides you with multi-program support to submit a new ticket, and track the status of an existing case, incident, or request. No login required. https://cmsqualitysupport.servicenowservices.com/ccsq_support_central
  • Service Center: For any FileCloud related issues or questions, Please contact the Service Center Support Team.

Phone: (866) 288-8914 (TRS:711)

Slack: #help-service-center-sos

Email: ServiceCenterSOS@cms.hhs.gov

Hours of Operation: 24/7







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