Configure File Vault Tool in AEM / Using FileVault with AEM

How to configure the FileVault tool with AEM?
How to use the FileVault tool with AEM?
What is File Vault?
It is a tool developed and distributed by adobe. It is dedicated to mapping the content from CRX instance with your file system. It provides check-in, check-out and several other operations for synchronization and management of content [very much similar to SVN].

Let’s start with highly efficient, comparatively easy and method widely used by developers i.e. VaultClipse plugin in Eclipse.
VaultClipse plugin in Eclipse
Let’s break it in steps for easy understanding.

· Step 1: Locate, move and Extract the filevault.tgz or filevault.zip files.
Locate both file mentioned above at cq-quickstart/opt/filevault directory of you AEM/CQ installation.
Move one of the files to the location where you want to install your FileVault tool. The file can be selected depending on the operating system [.zip on windows and .tpz on linux].
I have selected a .zip file as I am working on Windows OS.
Unzip the filevault.zip file.
In my case, I have moved filevault.zip to C:/ directory and extracted it. The extracted directory structure contains two folder /bin and /lib

Note:- If the extracted vault version is 3.1.16, it may give “please correct the directory for vault the current directory is incorrect” error while setting its path in vault directory, download some lower version in zip format.
· Step 2: Adding Environment variables
Now add <installation directory>/ vault-cli-<version>/bin path to system environment PATH variable.
1. Right-click on ‘My Computer’ and select ‘Properties’.
2. Click the ‘Environment variables’ button under the ‘Advanced’ tab.
3. Now, alter the ‘Path’ variable so that it also contains the path to the <installation directory>/ vault-cli-<version>/bin.

4. Close all remaining windows by clicking OK.
· Step 3: Testing Installation

Now let’s verify FileVault configurations using command prompt. Open a command prompt and enter command vlt –help, if it displays help instructions shown below, the vault tool is installed successfully.

· Step 4: Installing the VaultClipse plugin in eclipse.

For installing VaultClipse plugin in Eclipse, you must first install Eclipse 2.0 Style plugin. Eclipse 2.0 Style plugin is a must for updating the eclipse UI display. So the order of installation is
1. Eclipse 2.0 style plugin
2. VaultClipse Plugin
· Installing Eclipse 2.0 Style plugin
Navigate to Help >> Install New Software

Select “The Eclipse Project Updates – http://download.eclipse.org/eclipse/updates/4.4” from dropdown [Work with]. If the URL does not exist, add one.
Open “Eclipse Tests, Tools, Examples, and Extras” option and select “Eclipse 2.0 Style Plugin Support”
Click “Next”

It will show the license terms, accept and click ”Finish”.

Restart the eclipse to complete the installation.
· Installing VaultClipse Plugin
In Eclipse, go to Eclipse MarketPlace.. i.e. Help>>Eclipse MarketPlace
Search for “VaultClipse” and click “Install”
In the next window, click “Confirm”, accept the licence and click “Finish”.
Accept the Software Installation Warning and click “OK” for restart requests.

· Configuring VaultClipse Plugin
Go to the Eclipse preferences tab. Eclipse >> Windows >> Preferences

Click on “VaultClipse” from the left side menu.
Enter the path to your vault directory in the “Vault Directory” field and temp folder path in the “Temporary Directory” field.
Now click “Apply” and “Ok”