Customizing JobFiles

Nuix Collector Suite and Nuix Enterprise Collection Center each provide Wizards which guide you through the process of configuring collection settings and saving those settings in a JobFile. But some collection settings cannot be configured from the Wizards, including the following:

Combinations of multiple Created, Modified and/or Last Accessed dates and times

Configuring advanced options, such as:

To configure the above settings, you must edit the JobFile directly. See topic JobFile Structure Overview, below, for details on the structure of a JobFile.

Suitable editors

JobFiles can be created and modified using:

the Wizard within Nuix Collector Suite

the Administration Console within Nuix Enterprise Collection Center

a text editor or XML editor

a custom script

JobFiles can be edited in any text editor with support for UTF-16 LE encoding, such as the Notepad accessory in Microsoft Windows. JobFiles may also be edited using Microsoft's free XML NotePad 2007 or another XML editor. XML NotePad 2007 is a "schema-aware" editor; it can provide editing guidance, dynamic help and instant validation of schema-correctness via the JobFile XML Schema included with Nuix Collector Suite.

JobFile encryption

JobFiles may contain login IDs and passwords for access to network shares and SharePoint sites. Such login information is visible to anyone who examines the JobFile. JobFiles may be encrypted to help safeguard these IDs and passwords. But encrypted JobFiles must first be unencrypted before they can be reviewed or edited.

Warning: Encrypted JobFiles may be unencrypted by anyone with access to (1) the JobFile, and (2) Nuix Collector Suite programs and utilities.

Note: An unencrypted JobFile contains plain text, with an .XML filename extension.

An encrypted JobFile contains encrypted text, with a .MJF01 filename extension.

Nuix Collector can execute encrypted or unencrypted JobFiles.

Nuix Collector Wizard can load encrypted or unencrypted JobFile templates. The Wizard can also save a JobFile in encrypted or unencrypted form.

Portable Collector on Windows can only execute encrypted JobFiles. Portable Collector on Linux and macOS can execute encrypted or unencrypted JobFiles.

Encrypting an XML JobFile

XML JobFiles can be encrypted to help safeguard any IDs or passwords within.

Warning: Encrypted JobFiles may be unencrypted by anyone with access to (1) the JobFile, and (2) Nuix Collector Suite programs and utilities.

To encrypt an XML JobFile:

Launch the Create JobFile Utility, by clicking Start > All Programs > Nuix > Nuix Collector > Tools > Create JobFile.

Specify the unencrypted JobFile in the Xml File field.

Specify a new file name in the JobFile field. This file should have a .MJF01 filename extension.

Click Create to create the new, encrypted JobFile. The original unencrypted XML JobFile is not changed.

Decrypting an Encrypted JobFile

Encrypted JobFiles created by the Collector Wizard can be decrypted so they can be reviewed and edited.

To decrypt an encrypted JobFile:

Launch the Extract JobFile Utility, by clicking Start > All Programs > Nuix > Nuix Collector > Tools > Extract JobFile.

Click the browse button to the right of the JobFile field. An Open dialog appears.

At the bottom of the Open dialog, in the Files of type field, ensure JobFiles (*.Mjf01) is selected, so the dialog will list encrypted JobFiles.

Locate and open the encrypted JobFile you wish to examine.

In the Output File field, specify the name of the new JobFile file to save. This file should have a .Xml filename extension. Click Extract. This will create a copy of the encrypted JobFile, saved as an unencrypted XML JobFile.

Validating edited JobFiles

JobFiles must conform to a strict XML format, known as an XML schema. By editing a JobFile manually, you can inadvertently alter the structure of the JobFile text so it cannot be understood by Nuix Collector Suite or by Nuix Enterprise Collection Center.

Schema-aware XML editors, such as Microsoft's free XML Notepad 2007, can use the XML schema for JobFiles to automatically validate any edits made to a JobFile. The XML schema for JobFiles is a file named CollectorEngine.xsd in the Nuix Collector modules folder. This XSD file can also be used by various XML utilities to validate JobFiles.

Enabling XML schema validation

Older JobFiles may need to be edited with a text editor to allow them to utilize the JobFile XML schema.

To enable XML schema validation:

Open the JobFile in Notepad.

On the second line, replace <CliParameters> with the following (typically all on one line):

<CliParameters xmlns="-//nuix.com/2014/CollectorEngine" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="-//nuix.com/2014/CollectorEngine ./CollectorEngine.xsd">

Save the JobFile and exit Notepad.

Place a copy of the XML schema file CollectorEngine.xsd into the same folder where your JobFile resides. You can find CollectorEngine.xsd under the Modules folder within the Nuix Collector installation folder, e.g.:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Nuix\Nuix Collector\Modules

You can now edit the JobFile using XML Notepad 2007 or another schema-aware XML editor.

Note: Although the JobFile XML schema is strict, it is limited in the kinds of errors it can detect. Just because a JobFile passes XML schema validation does not mean that every element, attribute and value in the JobFile is correct. You must also ensure that the settings within the JobFile are correct and consistent with your computing environment.