| Windows Server 2008 File Server Role
Windows Server 2008 File Server Role
|
So what has changed in the Windows Server 2008 that was not apparent in Windows Server 2003?
Microsoft once compared their servers to a Swiss army knife – one physical unit that does a number of roles.
Their end-users, on the other hand, preferred to be able to physically distinguish one server box from another.
In the end, a componentized version of their server was produced, capable of doing numerous roles but using an architecture based on roles.
One of these roles is the File Server role.
The File Server role emerged as one of the top favorite server roles installed using Windows Server 2008 Beta 3. And rightly so.
Its development, for one, was designed in part by enthusiastic
feedback from users and customers. The process, which Microsoft dubbed
Customer Experience Improvement Program or CEIP, produced relevant data
that was used for the study and subsequent enhancements on the new
server release.
Out of the more than 165,000 installations involving Windows Server 2008
Beta 3 courtesy of 800,000 customers, Microsoft was able to determine
the kind of roles customers installed. One of the most popular is File
Server role.
What you can expect from the File Server Role in the Windows Server 2008
With the Server Manager, an administrator may install the File Server
role, which also includes other tools, including File Server Manager and
File Server Resource Manager. Although some might view the File Server
role on the 2008 Server Manager as just another set of admin tools,
there is so much more to it.
The storage infrastructure of the server, for example, is significantly
altered and controlled by the File Server Resource Manager. This tool
allows administrators to impose storage limits for folders, ensuring
that server resources are kept at an optimum.
It is also possible to use this feature to prevent certain file types
to be saved by users onto the server, preventing any dangerous or
suspect files from entering the network.
This File Server role helps implement control over the use of server
resources. It also helps administrators plan, design and implement any
modifications to the storage system of the server.
Other features that may be implemented using the File Server role are:
Quota creation and management
For administrators for whom storage resources on the server is a
concern, the File Server role tools can help set and implement quotas,
both on hard and soft space. An administrator can then choose whether to
implement a hard quota or just monitor user storage.
Quotas created through the File Server Resource Manager, by the way,
will not work with NTFS quotas. You can transition or migrate to NTFS
with the use of quota templates, however. The templates are designed to
recreate quota properties of NTFS.
File filtering
Administrators can effectively set filtering rules to help prevent any attempts (deliberate or not) to save undesirable file types on a folder tree or volume. Standard exclusions of file types may be imposed simply by creating and applying screening templates. Administrators can then distribute available resources efficiently.Report generation
Can't trust your eyes or memory? The tools found in the File Server role can generate reports to help you keep track of quota usage, patterns reflecting storage use and activities pertaining to file screening. This helps administrators determine which types of resources are often used.Limiting opportunities for modifications
In order for a user to utilize the tools in the File Server role, he or she must be one of the members of the Administrator Group. This will limit access to the server's control system.
Here is another article about Windows Server 2008 File Server Role:
Secure System for File Management with Windows Server 2008 File Services