6.0 Planning File and Folder Targets for Filr

IMPORTANT:To prepare for planning your Filr storage targets, we recommend that you review the information in the following sections in Filr 4.1: Understanding How Filr Works

Complete the instructions in the following sections to plan for your organization’s file and folder access through Filr.

Table 6-1 Worksheet 7—Identifying Existing File Service Targets

Heading, Label, or Topic:

Information and Instructions:

<File Server or Network Storage Device Name>

  1. On Worksheet 7, begin recording the name of each file server or network storage device that users will access through Filr.

  2. Make a copy of the <File Server or Network Storage Device Name> section and the blank row that follows it for each file server or device.

    When you copy worksheet sections, make sure you follow the method explained in Making a Copy of a Worksheet Section.

  3. Replace the angle-bracketed title (<>) with the name of each respective file server or network storage device.

Type:

  1. Referring to File Servers (Backend Storage) in the Filr 4.1: Installation, Deployment, and Upgrade Guide, identify the type of each file server or network storage device you plan to connect with Filr.

Contains a Home Directory Volume or Share

  1. Indicate whether the server contains volumes or shares that have user home directories in them.

UNC Path to OES and Windows; URL to SharePoint:

  1. Record the path to the file server or network storage device.

    • Windows and OES: Server paths use UNC syntax.

      For example, \\server_DNS_or_IP

    • SharePoint: Server paths use a URL, including the protocol identifier.

      For example, http://SharePoint_Server or https://SharePoint_Server.

Physical Location

  1. Record the physical location of each server or device.

    Example: Quarkville Datacenter E-13-R3

Path to Objects in Directory Service

  1. Specify where its associated directory object is located in your directory service.

    Example: cn=field-tech-op,ou=servers,ou=qvdc,o=company

 

  1. After you have recorded the information for each of your file servers and network-based storage devices, continue with Worksheet 8—Planning Net Folder Servers.

Table 6-2 Worksheet 8—Planning Net Folder Servers

Heading, Label, or Topic:

Information and Instructions:

Net Folder Server Planning Tips and Considerations

  • The term “Net Folder Server” refers to

    • A file server

      And

    • A volume or share (and rarely, a folder) on the file server.

  • Before proceeding with the instructions that follow, make sure you understand the information in Net Folders in the Filr 4.1: Understanding How Filr Works.

  • IMPORTANT:If you are planning to use a SharePoint 2013 server with Filr, make sure to review Planning a SharePoint 2013 Integration before proceeding.

  • WARNING:NetApp ONTAP versions earlier than 8.3.x have only limited support for the SMB v2 protocol. Nevertheless, NetApp sets the default protocol level to SMB v2.

    If you are planning to create Net Folder servers that point to NetApp devices that are running an ONTAP version earlier than 8.3.x, you must set the protocol level to SMB v1 on the NetApp devices. Filr will then use SMB v1 for connecting and communicating with the devices.

    If you fail to do this, the connection between Filr and the NetApp devices will fail.

Paths to Net Folder Servers

On Worksheet 7 you identified the file servers and network storage devices that Filr users need access to.

Now you’re ready to expand the list by identifying the volumes and shares that will be Net Folder Servers and specifying which of those contain Home Directories.

  1. Using the server paths identified on Worksheet 7, record a path for each server/volume, server/share, and server/site combination, as follows:

    • Windows: Server paths must be entered using UNC syntax.

      For example, \\server_DNS_or_IP\share

    • OES or NetWare: Server paths must be entered using UNC syntax.

      For example, \\server_DNS_or_IP\volume

    • SharePoint: Sites require the full URL to the site, including the protocol identifier.

      For example, http://SharePoint_Server/site or https://SharePoint_Server/site.

      If your SharePoint server is configured with SSL, you must export the SSL certificate from SharePoint and import it into Filr in order for the Net Folder Server to function properly. For more information, see Configuring SSL between the SharePoint Server and Filr.

  2. Copy the rows below Path as many times as needed to list each volume, share, and site.

    Each path you enter will be defined as a Net Folder server in the steps that follow.

    Although it is possible to do so, we recommend as a best practice that you not include sub-folders of the volumes or shares in your list. These are defined later as Net Folders.

    For help, see Adding Rows in Worksheet Sections.

  3. Indicate whether each path is NSS or CIFS/SharePoint.

  4. Indicate whether each path is defined as a Home Directory location in your LDAP directory services.

<Net Folder Server Name>

  1. Make copies of this section and the row below it until you have one section for each path listed above.

    When you copy worksheet sections, make sure you always follow the method explained in Making a Copy of a Worksheet Section.

  2. Referring to the Net Folder Server Configuration tab section in the Filr 4: Administrative UI Reference, replace <Net Folder Server Name> with a name that clearly indicates the file server and volume.

    IMPORTANT:If this is a Home Net Folder Server, the name is assigned automatically as documented in the Net Folder Server Configuration tab section in the Filr 4: Administrative UI Reference.

Configuration tab

  1. Referring to the Net Folder Server Configuration tab section in the Filr 4: Administrative UI Reference, record the following information for each Net Folder Server:

    • Server Type:

    • Server Path:

  2. Indicate whether the Server Path above contains user home directories.

Proxy Identities section

In order to complete Authentication tab planning (next), you should first plan for Proxy Identities

  1. Make sure you understand the function and requirements of Net Folder Proxy Users in Net Folder Proxy Users in the Filr 4.1: Understanding How Filr Works.

  2. Referring to Planning Net Folder Proxy Identities (and Proxy Users), record the information for each Proxy Identity that is required for access to the Net Folder Servers that you have identified on the worksheet.

    For additional help, see Net Folder Server Authentication tab section in the Filr 4: Administrative UI Reference.

Authentication tab

  1. Referring to the Net Folder Server Authentication tab section in the Filr 4: Administrative UI Reference, record the following information for each Net Folder Server:

    • Proxy Identity:

      Or

      Proxy name and password (alternate practice)

    • Authentication Type (optional):

  2. After you have recorded the information for each Net Folder Server, continue with Worksheet 9—Identifying Net Folders and Users.

Table 6-3 Worksheet 9—Identifying Net Folders and Users

Heading, Label, or Topic:

Information and Instructions:

Net Folders Are about User and Group Access Needs

  • The Net Folder planning process requires that you consider the information-access needs of various users and groups.

    For example, you might discover that a Net Folder Server identified on Worksheet 8 contains two folder structures with very different purposes, such as:

    • Advertising your products to the world

      And

    • Privately managing the marketing budget

    Therefore, you would need to identify two Net Folders on Worksheet 9. For example, Cool Stuff for sharing your marketing collateral with the world, and Budget Requests for planning next year’s marketing budget.

  • For illustrations and explanations, see the Net Folder Overview section in the Filr 4.1: Understanding How Filr Works.

Paths to Folders Requiring Unique Access:

  1. Referring to the Net Folder Servers that you identified on Worksheet 8—Planning Net Folder Servers, identify the path to each folder within each Net Folder Server that requires separate Filr access.

    Separate access might be needed because of the users or groups that will access the folders, the kinds of tasks they will need to perform, or synchronization requirements.

    IMPORTANT:Do not include the paths that are defined as Home Folder targets.

    Home Folder planning occurs in Section 6-4, Worksheet 10—Planning Home Folder Access (My Files).

  2. Unless only a small number of files exist in a volume or share on a file server, it is unwise to create a single Net Folder at the root of a volume or share. Instead, create multiple Net Folders. With multiple Net Folders created, you can be more flexible with the way you administer the Net Folders, such as the synchronization methods that you use and the rate at which you synchronize data.

    For example, you can synchronize the Net Folders to Filr using different synchronization methods, depending on the nature of the data that each Net Folder contains. If the data in one Net Folder is static, you can perform a full synchronization on that Net Folder. You’re then free to perform a Just-in-Time synchronization on a different Net Folder that contains more dynamic data. (For more information about the types of synchronization methods, see Net Folder Synchronization Types.)

  3. Copy as many path rows as needed to accommodate each path you identify. See Adding Rows in Worksheet Sections

Net Folder Name:

  1. Assign a name that users will easily identify with the folder.

Users and Groups That Need Access

  1. For each Net Folder, identify the users and/or groups that need access through Filr.

  2. Repeat the tasks in this table until all of the Net Folder paths and those needing access to them are identified.

<Net Folder Name> Configuration Plan

  1. Copy the section, including the blank row that follows it, as many times as needed to plan for each folder path that you identified.

    IMPORTANT:The worksheet contains two <Net Folder Name> sections with example File Statistics entered to illustrate different content-searchability settings.

  2. Replace the angle bracketed (<>) portion of each first row with the Net Folder Name for each path.

  3. Associated Net Folder Server: Record the Net Folder Server Name associated with each Net Folder.

  4. Path from NF Server: Record the path from the Net Folder Server to each Net Folder.

  5. File Statistics: For each Net Folder, record:

    • Number of Files: Replace the example number with the number of files in the folder structure identified by the path.

    • Content Searchable? Type Yes or No to indicate whether to index the words in the files for searchability.

    • File Types: If file content will be searchable, list the types of files, such as PDF, .doc, and so on.

    • Data Size: The size in GB of the file structure.

    HINT:Consider using Novell File Reporter in planning for Filr. File Reporter helps you quickly determine the number, sizes, types, access frequency, and so on for your organization’s files.

  6. Frequency of File Content Changes: Assess or estimate how often file content changes within each Net Folder.

  7. Frequency of Trustee/Access Rights Changes: Assess how often user access rights change within each Net Folder.

    This helps determine the needed synchronization frequency.

  8. Roll-out Target Date: Set a roll-out priority for each Net Folder.

    Initially, you should enable only the highest priority files and folders for access through Filr, to ensure a controlled and smooth implementation.

    The remaining files and folders can be enabled in a phased approach during the production roll-out.

    Consider creating a separate map or table that shows the folder structure and the order in which folders will be enabled through the testing, pilot, and production deployments.

  9. After you have planned the non-home Net Folders, continue with Worksheet 10—Planning Home Folder Access (My Files).

    When you copy worksheet sections, make sure you always follow the method explained in Making a Copy of a Worksheet Section.

Table 6-4 Worksheet 10—Planning Home Folder Access (My Files)

Heading, Label, or Topic:

Information and Instructions:

DNS_or_IP-Home_Volume_or_Share Planning

  1. Copy this section as many times as needed to plan for each of the Paths to Net Folder Servers that you marked as Defined as a Home Directory Volume or Share in Worksheet 8—Planning Net Folder Servers.

  2. Change the name of each section to correspond with the Home Net Folder Server name that you assigned in Section 6-2, Worksheet 8—Planning Net Folder Servers.

File Statistics

  1. For each Home Net Folder Server, record:

    • Number of Files: Replace the example number with the number of files in the Home folder structure identified by the path.

    • Content Searchable? This is set to No in the worksheet by default to indicate that home folder content is not automatically enabled for content searching.

    • File Types: If you want the Home file content to be searchable, list the types of files, such as PDF, .doc, and so on.

    • Data Size: The size in GB of the Home file structure.

    HINT:Consider using Novell File Reporter in planning for Filr. File Reporter helps you quickly determine the number, sizes, types, access frequency, and so on for your organization’s files.

  2. Frequency of File Content Changes: Assess or estimate how often file content changes within each Home Net Folder Server.

  3. Frequency of Trustee/Access Rights Changes: This should not normally be an issue because Home folder owners are usually assigned full access privileges.

  4. Roll-out Target Date: Set a roll-out priority for each Home Net Folder Server.

    Initially, you should enable only the highest priority files and folders for access through Filr, to ensure a controlled and smooth implementation.

    The remaining files and folders can be enabled in a phased approach during the production roll-out.

    Consider creating a separate map or table that shows the folder structure and the order in which folders will be enabled through the testing, pilot, and production deployments.

  5. After you have planned the Home Net Folder Servers, continue with Worksheet 11—Planning Personal Storage (My Files).

Table 6-5 Worksheet 11—Planning Personal Storage (My Files)

Heading, Label, or Topic:

Information and Instructions:

IMPORTANT:Worksheet 11 - Personal Storage can help you calculate the approximate amount of storage needed, using one of the options documented below.

Calculation accuracy depends on your using only one option and closely following the instructions provided.

Both options leverage the assignment of data quotas to calculate the upper limits of data storage requirements.

Automatic Calculation Option 1: Enabling a Global Data Quota

For this option, do the following:

  1. Mark the Allow LDAP users to have personal storage area option for selection when you configure the system.

  2. Mark the Enable User Data Quotas option for selection when you configure the system.

  3. Double-click the MB cell next to the Default User Data Quota Size field and specify a default quota for all LDAP users.

  4. Double-click the Users cell to the right of Total number of users and specify the number of LDAP users that you plan to import.

  5. The spreadsheet calculates the totals under Personal Storage Planning Totals by multiplying the Default Data Quota by the Total Number of Users.

IMPORTANT:As documented in Managing and Restricting Filr-Based Storage in the Filr 4: Administrative UI Reference, Filr supports assigning a default quota for all users and then adding users and groups in the Personal Storage dialog and assigning them different quota assignments that override the default quota.

However, the worksheet formulas are not designed to calculate totals based on this approach.

Automatic Calculation Option 2: Enabling Individual Data Quotas

This option utilizes the Personal Storage settings documented in Add a Group button and Group More drop-down option documented in the Filr 4: Administrative UI Reference. It assumes that you are not enabling Personal Storage for all LDAP users (Option 1).

To plan for this option, do the following:

  1. Specify groups whose members you want to have access to Personal Storage, by doing the following:

    1. Specify a group name.

    2. Specify a data quota for the group in megabytes.

    3. Specify the number of users you want counted as part of this group.

      Do not count a user under more than one group.

    4. Add rows as needed until all of the groups are specified

  2. You can also add individual users and assign them quotas, but to avoid doubling the storage allocated for them, you must ensure they are not included in the user number associated with any of the groups above.

    User quotas override group quotas.

The spreadsheet calculates Total Personal Storage Data Size by multiplying individual data quotas by the number of users that are assigned those quotas.

 

  1. After you have planned Personal Storage quotas, continue with Planning for Content Searching (Content Indexing).