Windows Home Server 2011 : Managing Storage - Using Folder Redirection

It is preferable to store user data on server drives rather than local workstation drives for several reasons:

Folder redirection is a Windows feature that enables client workstations to store the contents of their data folders on a server drive automatically. The process is completely invisible to the workstation user.

A Windows workstation creates a folder for each person who logs on at the computer in the C:\Users folder. Each of these user folders contains a separate user profile for that person. A user profile is a set of folders and registry files that store the documents and configuration settings belonging to a particular user. A typical user profile consists of the folders listed in Table 1, some of which are hidden, plus a hidden registry file.

To a user viewing his or her own profile, the Documents, Music, Pictures, and Video folders appear as My Documents, My Music, My Pictures, and My Video, respectively. When a user logs on at the workstation using a local or domain account, the system loads that individual’s profile and uses it throughout the session until the user logs off. During the session, the My Documents folder in the user’s profile becomes the operative My Documents folder for the system, as do all the other folders in the profile. Folder redirection is simply a means of storing a copy of certain user profile folders on another computer, usually a file server. Once the folders are redirected to the server, that user can log on at any computer, and the system copies the redirected folders to the user’s local profile on that computer.

Windows SBS 2011 implements folder redirection using Group Policy settings that specify which folders to redirect and where to store them, as shown in Figure 1. During the operating system installation, the Windows SBS 2011 setup program creates a Group Policy object (GPO) called Small Business Server Folder Redirection Policy and links it to the domain/MyBusiness/Users/SBSUsers organizational unit object. This way, every user on the network loads the GPO during the domain logon process.

Figure 1. Policy settings in the Small Business Server Folder Redirection Policy GPO.

Understanding the Folder Redirection Defaults

The Group Policy settings for folder redirection are located in the GPO in the following container: User Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Folder Redirection, as shown in Figure 2. By default, Windows SBS 2011 redirects only the Desktop and Documents folders, along with the Music, Pictures, and Videos subfolders beneath the Documents folder.

Figure 2. The Folder Redirection policies in a GPO.

You can modify the settings in the Small Business Server Folder Redirection Policy GPO with the Group Policy Management Editor Console by right-clicking one of the folders under the Folder redirection node and opening its Properties sheet, as shown in Figure 3. The most common modification that administrators are likely to make is to redirect additional folders, such as Startup and Favorites, to provide users with a more complete server-based environment.

Figure 3. The Properties sheet for a Folder Redirection policy.

Table 2 lists the default settings for the Desktop and Documents folders and explains their functions. The Music, Pictures, and Videos folders have only one setting: Follow the Documents Folder, which causes the workstation to treat them as subfolders beneath the Documents folder and redirect them using the Documents folder settings.

Table 2. Default Folder Redirection Group Policy Settings for the Desktop and Documents Folders

SETTING	DEFAULT VALUE	FUNCTION
Setting	Basic—Redirect Everyone’s Folder to the Same Location	Causes workstations to redirect the Desktop or Documents folder for all users to the same server share. The alternative is to redirect the folders to different locations based on group memberships.
Target Folder Location	Create a Folder for Each User Under the Root Path	Causes workstations to create a separate folder for each user on the server share. The alternatives are to redirect the folders to each user’s home directory, to a single folder for all users, or to the user’s local userprofile location.
Root Path	\\SERVER\ Redirectedfolders	Specifies the server share where you want to store the redirected folders.
Grant the User Exclusive Rights to Desktop/ Documents	Enabled	Prevents anyone except the user from receiving permission to access the redirected folder.
Move The Contents of Desktop/Documents to the New Location	Enabled	Causes the workstation to copy the contents of the redirected folders on its local drive to the target folder on the server share.
Also Apply Redirection Policy To Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, And Windows Server 2003 Operating Systems	Enabled	Provides compatibility with earlier operating systems that use different folder names in their user profiles, such as My Documents.
Policy Removal	Redirect the Folder Back to the Local Userprofile Location When Policy Is Removed	Causes the workstation to copy the contents of the redirected folders back to the local drive in the event that an administrator disables the Folder Redirection Group Policy settings. The alternative is to direct the folders back to the local drives without copying their contents from the server, thus rendering those contents inaccessible.

Tip

If you have migrated to Windows SBS 2011 from Windows SBS 2008 or Windows SBS 2003, you will likely have a Small Business Server Folder Redirection GPO on your new server that was migrated from your old server. If this is the case, the Root Path setting in that GPO will contain the UNC name of your old server. Before Folder Operation will function on your network, you must change this setting to point to the name of your new server running Windows SBS 2011.