Shared FoldersTools | Windows Server 2003 in a Nutshell

Shared FoldersTools

There are several useful tools for managing shared folders:

Shared Folders: This MMC snap-in can be used to create and manage shares on local and remote computers, stop and reconfigure shares, terminate user sessions, and close files.
File Server Management: This console includes snap-ins for Shared Folders, Disk Management, and Disk Defragmenter.
Synchronize: This utility is used to synchronize offline files.

Clients who need to connect to shared folders can use Windows Explorer, My Computer, My Network Places, and various other tools. We'll focus here on My Network Places, which has some unique functionality to explore.

Shared Folders

This snap-in can be found under System Tools in Computer Management and can be started by Start Run fsmgmt.msc OK. The console tree has three nodes.

Shares: Displays information about shared resources (folders, volumes , printers, directories, or named pipes) on the computer, including the share name , the path to the shared resource, the type of network connection (Windows, Macintosh, or NetWare), and the current number of connected users.
Sessions: Displays information about network users currently connected to shared resources on the computer, including the username and computer name of each connected user, the type of network connection, the number of files the user has open on the computer, how much time has elapsed since the user first connected to the computer, and the amount of time since her last activity on the computer.
Open Files: Displays information about files currently open on the computer by users connecting over the network, including the name of the file (or print job or named pipe), who has opened it, the type of network connection, the number of locks on the resource (if any), and the permission granted to the user for the resource.

Right-click on:

Shared Folders: To send a console message to users who have active sessions with that server.
Shares: To create a new file share on the server using the Create Shared Folder Wizard. You can also send a console message to all users who have active sessions with that server. Selecting an existing share in the details pane allows you to stop sharing the share and to access the properties of the share to modify shared-folder permissions, NTFS permissions, maximum number of sessions, and file-caching settings.
Sessions: To disconnect all sessions from the server. Selecting a particular session in the details pane lets you close that session alone.
Open Files: To disconnect all open files from the server. Selecting a particular open file in the details pane lets you close that file alone.

The capability to send a console message is actually implemented by means of a snap-in extension to Shared Folders called Send Console Message. If for some reason you wish to do so, you can create a custom Shared Folders console that doesn't have the capability to send a console message by:

Start Run mmc OK Console Add/Remove Snap-in Add Shared Folders Add Finish Close Extensions deselect Add all extensions deselect Send Console Message OK

One thing this snap-in is not useful for is managing shared-folder permisisons. You might think that if you wanted to modify the permissions on a share you could proceed as follows :

Send a console message to inform connected users to close files and disconnect from the share.
Stop sharing the share by right-clicking on share Stop Sharing.
Modify the permissions on the share by right-clicking on share Properties.
Restart sharing the share again by right-clicking on share Restart Sharing.

Unfortunately, there is no Restart Sharing option on the Action or shortcut menu. When you stop sharing a share, it disappears from the list of shares under the Shares node, which means you need to recreate the share and all its permissions and settings using Windows Explorer or some similar tool.

File Server Management

This console can be started two ways:

Manage Your Server File Server role click Manage this file server

Start Run filesrv.msc

The functionality is essentially the same as for Shared Folders, with the addition of some friendly links to perform common tasks like backing up your file server, configuring shadow copies, and sending a console message.

Synchronize

This utility ensures that you have the most current version of files when working offline. It can be started two ways:

Start All Programs Accessories Synchronize

Start Run mobsync.exe

If you configured your computer to use offline files (or if you are using Internet Explorer in offline mode), you can use Synchronize to ensure that the same versions of your offline files (or offline web pages) can be found on both the local computer and the network (or the Internet). Synchronize opens a dialog box listing the files and web pages you have marked for offline use. If you select an offline file and click Properties, the Offline Files folder opens, displaying the locally cached versions of the files and their synchronization status. Click Synchronize to manually synchronize the selected offline files, or click Setup to configure automatic synchronization of selected offline items:

When you log off from or log on to your computer. Different actions can occur for each network connection in the Network and Dial-up Connections folder.
When your computer is idle for a specified interval of time. (You can prevent synchronization from occurring on laptops running on batteries to conserve power.)
On a scheduled basis that you specify.

If you select an offline web page in Synchronize and click Properties, a properties sheet opens, allowing you to reconfigure the offline settings for the page. To make a web page available for offline use, first open the page using Internet Explorer, then add it to your list of favorites, making sure you select the checkbox "Make available offline." Click the Customize button as you add the favorite to specify a link depth to download, whether you will synchronize content manually (using Tools Synchronize in Internet Explorer or using Synchronize in the Accessories program group ) or automatically (using a schedule you define). Once you finish adding the favorite, the web page will automatically be downloaded to the local cache. To view offline web pages with Internet Explorer, select File Work Offline, and then select the page from your favorites list.

My Network Places

This tool can be used to find and connect to shared folders and other network resources. It can be accessed numerous ways:

Desktop My Network Places (if icon is present)

My Computer (if icon is present) click the My Network Places link (Web view must be enabled using Folder Options)

Windows Explorer select My Network Places in left pane click Folders button on toolbar

Internet Explorer type C : in Address bar Enter click Up button on toolbar twice double-click on My Network Places

Start Run start c : Enter click Up button on toolbar twice double-click on My Network Places

Command prompt explorer Enter click Up button on toolbar twice double-click on My Network Places

My Network Places is an all-in-one browsing tool that can be used to browse the filesystem of the local computer, shared folders and printers on the network, objects in Active Directory, and web content on the Internet. However, this tool is just another incarnation of Windows Exploreras are My Computer and Internet Explorer! There the several kinds of icons that are displayed when you open My Network Places:

Add Network Place

This starts a wizard that can be used to create shortcuts to network resources such as shared folders (enter a UNC path) or web and FTP sites (enter a URL). Note that if you specify a URL, the wizard must be able to connect to the remote web or FTP site in order to create the shortcut. If you try to specify a resource by browsing for it instead of entering the path, you can also select the Printers or Scheduled Tasks folder on a local or remote computer. But when you try to complete the wizard, an error occurs telling you that the network name can't be found. This is a small bug in the wizard.

Entire Network

This browses the domains, workgroups, computers, shared folders, and printers on your network. Double-clicking Entire Network displays one or more of the following items, depending on the configuration of your network (if you have web content enabled in Folder Options under the Tools menu, you also have to click the "entire contents" link to display the following items):

Microsoft Windows Network: Displays the domains and workgroups in your network.
NetWare or Compatible Network: Displays the NetWare servers on your network.
Directory: Displays the publicly readable portions of Active Directory for the local forest. The folder initially shows only the root domains of each tree in the forest. Double-click on a root domain to display the OUs and default containers in that domain, along with any first-level child domains in that tree. Double-click on an OU to browse the objects within it, and double-click on an object to display its publicly readable properties. If you are logged on as an Administrator in the domain, you can modify the displayed properties for Active Directory objects. Double-clicking on a published shared folder opens the folder and displays its contents. Right-clicking on a computer object and selecting Manage opens Computer Management for the computer.

Network Share

This represents a shortcut to a shared folder, web, or FTP site you created using the Add Network Place Wizard described earlier. Note that WS2003 sometimes creates some network shares automaticallyfor example, the "SYSVOL on <server>" shortcut in My Network Places on domain controllers, where <server> is the first domain controller in the forest root domain.

Computers Near Me

This takes the place of Entire Network if your computer belongs to a workgroup instead of a domain.

Right-clicking on My Network Places on the desktop also does some useful things:

Open: Opens the selected item; for example, if you open a workgroup, you see the computers in it.
Explore: Does the same as Open except it displays the folder using the two-pane Windows Explorer view.
Search for Computers: Opens the Search Assistant with the focus on searching for computers in the forest.
Who Am I: Displays credentials of logged-on user (present only when NetWare connectivity is enabled using CSNW or GSNW).
Map Network Drive: Maps a drive letter to a shared folder on a local or remote computer.
Disconnect Network Drive: Deletes a drive-letter mapping created earlier.
Create a Shortcut: Creates a shortcut to My Network Places and places it on the desktop.
Rename: Renames My Network Places. It's a really good idea to rename My Network Places so it displays the DNS name of your domain.
Properties: Has the same result as Start Control Panel Network Connections.