QuotaAdvisor

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In this day and age, it is easier than ever for users to import vast amounts of "junk" into the files and databases of the modern corporation. Broadband has given users the ability to swiftly exchange large amounts of data with other employees, thus speeding up the decision-making process; however, it also makes it easier to clog up server space with downloaded MP3s and other large files. If unlimited storage capacity exists, this is no problem. For most enterprises, though, it is necessary to implement some type of storage quota system. The Windows 2000 built-in Profile Quota utility may be all right for some uses but is essentially of limited value. When additional functionality is needed, however, a third-party product should be selected. Precise/W. Quinn Associates' StorageCeNTral suite, for example, includes QuotaAdvisor for setting and monitoring quotas. Whereas Profile Quota only notifies a user when the storage quota is exceeded and expects the end user to figure out which files to delete, QuotaAdvisor takes active steps to prevent going over the quota and to assist the user in selecting which files to delete. QuotaAdvisor includes up to five configurable warning levels to notify the user when the storage limits are approaching. For example, an e-mail or on-screen message can be sent when the storage usage reaches 85 percent of quota, advising the user to delete some files or request more storage space from the administrator. When the limit is reached, users are still able to save their current files, even though they have exceeded the quota, so that critical work does not get lost.

Case Study: Premier, Inc.

Premier, Inc. (San Diego, California; www.premier.com), a firm that provides group purchasing and other services to over 1800 hospitals nationwide, uses QuotaAdvisor on its 350 clustered servers and Storage Area Network. Premier turned to Computer Sciences Corporation (El Segundo, California; www.csc.com) to manage some of its IT functions in 1999 when the company switched from Novell NetWare to a Windows-based network. As part of the switch, Premier asked that CSC install a disk space quota management feature. CSC configured QuotaAdvisor to alert users when they had reached 75 and 90 percent of capacity. The administrators also use the program's reporting facility to find out which employees are close to hitting their quota so they can contact those employees and determine whether they need more disk space. They can also provide the users with an HTML-based report showing the files in the user's home directory. The user can then click on the hyperlinks to view the files and decide whether to save, move, or delete them. Other useful features include the ability to run reports on files that have not been accessed in the last specified number of months, making it easy to evaluate and delete unneeded files and providing the ability to restrict the types of files that can be saved.

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