folder redirection dilemna

  • Thread starter Thread starter James
  • Start date Start date
J

James

I've setup folder redirection (my documents, desktop) at the site
level. If you're in site A then redirect to site A's data server.

I've tested this in a lab setting and everything works fine, including
laptops and offline files.

The problem, what if a user in site A goes to site B? It's going to
automatically create an empty folder on site B's server - and they
won't have access to their data in site A.

The problem (as I see it) is that the GP is applied at the user level
and not the computer level.

What is the solution to this?

Thx,

J.
 
Hi James,

I tested this and had no issues with it.

Windows XP SP1
No "Administratively assigned offline files" defined in the policy
The "Redirect the folder back to the local userprofile location when policy
is removed" was Not checked on both site policies

Test UserA logs off the workstation in SiteA and the contents of the
redirected My Documents sync up with ServerA. The user goes to a remote
location and logs on in SiteB which has a different path defined in the
Folder Redirection policy. After logging on My Documents shows the path to
ServerB in SiteB. Because ServerA was online and accessible when UserA
logged on the CSC cache was able to sync up and get the new redirection path
applied. I log UserA off and the data syncs at logoff to ServerB only.

Are you getting different behavior?

What OS is the client machine?
 
Hi David,

I should have been clearer..........

A user in Site A runs a desktop, he then goes to site B temporarily
and logs onto a desktop there. Because he's in Site B, his My
Documents will get redirected to Server B and create a new folder
which will be blank initially (as this is his first time logging in at
Site B). All his data will still be on Server A though.

I realize that laptops/offline caching are the solution, but I'm
trying to account for all the various scenarios we may encounter.

J.
 
I see. The only thing I can think of is an undesirable solution. You could
use DFS to replicate the Desktop User's Redirected Folders.

From the Ultrasound Helpfile:
When each file is changed by only one person from one location.

Replication conflicts rarely occur if only a single user changes a given
file from a single location.
Some common scenarios for single authorship are redirected My Documents
folders and other
home directories. Conversely, if users roam between sites, replication
latency could cause the
file to be temporarily inconsistent between sites.

If it is rare that your Desktop users go to other sites and they always
redirect My Documents to the local server then DFS could be a solution for
you. I would recommend not replicating the data with DFS for users who
travel a lot. To accomplish this you might want to have a Folder
Redirection policy for Desktop Users and another Folder Redirection policy
for Laptop Users. The Laptop users redirect to a local share and their data
is not replicated with FRS. Desktop users get a different policy
redirecting to a different share and this share is Replicated to all remote
sites with FRS. This way, when a Desktop user gets to the remote site, logs
onto another Desktop, his data is already present on the local share.

I would recommend you read the "Appropriate Scenarios for Using FRS" portion
of the Ultrasound helpfile before proceeding with this. This file can be
download from the link below.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/2/e/32e40b0d-fbba-44ea-8d06-326732b04f0c/Ultrasound.chm
--
David Everett
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

James said:
Hi David,

I should have been clearer..........

A user in Site A runs a desktop, he then goes to site B temporarily
and logs onto a desktop there. Because he's in Site B, his My
Documents will get redirected to Server B and create a new folder
which will be blank initially (as this is his first time logging in at
Site B). All his data will still be on Server A though.

I realize that laptops/offline caching are the solution, but I'm
trying to account for all the various scenarios we may encounter.

J.

"David Everett [MSFT]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
Hi James,

I tested this and had no issues with it.

Windows XP SP1
No "Administratively assigned offline files" defined in the policy
The "Redirect the folder back to the local userprofile location when policy
is removed" was Not checked on both site policies

Test UserA logs off the workstation in SiteA and the contents of the
redirected My Documents sync up with ServerA. The user goes to a remote
location and logs on in SiteB which has a different path defined in the
Folder Redirection policy. After logging on My Documents shows the path to
ServerB in SiteB. Because ServerA was online and accessible when UserA
logged on the CSC cache was able to sync up and get the new redirection path
applied. I log UserA off and the data syncs at logoff to ServerB only.

Are you getting different behavior?

What OS is the client machine?
--
David Everett
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
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