Re: Question about mapping a shared folder

lforbes <lforbes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
It isn't a bandaid, just 20 years of MS experience has taught me to
have contingency plans =). I have 500 machines that I reimage every
year with the same name. Sometimes, but not always, when I delete an
Active Directory Computer account it does not delete the DNS entry.
If I forget to manually delete the DNS then when the computer adds
again it works about 90% but the one thing that will fail is the
Folder Redirection because it relies 100% on DNS.

Yes, but it requires that the workstation be able to find the *server* - not
vice versa.

Also MS has a flaw in their Group Policy that if you don't have the
"wait for network before logging in" Group Policy setting enabled
then it won't load the Group Policy settings, startup scripts etc
either computer or user at all before the user logs in.

This is an issue with with XP and perhaps Vista...but this is a default I
enable in all my networks. It should be built in, IMO.

When I had
new computers add into the Computers container the policy would not
apply until I moved them. I don't set that wait for network on the
Domain OU for obvious reasons.

Yep.

Now I have set the path to automatically add computers to the
ComputersAll OU instead so that has cut it out. However, I still find
sometimes with laptops newly joined to the domain sometimes it takes
a gpupdate /force and a few restarts.

Are they perhaps using wireless?

My users all have mandatory profiles therefore if there is one time
that their folder isn't redirected then they lose all their files
(which delete on logoff).

Ah. I don't use mandatory profiles.

My users do not have ownership of their root user folder either.

No, they don't need it. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443 for the
parent folder permissions.

I
prefer it that way for security. I have specific groups that also
have access to users folders.

You can add them at the parent level....

Therefore I don't want active directory
folder redirection to "add" the folders. Also that was a new feature
that wasn't entirely 100% reliable either. I prefer to add them using
the Home Drives and then double check to make sure they are all there.

Most of my users use My Documents (folder redirection). However, I
also have some applications that like to have a Drive for their
saving location. They don't save well to a UNC path (folder
redirection). The H:\ is there for that.

I upgrade my servers every three years. H:\ is what is in the
mandatory profile has listed so as long as I stick with that drive
letter it doesn't matter what server. That is just a backup plan and
it really doesn't matter what the profile says because folder
redirection takes it over anyway if it is working properly.

I just change my Group Policy and the users home directory path. It is
pretty simple with Windows 2003 though being able to do a multiple
user change.

Again I have been an admin for 20 years since we did it the old DOS
networking way. I have been 10 years with my current network and
started out with NT 4, then 2000 and now 2003.

Sure, and this would explain your desire to stick with the old school tried
and true - but just note that it probably isn't *necessary* and even MS
doesn't recommend home directories any longer. I started out with Netware &
also NT 3.x way back in the day and also find there are things it took me a
long time to abandon, but most of them I no longer miss.

Won't be going Vista anytime soon.

Nor I (shudder).

I run it at home but definitely
not MS's best invention for a business network with no backwards
profile compatibility and the fact that much of the profile doesn't
roam (gadgets etc) so it is pretty useless in my network where
profiles are deleted on logoff and if not by script on restart.

Cheers,
Lara

Sounds like you have a setup that works for you. I think most offices will
do better to abandon home directories & keep things simple unless there are
legacy machines or apps which require it. I really don't have any problems
with redirection in any of my networks.




"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

lforbes <lforbes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I do use Folder Redirection. However, it is sometimes not 100%
reliable.

Well, I'd be looking into the cause of that & fixing it, then,
rather than applying bandaids. Perhaps if you post the errors or
problems you have, someone can help.


Therefore I prefer to have the H:\ as well as My Documents
Redirected.

To the same folder, though, right?

And for extra backup the personel folder in the users
registry points to H:\ just in case redirection decides not to work.

Oy. Sounds like an admin nightmare on your hands - too many places
to change things if you need to change servers!

Redirection is pretty simple and should be working, period - if it
isn't, look at why.

Plus this way creates the accounts for me and with 2500 users I
certainly don't want to do that manually with each permission being
specific to each user.

Sure, of course not. That's why you should keep things as simple as
possible. If you define home directory paths in 2500 accounts, you
have to change 2500 ADUC items if you want to switch servers around,
rather than changing one entry in group policy. Note that the
permissions are not a problem- they're set automatically on the
users' subfolders if you set the parent folder permissions
correctly. You can redirect my documents and map a drive letter to
the same place and *still* not need a home directory path. Home
directories are pretty archaic and unnecessary now.



Cheers,
Lara

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

lforbes <lforbes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"Marc S" wrote:

Thanks.
The home directory mapping you are referring to, that's for the
Active Directory Users and Computers, Profile tab, Home folder,
Connect to field...right?

Thanks.

Yes,

I share D:\Users as \\MyServer\UsersShare

Inside D:\Users are ALL my usernames eg. user1, user2, etc.

In the properties of each user I set the home drive to map to

H: \\MyServer\UsersShare\%username%

When I click OK it puts the user name of the user in that area and
it maps to their specific folder (even though it is the upper
folder that is shared).

Cheers,
Lara

Or use folder redirection & you don't need a home directory any
longer :-)



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