7.7 Creating a Group Collaborative Storage Policy

  1. Launch NSMAdmin.

  2. In the Main menu, click Policy Management.

  3. In the Manage Policies menu, select Create Policy > Create Group Policy.

    The following screen appears:

  4. Specify a name in the Name field.

    The Policy Options page appears.

  5. Continue with Section 7.7.1, Setting Group Policy Options.

7.7.1 Setting Group Policy Options

Settings within Policy Options let you indicate how the policy is applied, set policy inheritance, and write an expanded policy description.

NOTE:Group policies in Novell Storage Manager are completely independent of Microsoft Group policies.

  1. Leave the Process Events for Associated Managed Storage check box selected.

    This indicates that you want the settings in this policy to be applied to all users within the Domain or Organizational Unit where this policy is assigned. Deselecting this check box indicates that you want to create a blocking policy that can be applied to a specific user or group. For more information on blocking policies, see Section 4.6, Creating a Blocking Policy.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • If you are assigning this policy to a container rather than a group, and you want the settings to apply to subcontainers, leave the Policy applies to subcontainers check box selected.

    • If you are assigning this policy to a container, and you do not want the settings to apply to subcontainers, deselect the Policy applies to subcontainers check box.

    • If you are assigning this policy to a group rather than a container, deselect the Policy applies to subcontainers check box.

  3. In the Description region, use the text field to specify a description of the policy you are creating.

  4. Click OK to save your settings.

  5. Proceed with Section 7.7.2, Setting Group Policy Associations.

7.7.2 Setting Group Policy Associations

The Associations page is where you assign the collaborative policy you are creating to a domain, organizational unit, Group object, or (if you are creating a blocking policy) a User object.

  1. In the left pane, click Associations.

  2. Click the + button to bring up the Object Browser.

  3. Browse through the directory structure and select the domain, organizational unit or Group object you want to associate the policy to.

  4. Drag the object to the Selected Items pane and click OK.

    The Object Browser is closed and the path is displayed in fully qualified name format in the right pane of the window. For example, OU=Las Vegas,DC=NVB,DC=local.

  5. Click OK to close the Object Browser.

  6. Click Apply to save your settings.

  7. Proceed with Section 7.7.3, Setting Group Policy Provisioning Options.

7.7.3 Setting Group Policy Provisioning Options

The Provisioning Options page is where you indicate collaborative storage rights, the location of a template for provisioning the collaborative storage folder structure and content in a home folder when it is created, and more.

  1. In the left pane, click Provisioning Options.

    The following page appears:

  2. In the Folder Properties region, deselect all rights.

    If you chose to create a collaborative storage template, the rights will be applied from the template that you created earlier under Section 7.5.3, Configuring Rights for the Group Members’ Personal Folders and Section 7.5.4, Configuring Group Member Rights to Other Folders.

  3. Select the Override Path Owner check box.

    When you create collaborative storage policies, it's very important to override the path owner. By default, each group owns the entire group home folder, so all members of the group inherit Full Control of all subdirectories in the group folder, including other users' personal folders.

  4. In the field below the Override Path Owner check box, browse to indicate a path owner (that is, the owner of the group folder).

  5. In the Template Folder region, click the Browse button and locate the file structure that you created in Section 7.4, Creating a Collaborative Storage Template.

  6. Select the topmost folder in the file structure and click OK.

    For example, if you had a structure similar to the Sample Classroom Collaborative Storage Template in Figure 7-1, you would select “8th Grade U.S. History.”

  7. Click Apply to save your settings.

  8. Proceed with Section 7.7.4, Setting Group Policy Target Paths.

7.7.4 Setting Group Policy Target Paths

The Target Paths page is where you set the paths to the shares where the collaborative storage area for this policy will be hosted.

  1. In the left pane, click Target Paths.

  2. In the Target Placement region, fill in the following fields:

    Random: Distributes storage in an ordered sequence. For example, if you have two target paths listed on this page, Group A’s collaborative storage folder is created using the first path, Group B’s collaborative storage folder is created using the second path, and Group C’s home collaborative storage folder is created using the first path.

    Actual Free Space: Distributes the creation of collaborative storage folders according to shares with the largest amount of absolute free space. For example, if you have two target paths listed, target path 1 has 15 GB of free space, and target path 2 has 10 GB, the collaborative storage folders are created using target path 1.

    Percentage Free Space: Distributes the creation of collaborative storage folders to shares with the largest percentage of free space. For example, if you have two target paths listed and target path 1 is to a 10 TB drive that has 30 percent free space, and target path 2 is to a 500 GB drive with 40 percent free space, the collaborative storage folders are created using target path 2, even though target path 1 has more absolute available disk space. You should be cautious when using this option with target paths to shares of different sizes.

    Leveling Algorithm: Use this option to structure the collaborative storage folders so that they are categorized by the Group object’s first or last name through a subordinate folder. For example, if you choose First Letter, all collaborative storage folders are grouped by first name, with individual folders for each first letter.

    Maximum Unreachable Paths: If you have a substantial number of target paths listed on this page, this field lets you indicate the number of target paths Novell Storage Manager accesses to attempt to create a collaborative storage folder before it suspends the attempt.

  3. For each target path that you want to establish, click the + button to access the Path Browser.

  4. Browse to the location of the target path you want and click the + button to add the target path to the Selected Paths pane.

  5. Click Apply to save your settings.

  6. Proceed to Section 7.7.5, Setting Group Policy Quota Options.

7.7.5 Setting Group Policy Quota Options

This page lets you establish storage quota for the collaborative storage folder. Until quota management is enabled, a collaborative storage area has unlimited storage. Quota management for collaborative storage applies to:

  • The quota for the entire storage folder

  • Quotas for personal folders in the collaborative storage folder

NOTE:In order for the quota to be managed on a personal folder, you must also manage the quota on the -MANAGER- or -MEMBER- folder. You can set this in the template through the Windows Server Manager in the same way you set the folder options.

The Quota Options page is also where you establish quota management settings for quota managers. A quota manager is a specified user or group—for example, a help desk administrator or technical support rep, who is granted the ability to increase quotas without having rights to the file system. Quota management actions are performed through Quota Manager, which is a separate Web browser-based management interface. For more information on Quota Manager, see Section 8.0, Using Quota Manager.

  1. In the left pane, click Quota Options.

    The following page appears:

  2. Select the Enabled check box to enable an initial storage quota for the group to whom this policy will apply.

  3. In the MB field, specify the initial storage quota for the collaborative storage folders.

  4. Set up quota managers and enable the Quota Manager Web interface for this policy by filling in the following fields:

    Enable Quota Manager / Quota Preservation for this Policy: Select this check box to enable the Quota Management region of the page.

    Quota Maximum: Indicate whether the folders associated with this policy will have a maximum quota setting. If so, indicate the maximum quota.

    Quota Increment: Indicate whether quota managers will set quotas manually or in set increments. If you select manual increments, the quota manager can increase the quota in any increment until it meets the maximum quota setting. If you select set increments, the quota manager can only increase the quota by the increment setting.

    Quota Managers: Click the + button and use the Object Browser to browse to and select a user or group you want to be a quota manager, then drag the User or Group object to the right pane. Repeat this for each user or group you want to be a quota manager.

    If you do not specify a user or group as a quota manager, only members of the NSMAdmins group will be able to use the Quota Manager Web interface.

  5. Click Apply to save your settings.

  6. Proceed with Section 7.7.6, Setting the Group Policy Move Schedule.

7.7.6 Setting the Group Policy Move Schedule

This page lets you use a grid to specify when collaborative storage data can be moved during data migration operations.

By default, all days and times are available for data movement. You might decide that data movement during regular business hours creates unacceptable network performance, and choose to move data after regular business hours.

NOTE:The collaborative storage folder will not move if someone is accessing the folder or there are any open files. Until the folder can be moved, the Move event will be listed as a pending event.

  1. In the left pane, click Move Schedule.

  2. In the Data Move Schedule grid, click the squares for the day and hour you want to disable for data movement.

  3. Click Apply to save your settings.

  4. Proceed with Section 7.7.7, Setting Group Policy Dynamic Template Processing.

7.7.7 Setting Group Policy Dynamic Template Processing

Dynamic Template Processing is the term used in Novell Storage Manager for creating personal folders in a collaborative storage folder. If Dynamic Template Processing is enabled, creating a -MEMBER- Group object in the collaborative storage file structure automates the creation of a new user’s personal folder when he or she is added to the group.

  1. In the left pane, click Dynamic File Processing.

    The following screen appears:

  2. Do one of the following:

    • If the file structure in your collaborative storage template includes a -MEMBER- folder, Novell Storage Manager automatically creates personal folders within the collaborative storage folder. Leave the Enable Dynamic Template Processing check box selected and proceed with Step 3.

    • If your collaborative storage template does not include a -MEMBER- folder, Novell Storage Manager does not create personal folders within the collaborative storage folder. Deselect the Enable Dynamic Template Processing check box and proceed with Section 7.7.8, Setting Group Policy Cleanup Options.

  3. Choose one of the following options:

    • Do not limit folder search depth: The NSM Engine searches through the collaborative storage folder looking for -GROUP-, -MANAGER-, and -MEMBER- folders. Depending on the number of folders in the collaborative storage folder, this can take significant time. It is therefore best to not select this option.

    • Limit folder search to a depth of: If you know the level where the -MEMBER- folder is structured in your collaborative storage template, you can select this option and indicate the level.

      For example, in the Sample Classroom Collaborative Storage Template in Figure 7-1, the -MEMBER- folder is located four levels down.

  4. Select the applicable check boxes:

    Process members of nested groups: If you have nested groups in your Active Directory deployment, selecting this check box creates personal storage for group members that are part of a group via group nesting.

    Ignore hidden attribute on dynamic template: Selecting this check box ignores the HIDDEN flag on the -MEMBER, -MANAGER-, and –GROUP- folders in the collaborative home folder when provisioning the corresponding folder for the user or group.

  5. Click Apply to save your settings.

  6. Proceed with Section 7.7.8, Setting Group Policy Cleanup Options.

7.7.8 Setting Group Policy Cleanup Options

This page lets you enable and specify cleanup rules for the Group policy. Options for cleanup include deleting a collaborative storage folder after a set number of days following the removal of the associated Group object from Active Directory, or vaulting (rather than deleting) the collaborative storage folder.

  1. In the left pane, click Cleanup Options.

  2. Enable storage cleanup by filling in the following fields:

    Enable: Select this check box to enable storage cleanup rules.

    Cleanup storage: Specify the number of days a collaborative storage folder remains after the associated Group object is removed from Active Directory.

  3. Enable vaulting on cleanup by filling in the following fields:

    Enable: Select this check box to enable vaulting on cleanup rules.

    Vault Path: Click Browse to browse and select the share where you want the collaborative storage folders vaulted after cleanup.

    When you indicate this path, it also appears in the Vault Path field of the Grooming Rules page, because grooming rules and vault on cleanup rules share the same vault path.

  4. Click Apply to save the settings.

  5. Proceed with Section 7.7.9, Setting Group Policy Vault Rules.

7.7.9 Setting Group Policy Vault Rules

When a Group object is removed from Active Directory, you can have Novell Storage Manager vault the contents of the associated collaborative storage folder from a primary storage device to a less expensive secondary storage device. Novell Storage Manager lets you specify what to vault or delete by using vault rules. For example, you might want to remove all TMP files before vaulting the collaborative storage folder. Or, you might want to vault only a single folder, such as Final Proposal and nothing else in the other folders. You accomplish all of this through settings in the Vault Rules Editor.

  1. In the left pane, click Vault Rules.

    The Vault Path field displays the vault path that you established when you set up collaborative storage cleanup rules.

  2. Click the + button to bring up the Vault Rules Editor.

  3. In the Description field, specify a description of the vault rule.

    For example, “Files to delete before vaulting,” or “Files to vault.”

  4. Fill in the following fields:

    Action: Select whether this vault rule deletes or vaults.

    Be aware that if you select Vault, only the files or folders that you list in the Masks text box are vaulted and the remainder of the home folder content is deleted. Conversely, if you select Delete, only the files or folders that you list in the Masks text box are deleted, and everything else is vaulted.

    Files: If the vault rule you are creating will vault or delete content at the file level, leave the File option selected.

    Folders: If the vault rule you are creating will vault or delete content at the folder level, select the Folders option.

    Selecting Folders disables the filter settings in the lower portion of the Vault Rules Editor.

    Masks: List the files or folders you want to be vaulted or deleted, according to what is indicated in the Action drop-down menu.

    File or folder names can contain an asterisk.

  5. (Conditional) If the vault rule you are creating is specific to files, complete the applicable filter settings.

    Leaving the setting as [Disabled]-Any Size vaults or deletes all file types listed in the Mask text box, according to what is indicated in the Action drop-down menu. Choosing any of the other options from the drop-down menu lets you indicate files to delete or vault according to size, when created, when last modified, and when last accessed.

  6. Click OK to save the vault rule.

  7. If necessary, create any needed additional vault rules by repeating the procedures above.

  8. Proceed with Section 7.7.10, Setting Group Policy Grooming Rules.

7.7.10 Setting Group Policy Grooming Rules

Grooming rules in Novell Storage Manager specify the file types that you do not want network users storing in their home folders or collaborative storage areas. Examples of these might be MP3 and MP4 files, MOV files, and many others. You use the Grooming rule to specify whether to delete or vault a groomed file.

Grooming takes place as a Management Action that is run by the administrator. A Management Action is a manual action that is enacted through NSMAdmin. For more information, see Section 12.1.4, Management Actions.

  1. In the left pane, click Grooming Rules.

    The Vault Path field displays the vault path that you established when you set up cleanup rules.

  2. Click the + button to bring up the Grooming Rules Editor.

  3. In the Description field, specify a description of the grooming rule.

    For example, “Files to groom in Community Outreach Group.”

  4. Fill in the following fields:

    Action: Select whether this grooming rule will delete or vault groomed files.

    Files: If the grooming rule you are creating will vault or delete content at the file level, leave the File option selected.

    Folders: If the grooming rule you are creating will vault or delete content at the folder level, select the Folders option.

    Selecting Folders disables the filter settings in the lower portion of the Grooming Rules Editor.

    Masks: List the files or folders you want to be vaulted or deleted, according to what is indicated in the Action drop-down menu.

    File or folder names can contain an asterisk.

  5. (Conditional) If the grooming rule you are creating is specific to files, complete the applicable filter settings.

    Leaving the setting as [Disabled]-Any Size vaults or deletes all file types listed in the Mask text box, according to what is indicated in the Action drop-down menu. Choosing any of the other options from the drop-down menu lets you indicate files to delete or vault according to size, when created, when last modified, and when last accessed.

  6. Click Apply to save the grooming rule.