Creating Shares For Users (Windows Server 2012)

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

So I've been messing around with my server the past few days and I've got user accounts and domains setup on it so I can login from any PC on my network to user accounts. I've been googling and I can't seem to find a solid guide on how to make it so each user has their own chunk of storage mounted as like a d drive or something like that. Anyone know of any good guides for it?

 

Server specs for those interested:

• Core i3-2100
• 16GB's DDR3
• Asus p8h61-m le/csm
• 250GB Western Digital Blue
• 3x 1TB Western Digital Blue
• 600W EVGA PSU
• Cooler Master Case

I will be upgrading as soon as I get a motherboard to:

• 2x Xeon X5550
• 16GB's DDR3
• Foxconn Dual 1366 Mobo
• 250GB Western Digital Blue
• 3x 1TB Western Digital Blue
• 600W EVGA PSU
• Silverstone Server Case

[Taswell]

Redirected Files 

 

[Jacktastic-Mofo]

Just now, ITheSpazI said:

Redirected Files 

That's super unspecific, any guides or anything like that?

[Taswell]

Nah its pretty specific cause that is what is called  its in group policy or you can do it manually per PC

 

or you could auto assign network you can auto assign the same drive if you want it to come up under a drive  letter

[leadeater]

58 minutes ago, Jacktastic-Mofo said:

That's super unspecific, any guides or anything like that?

He means Folder Redirection and is commonly referred to as a Home Drive (when also mounted as a drive letter). This redirects a users Desktop/Documents etc directories to a network UNC path. You can also use this UNC path in the Home Folder properties of an AD user account under the profile tab to mount it as a drive letter.

 

You can set quotas on a per home folder basis using File System Resource Manager (FSRM).

 

If you need any more help I can step you through the process. It's best to use DFS paths btw to make migration of the underlying storage seamless to the users and no reconfiguration required from an administrator (you).

[leadeater]

@ITheSpazI Also there are some very specific share and file/folder permissions you need to use when using folder redirection. Microsoft has these well documented however and easily found using google.

 

FYI what you are wanting to setup is what I did as a contractor for clients and I run the same setup at home so I have a working reference system that I can take screen shots of etc.

[Mikensan]

What you want to do should be done either by group policy (super easy) or script (kind of easy, 100s of way to do it). First you need to create the share, preferably not on your domain controller but either a dedicated file server or some NAS. It can be virtual if you want, how you create the share is up to you and what you have available. In windows, it is as simple as right clicking a folder > properties > share... give it a share name, add permissions. Then go back to properties > Security, and configure the security there as well. Now you have \\servername\sharename... using the guide below, your UNC would be \\servername\sharename...

 

 

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/79280-mapping-network-drives-folders-via-group-policy

(to be honest I didn't really read this, it was the first result when googling "group policy mapped drives" and skimmed through it.