asked on

Create an alias folder in Windows 2003

I believe I have heard this is possible and may also require adding something to active directory, but am not sure how to do this...

I would like to create a folder under Windows 2003 that will point to a folder of the same or different name on another server running windows 2000.

\\Server1\
Folder1
Folder2 <----alias folder...contents actually reside on \\Server2\Folder2
Folder3

This redirection should be seamless to my users.

Thanks for any help.

joel_glass

You cannot share a short cut but... what you can do is

\\server1
Folder1
Folder2\Folder2 <----alias folder...contents actually reside on \\Server2\Folder2
Folder3

joel_glass

You need to nest the shortcut in a real folder and share the real folder.

This should help.

Let me know if there is anything else

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pgm554

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sugarfreeless

Joel is right, you would have to share the folder on the 2000 server then create a shortcut to it from the 2003 server. However this does the same thing as creating a network drive to the 2000 server. when the clients click on it the address of the folder they are in will show \\2000server\Folder2.

It works but not sure that is the desired effect you were looking for.

sugarfreeless.

ohmErnie

ASKER

Actually, pgm554's suggestion with DFS was more of what we had in mind. Right now we are looking at 4 folders that contain data. One of those folders contains a large amount of data we would like to put on a different server, but from the users perspective we do not what them to realize it.

The shortcut method would display in an explorer window with the detail of "shortcut" instead of "file folder." I think what I am looking to do is use DFS using a referal method.

So the folder I would want to be the alias on one server would refer to the server that actually contains the data.

The folder we are trying to make an alias contains a large amount of data and we would prefer to have its contents stored on another server.

We just need to figure out how to accomplish this using DFS.

scrathcyboy

What ???

You can map ANY drive structure from ANY computer to ANY other server, that is part of windows file and print sharing, there is no limitations on this, but permissions on the way the folders are accessed.

so on the 2003 server, you map the drives on the 2000 server by simply getting their NW share name -

xcopy \\20000server\public\shared\my_folders\c \\20003server\private\backup\c /s/r/h/k/c

That is a copy command to backup everything. To map, all you do is find the server folder under network and map it as a drive letter, then you point that drive letter to a folder on the 2003 server, I mean this is basic networking 101, what is the problem here, am I missing something?

ohmErnie

ASKER

scrath...you are missing the point. I am not looking to map a network drive.

ohmErnie

ASKER

I was looking for this: DFS namespacing. Points awarded to pgm 554 for pointing me in the right direction...

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/14211e1f-2dbd-418d-b721-2005c725ce351033.mspx