Presenting Windows Network Shares
Hi All
I have a windows server 2008 R2 with a 2TB data partition that is used as a network share. I need to add capacity to this network share and was going to present another 200GB partition to the server. The only thing is i dont want to have to give the users another share to access so i was wondering what other admins do in a case like this. really i want to use the existing share but "bolt on" this additional 200GB for the end user to use without them saving and locating in two different share locations if that makes sense.
thanks all
I have a windows server 2008 R2 with a 2TB data partition that is used as a network share. I need to add capacity to this network share and was going to present another 200GB partition to the server. The only thing is i dont want to have to give the users another share to access so i was wondering what other admins do in a case like this. really i want to use the existing share but "bolt on" this additional 200GB for the end user to use without them saving and locating in two different share locations if that makes sense.
thanks all
Another thing you can do is MOUNT the new space inside the old space - but that doesn't expand the space of the share. If you find a folder with 200 GB used (or probably a little less, say 150), you can move that data to the new space and then mount the new space on that data's old folder name. User's won't know it was done.
Example - say Folder 3 has a total used space of 150 GB:
d:\sharedFolder
d:\sharedFolder\Folder1 - 2TB
d:\sharedFolder\Folder2 - 2TB
d:\sharedFolder\Folder3 [Mounted new space with data copied to it] - 200 GB
d:\sharedFolder\Folder4 - 2TB
In disk management, add a mount point (note: there can be NO FILES (or folders) beneath the folder you want to mount.
Example - say Folder 3 has a total used space of 150 GB:
d:\sharedFolder
d:\sharedFolder\Folder1 - 2TB
d:\sharedFolder\Folder2 - 2TB
d:\sharedFolder\Folder3 [Mounted new space with data copied to it] - 200 GB
d:\sharedFolder\Folder4 - 2TB
In disk management, add a mount point (note: there can be NO FILES (or folders) beneath the folder you want to mount.
ASKER
i think perhaps i did not pose the question correctly so i am sorry about that.
i have a 2TB partition maxed out and on it lives a share that is using that 2TB.
I have added a new 200GB partition but i dont want to have to create another new share on it and ask the users to map to it and use it as well as now there document folder structures will get spread over two locations and my goal is to only have user looking at one location.
i have a 2TB partition maxed out and on it lives a share that is using that 2TB.
I have added a new 200GB partition but i dont want to have to create another new share on it and ask the users to map to it and use it as well as now there document folder structures will get spread over two locations and my goal is to only have user looking at one location.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
i was just thinking, i could put a shortcut to the new share within the only share i guess. not the most elegant but.....
Why wouldn't you mount it as I said?
ASKER
really because it doesn't expand the space of the share.
So your fixated on that?
As I said, you have three options:
1. Get a bigger disk
2. Use my suggestion and you can free up some space
3. If using dynamic disks, you MAY be able to extend the space on it... but I try to avoid dynamic disks as it makes data recovery more difficult if there is a failure.
By using my suggestion you don't have to use the shortcut - mount the drive and move SOME data into it. You free up space on the main share that way. Net effect is the same - your users have close to 200 GB free.
As I said, you have three options:
1. Get a bigger disk
2. Use my suggestion and you can free up some space
3. If using dynamic disks, you MAY be able to extend the space on it... but I try to avoid dynamic disks as it makes data recovery more difficult if there is a failure.
By using my suggestion you don't have to use the shortcut - mount the drive and move SOME data into it. You free up space on the main share that way. Net effect is the same - your users have close to 200 GB free.
Based on how large you think the share may grow to you have several options on what to do:
1. Install a larger hard drive and move all the data to that drive and re-share.
Pros - Simple, low cost
Cons - Larger the drive the less the reliability
2. Use dynamic or stripped drive to expand the drive size
Pros - Easy, expandable in the future
Cons - non-redundant -- disk crashes you better have a very recent backup
3. Install a Raid 5/10 Controller with all new high quality drives. and Move data to it.
Pros - Very reliable - add space by adding addition drive(s) - fully redundant - protects against drive failure.
Cons: - More expensive in the short term
1. Install a larger hard drive and move all the data to that drive and re-share.
Pros - Simple, low cost
Cons - Larger the drive the less the reliability
2. Use dynamic or stripped drive to expand the drive size
Pros - Easy, expandable in the future
Cons - non-redundant -- disk crashes you better have a very recent backup
3. Install a Raid 5/10 Controller with all new high quality drives. and Move data to it.
Pros - Very reliable - add space by adding addition drive(s) - fully redundant - protects against drive failure.
Cons: - More expensive in the short term
No comment has been added to this question in more than 21 days, so it is now classified as abandoned.
I have recommended this question be closed as follows:
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I have recommended this question be closed as follows:
Accept: Lee W MVP (https:#a41740976)
If you feel this question should be closed differently, post an objection and the moderators will review all objections and close it as they feel fit. If no one objects, this question will be closed automatically the way described above.
seth2740
Experts-Exchange Cleanup Volunteer
Another way is to create a Raid 5 or Raid 10 array and the size of your drive will increase with each added drive.
You can also create a Striped Drive but in doing so you risk catastrophic losses if any of the hard drives fail. Here is how to do it.
To create a striped volume:
1. Open the Disk Management console.
2. Right-click a segment of free-space that you want to include in the striped volume and click New Striped Volume.
3. The New Striped Volume Wizard appears. Click Next.
4. On the Select Disks page, select from the available disks and then click Add to add the disks to the striped volume.
5. Set the amount of space to use on the disks for the striped volume and click Next.
6. On the Assign Drive Letter Or Path page, the default is to assign the next available drive letter to the new volume. You can also mount the volume on an empty NTFS folder on an existing volume. Click Next.
7. On the Format Volume page of the New Striped Volume Wizard, choose the format¬ting options for the new volume. Windows Vista and Windows 7 support only NTFS formatting from the Disk Management snap-in. (To format with FAT or FAT32, you need to use the command line.) Click Next.
8. Click Finish on the summary page to create the volume. If the disks are basic disks, you’ll be warned that this operation will convert them to dynamic disks. Click Yes to convert the disks and create the striped volume.
You need to do backups every 4-8 hours or your Drive WILL fail - Murphy's law.