Work Folders is a cool feature introduced on Windows Server 2012 R2, that allow IT Admins to give a personal folder to each user like OneDrive, but for Business documents, via HTTPS accessible from Domain and Workgroup machines. If you want learn how to install and configure the feature, check this my article.
What all the people don’t know is the possibility to integrate Work Folders with File Screening and Quota. The reason to implement these configurations is to avoid a bad utilization of WF.
File Screening
File Screening prevent copy of unwanted files into protect folder, like audio/video or executable. Create a new rule from File Server Resource Manager, that must be enabled on the same server where Work Folders are installed, as showed in figure 1; select the root Work Folders path and also the type of files that you want allow. When the rule in active the user can copy all the files into the folder but the sync to main server is not allowed.
Figure 1 – File Screening Rule
After creation is good thing edit the rule to configure some advanced settings like Email Message as showed in figure 2.
Figure 2 – Email Message Setting
This fuction will send an email to end-user, and/or to Admin, when unexpected files are copied into WF area, figure 3. Notification will be similar figure 4.
Figure 3 – Sync Error on Work Folders
Figure 4 – Email Message
NB: Remember that is necessary configure SMTP server on Configuration Options of FSRM.
Quota
The quota is fundamental to avoid the usage of entire disk space and to give the same space to all users, as showed in figure 5. Disk space is limited only for synchronization. Also in this case, is possible configure Email Message to generate notification: for example you can send an email when the space is near to 90% of usage.
Figure 5 – Quota Rule
So, as you can see, these two configurations are very easy to implement and expand the potential of Work Folders to make the tool more “Business Oriented”.
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