Microsoft File Server Resource Manager

Executive Summary

The Microsoft Corporation Information Technology group (Microsoft IT) uses Microsoft® File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) as a centralized tool for managing file servers located in branch offices and data centers around the world. FSRM, which is found in the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 R2 operating system, helps Microsoft IT staff to better monitor, control, and manage the quantity and types of data stored on the company's servers. Windows Server 2003 R2 is the second release of Windows Server 2003, the foundation of Microsoft Windows Server System™ integrated server software.

Situation

The demand for data seems to grow without limits as organizations gain ever more efficiencies from creating digital alternatives to what were once paper-based processes and records. For Microsoft IT staff—and network administrators at other organizations—this means facing the challenge of overseeing a larger and more complex storage infrastructure. It isn't enough to simply purchase more storage. Network administrators must also keep track of data size, data availability, and the type of data being stored. Increasingly, network administrators enforce company policies in regard to what types of data and how much data can be stored, per user or group.

Microsoft Corporation, one of the world's largest software development companies, has operations in 89 countries. As with other large organizations, managing Microsoft's remotely deployed file servers in branch offices and other locations presents a challenge. Network administrators in all organizations commonly need the ability to:

• Enforce a size quota for file server storage.
• Enforce business rules regarding what types of files are allowed on a given file server.
• More closely monitor the status of file servers through report generation.

Solution

Microsoft IT is enhancing its ability to manage corporate data by deploying Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 with FSRM. FSRM is a new Microsoft Management Console snap-in that provides a suite of tools for administrators to use on their servers and server clustering environments. FSRM gives network administrators the ability to:

• Place size quotas on folders and volumes.
• Screen files.
• Generate comprehensive storage reports.
• Manage server clustering configurations.
• Manage storage resources on a remote server.

Size Quotas on Folders and Volumes

The Quota Management feature of FSRM gives Microsoft IT staff, and other network administrators, the tools to create quotas to limit the space allowed for a volume or folder, and to generate notifications when the quota limits are approached or exceeded. Through Quota Templates, network administrators can easily define data storage quotas that will be applied to new and existing volumes or folders across an organization. They may also automatically apply Quota Templates to any new subfolders created in the future. Network administrators can employ FSRM to create two types of quotas:

• Hard Quota. A hard quota prevents users from saving files after the space limit is reached, and generates notifications when the volume of data reaches configured thresholds. For example, FSRM could be configured so that an e-mail message to network administrators and the specific user is generated once a volume or folder reaches 85 percent of its quota; and another is generated when 100 percent of the quota is reached. FSRM can also be configured to generate log entries or to execute a script that, for instance, automatically archives old data to enforce hard quotas.
• Soft Quota. A soft quota triggers all configured notifications and other actions, but does not enforce the quota limit.

Screen Files

The File Screening Management feature of FSRM is a customizable filtering mechanism to control the type of files that users can save to a volume or folder. It can also be configured to send notifications when users attempt to save blocked files. FSRM may be used to define file screening templates that can be easily applied to new volumes or folders, across an entire organization if desired. IT staff can also employ FSRM to create file screening exceptions that extend the flexibility of the file screening rules. For example, IT staff might create a file screen to prevent users from storing audio and video files in their personal folders on the server.

Figure 1. The File Screening Management feature of FSRM makes it easy to block various file formats.

FSRM provides several default file screen templates for use in blocking files, including audio and video files, executable files, image files, e-mail messages, and other types of data. It also enables IT staff to create custom file-screening filters. Templates set up active or passive file screening, and provide default e-mail notification text.

Generate Comprehensive Storage Reports

The Storage Reports Management feature of FSRM lets network administrators generate storage reports on demand, as well as schedule periodic storage reports that help identify trends in disk usage. Reports can also be created to monitor attempts to save unauthorized files by all users or a selected group of users.

Manage Server Clustering Configurations

For enterprise deployments, FSRM can be used to manage server clustering with up to eight nodes. This is especially helpful for organizations supporting server farms, or using server clustering to ensure high system availability.

Manage Storage Resources on a Remote Server

IT staff can manage storage resources on a remote server by connecting to the computer from FSRM. While connected, the Results pane displays the objects created on the remote computer, allowing network administrators to manage them from the Microsoft Management Console. The remote computer must be running Windows Server 2003 R2, with FSRM installed. To connect to a remote server, network administrators must be logged on under a domain account that has administrative rights on the remote computer.

Deployment Notes

Microsoft IT has deployed FSRM on some 180 file servers in company locations around the world. The largest deployment is at Microsoft corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington, where FSRM is deployed on a four-node server cluster that hosts 12 terabytes of data. The cluster was created using four-processor servers, each with four gigabytes of RAM.

For branch office deployments, Microsoft IT generally placed FSRM on a single file server, with deployment on two file servers for some larger facilities.

All Microsoft IT FSRM deployments included the same basic steps:

1.     Install Windows Server 2003 R2.

2.     Activate File Server Resource Manager.

3.     From the FSRM console, use Quota Templates to set quotas, noting that different templates can be created according to user job needs, data types, or other classifications.

4.     Post-deployment quota fine tuning to match actual needs.

 

Benefits

Microsoft IT enjoys a number of benefits since deploying FSRM, including better utilization of storage, less time spent managing file servers, reduced hardware costs, more precise quota tracking, the ability to screen by file type, and fewer users exceeding quotas.

Better Utilization of Storage

Through FSRM reports on Least Recently Accessed Files, and Duplicate Files, and automated e-mail messages to users about files not accessed within the past two years, Microsoft IT staff have found that users delete data, freeing up 25 to 50 percent of server storage. The benefits accumulate quickly. If Microsoft's 55,000 employees and some 35,000 partners and vendors using Microsoft IT resources deleted an average of just 20 megabytes of data each, the reduction in storage needs would be 1.8 terabytes.

Less Time Spent Managing File Servers

Microsoft IT staff have found that once hard quotas are established, network administrators enjoy a 50 percent reduction in the time spent managing file servers.

Reduced Hardware Costs

Microsoft deployment of FSRM has helped network administrators reduce spending on new file server hardware by an estimated 15 percent, through providing a more precise view into current use and future needs.

More Precise Server Storage Tracking

Microsoft IT is benefiting from more accurate server storage tracking and control since deploying FSRM. FSRM provides greater accuracy than was available with the earlier Windows® 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 operating systems, which track and control disk usage on New Technology File System (NTFS) volumes. The following table outlines the advantages of using the FSRM quota management tools compared to NTFS disk quotas.

Quota Feature	File Server Resource Manager	NTFS Disk Quotas
Quota Tracking	By folder or by volume	Per user on a volume
Disk Usage Calculation	Actual disk space	Logical file size
Notification Mechanisms	E-mail, custom reports, command execution, event logs	Event logs only

 

Ability to Screen by File Type

Microsoft IT hasn't yet deployed file screening, but it sees great value in doing so, especially for these two scenarios:

Restricting File Types by Server. For example, the File Screening Management feature can prevent executable files from being loaded. This helps protect against viruses, while also providing a methodology for keeping executables in defined locations where they can more easily be updated and managed.

Enforcing Corporate Policy. Organizations can use file screening to help enforce company policies against downloading unlicensed—and space-consuming—music or video files.

Fewer Users Exceeding Quotas

By automatically generating e-mail messages to users who are approaching the limit of allocated disk storage space, Microsoft has seen a reduction in users exceeding quota. As Microsoft has moved toward use of hard quotas, the problem of users exceeding quotas has correspondingly diminished. Rather than just continuing to fill a server, users reaching a hard quota choose to either use their allocated memory more efficiently or seek allocation of additional storage. Microsoft anticipates a reduction in quota-related help desk calls, as well.

Best Practices

From its deployment experience, Microsoft IT recommends some best practices for organizations to consider, including:

• Use the Quota Template. Through a Quota Template, it is possible to create a standard quota limit (for example, 200 megabytes for each user's folder on a server) and define a standard set of notification thresholds that can be applied across the organization. The Quota Template makes it easier to apply quota changes across an entire class of users. If a decision is made to increase the quota allotted each user, for example, the Quota Template is simply modified, and the option selected to automatically update all quotas that are based on the template.
• Run the Duplicate Files Report. The Duplicate Files report is exceptionally useful because it not only lists all duplicate files in a volume or folder but also presents statistical data related to the space these duplicate files occupy on disk. Information collected in this report can be used to quickly reclaim wasted disk space.

Global Microsoft IT Environment

The Microsoft enterprise is large, complex, and constantly changing. The mission of the Microsoft IT group is fairly unique. In addition to running a world-class utility that keeps the business productive, its primary mission is to be Microsoft's first and best customer. This involves testing all enterprise software in the early stages of beta development by deploying it throughout the company, providing valuable feedback to product groups to ensure predictable and trustworthy services for customers, clients, and partners. The following data gives some idea of the environment in which this all occurs (numbers are approximate):

• Nearly 90,000 users of IT
• More than 300,000 computers and devices
• More than 400 sites supported worldwide
• Global line-of-business (LOB) applications (for example, Siebel, Clarify, MS Sales, and World-Wide Sales and Marketing Database)
• Global Virtual help desk
• Seven sites running Microsoft Exchange Server globally
• 110 servers running Exchange Server
• 38 mailbox servers
• More than 3 million internal e-mail messages per day
• More than 8.8 million external e-mail messages per day
• More than 6.8 million e-mail messages blocked per day
• More than 7.5 million remote connections per month

  

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products or services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada information Centre at (800) 563-9048. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information through the World Wide Web, go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itshowcase