Create a file screen

Applies To: Windows Server 2003 R2

When creating a new file screen, you can choose to save a file screen template based on the custom file screen properties that you define. The advantage of this is that a link is maintained between file screens and the template used to create them, so that in the future, changes to the template can be applied to all file screens that derive from it. This is a feature that simplifies the implementation of storage policy changes by providing one central point where all updates can be made.

To create a file screen

  1. In File Screening Management, right-click File Screens, and then click Create file screen. This opens the Create File Screen dialog box.

  2. Under File screen path, type or browse to the folder to which the file screen will apply. The file screen will apply to all subfolders of the selected folder.

  3. Under How do you want to configure file screen properties, select the Define custom file screen properties option, and then click Custom Properties. This opens the File Screen Properties dialog box.

  4. If you want to copy properties from an existing template, select the template that you want to use, and click Copy. You can edit the properties for the new file screen.

  5. Under Screening type, select the type of screening to apply:

    • Active screening prevents users from saving files that are members of blocked file groups, and generates notifications when users try to save blocked files. (The file screen does not prevent users and applications from accessing files that were saved to the path before the file screen was created, regardless of whether the files are members of blocked file groups.)

    • Passive screening sends notifications, but does not prevent users from saving blocked files.

    To specify which files to screen, under File Groups, select each file group that you want to include. (To select the check box for the file group, click the file group label twice.)

    If you want to view the members and nonmembers of a file group, highlight the file group, and click Edit.

  6. To configure e-mail notifications for the file screen, set the following options on the E-mail Message tab:

    • To notify administrators when a user or application attempts to save an unauthorized file, select Send e-mail to the following administrators, and enter the administrative accounts that will receive notifications. Use the format account@domain; use semicolons to separate multiple accounts.

    • To send a notice to the user who attempted to save an unauthorized file, select Send e-mail to the user who attempted to save an unauthorized file.

    • Optionally, edit the default subject line and message body.
      The text that is in brackets inserts variable information about the file screen event that caused the notification. For example, the [Source I/O Owner] variable inserts the user name of the user or application that attempted to write the file to disk. To insert additional variables in the text, click Insert Variable.

  7. If you want to log an error to the event log when a user tries to save a blocked file, on the Event Log tab, select the Send warning to event log check box, and, optionally, edit the default log entry.

    In addition, you can set options on the Command tab, to run a command or script when a user attempts a file screen violation, and set options on the Report tab, to specify one or more storage reports to be generated automatically.

  8. When all file screen properties are complete, click Create to save the file screen.

    You will be asked if you want to save a file screen template based on the custom file screen properties you just defined. If you will use the current settings in other file screens, it is recommended that you save a template. The template will be applied to the new file screen. This will enable you to later update the file screen automatically when you update the template.

  9. To save a template when you create the file screen, select Save the custom properties as a template, enter a name for the template, and click OK.

    -Or-

    If you do not want to save a template, select Save the custom file screen without creating a template, and click OK.

See Also

Concepts

Define file groups for screening
Edit file screen template properties