Storage Reports Management Scenarios

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

File Server Resource Manager offers advanced reporting capabilities to help you understand how storage is used and how quota and file screening tasks are behaving. The Storage Reports Management node of File Server Resource Manager includes all the necessary options to schedule and generate storage reports.

There are two sets of scenarios for testing Storage Reports Management:

  • Testing Scheduled Reports

    • Scenario 1: Scheduling a report to monitor quota usage

    • Scenario 2: Adding a report to a scheduled report task

  • Testing On-Demand Reports

    • Scenario 1: Running a report of all duplicate files in a volume

    • Scenario 2: Running a report to monitor file screening activity

Note

For more information about Storage Reports Management, the different tasks available in this node, and step-by-step procedures, see Generating Storage Reports earlier in this guide.

Testing Scheduled Reports

We recommend using the following two scenarios to familiarize yourself with some of the scheduled report tasks in File Server Resource Manager.

Scenario 1: Scheduling a report to monitor quota usage

Several predefined reports are included with File Server Resource Manager. One of these is the Quota Usage report. This report lists all quotas that exceed a selected percentage of the quota limit (for example, 85%). You can use the Quota Usage report to continuously monitor storage resources on your server and to identify resources that may soon exceed their quota limit.

Test setup:

If you have not already done so, perform any of the scenarios for testing quotas or auto apply quotas (see Quota Management Scenarios earlier in this guide).

When you are finished applying some quotas to a volume on your server, under Storage Reports Management, click Schedule a New Report Task in the Actions pane and create a report task with the following parameters:

  • Scope: the volume in your server where quotas have been applied (for example, D:\)

  • Report data: Quota Usage (clear all other reports)

  • Edit Parameters:

    • Minimum quota usage: 50% (if necessary, adjust to ensure that the report generates data)

  • Report formats: DHTML

  • Delivery: send the report to your e-mail address

  • Schedule: click Create Schedule, and then click New

    • Schedule Task: Once

    • Start time: 5 to 10 minutes after your current time

Verification

  • Under Storage Reports Management, in the Results pane, verify that the new report task is listed and that the schedule and next run time values are those that you selected.

  • Wait for the scheduled run time and then allow a few minutes for the report to be generated and for the e-mail to be sent and received. When the e-mail has been received, scan through the report information and scroll to the end of the report to see the quota usage data.

Scenario 2: Adding a report to a scheduled report task

Reports can be easily added to or removed from existing report tasks.

Test setup:

If you have not already done so, perform the first scenario for testing scheduled reports (see Scenario 1: Scheduling a report to monitor quota usage earlier in this guide).

When you have completed this scenario, under Storage Reports Management, click Add or Remove Reports for a Report Task in the Actions pane. Edit the parameters of the Large Files report to include files with a minimum file size of 20 MB, and then add this report to the report task you created in the previous scenario.

Verification

  • Under Storage Reports Management, in the Results pane, verify that the report task now includes the Large Files report.

  • Right-click the report task and click Run Report Task Now. When asked how you want to proceed, click the Generate reports in the background option, and then click OK. Wait a few minutes for the reports to be generated and for the e-mails to be sent and received. Verify that you receive two e-mails: a separate e-mail for each report in the task.

Testing On-Demand Reports

We recommend using the following two scenarios to familiarize yourself with some of the on-demand report tasks in File Server Resource Manager.

Scenario 1: Running a report of all duplicate files in a volume

A very useful report to run is the Duplicate Files report. This report 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. You can use the information collected in this report to quickly reclaim wasted disk space.

Test setup:

Under Storage Reports Management, click Generate Reports Now in the Actions pane and then choose the following parameters:

  • Scope: the volume in your server where the system root folder is located (for example, C:\)

  • Report data: Duplicate Files (clear all other reports)

  • Report formats: DHTML

When asked how you want to proceed, click the Wait for reports to be generated and then display them option, and then click OK.

Verification

  • Wait a few minutes for the report to be generated. When completed, it will open automatically in Windows Internet Explorer.

  • View the report information and scroll to the end of the report to see the statistical data.

Scenario 2: Running a report to monitor file screening activity

File Server Resource Manager allows you to record file screening activity in an auditing database. The File Screening Audit report is used to view the information in this database.

Important

Before you run a File Screening Audit report, in the File Server Resource Manager Options dialog box, on the File Screen Audit tab, verify that the Record file screening activity in auditing database check box is selected. For more information, see Generating Storage Reports earlier in this guide.

Test setup:

If you have not already done so, perform any of the scenarios for testing file screening (see File Screening Management Scenarios earlier in this guide). Make sure that you generate some file screening activity by attempting to save blocked files.

Under Storage Reports Management, click Generate Reports Now in the Actions pane and then choose the following parameters:

  • Scope: the volume in your server where file screens have been applied (for example: D:\)

  • Report data: File Screening Audit (clear all other reports)

  • Edit Parameters:

    • Minimum days since file screening event occurred: 0 (zero)

  • Report formats: HTML

When asked how you want to proceed, select the Wait for reports to be generated and then display them option, and then click OK.

Verification

  • Wait a few minutes for the report to be generated. When completed, it will open automatically in Internet Explorer.

  • View the report information and verify that the screening activity that you generated is listed.