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Section 10.1: Monitoring Access to Shared Folders

You can monitor access to shared folders to determine how many users are currently connected to each folder. You can also monitor open files to determine which users are gaining access to the files, and you can disconnect users from one or all open files.

10.1.1: Monitoring Shared Folders

You can use the Shares folder in either the Computer Management snap-in or the Shared Folders snap-in to view a list of all shared folders on the computer and to determine how many users are connected to each folder. To open the shares folder, do the following:

• Click on the START button to display the Start Menu

• Point to ALL PROGRAMS

• Click on ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLS

• Click on COMPUTER MANAGEMENT

• Expand the system tools node

• Expand the shared folders node

• Click on SHARES

Note: You can use Shares Folders in Computer Management to identify the path to all shared folders in the domain as well as the administrative shares on the local computer.

The Computer Management snap-in or Shared Folders snap-in can also be used to determine the maximum number of users that are permitted to gain concurrent or simultaneous access to a folder, and whether the maximum number of users that are permitted to gain concurrent access to a folder has been reached. This is one quick and easy way to troubleshoot connectivity problems. If a user cannot connect to a share, determine the number of connections to the share and the maximum connections allowed. If the maximum number of connections has already been made, the user cannot connect to the shared resource.

10.1.2: Modifying Shared Folder Properties

You can modify existing shared folders properties from the Shares folder clicking the shared folder, and then on the Action menu, click Properties. The General tab of the Properties dialog box shows you the share name, the path to the shared folder, and any comment that has been entered. The General tab also allows you to view and set a user limit for accessing the shared folder. The Security tab allows you to view and change the shared folders permissions.

10.1.3: Monitoring Open Files

The Open Files folder in either the Computer Management snap-in or Shared Folders snap-in can be used to view a list of open files that are located in shared folders and the users who are currently connected to each file. You can use this information to contact users so that you can notify them that you are about to shut down the system.

10.1.4: Disconnecting Users from Open Files

When you make changes to the NTFS permissions for a file that is currently opened by a user, the new permissions will not affect the user until he or she closes and then attempts to reopen the file as a user retains all permissions for a shared resource that Windows Server 2003 assigned when the user connected to it. These permissions are evaluated again the next time that a connection is made.

Note: Disconnecting users from open files can result in data loss. To prevent data loss you should notify users that are connected to shared folders or files that there will be a disruption to the computer or resource availability.

10.1.5: Monitoring Network Users

You can also use the Computer Management snap-in or the Shared Folders snap-in to monitor which users are currently connected to shared folder resources on a server from a remote computer, and you can view the resources to which the users is connected. You can also disconnect users and send administrative messages to computers and users, including computers and users who are not currently connected to network resources from the Computer Management snap-in or the Shared Folders snap-in.

10.1.6: Monitoring User Sessions

You can use the Computer Management snap-in or the Shared Folders snap-in to identify which users have a connection to open files on a server and the files to which they have a connection. This information can be used to determine which users you should contact when you need to stop sharing a folder or shut down the server on which the shared folder resides. You can also disconnect one or more users to free idle connections to the shared folder, to prepare for a backup or restore operation, to shut down a server, and to change group membership and permissions for the shared folder.

10.1.7: Disconnecting Users

You can use the Shared Folders snap-in to disconnect one or all users that are connected though a network to a computer if:

• You have made changes to shared folder and NTFS permissions and want the changes to take immediate effect.

• You want to free idle connections on a computer so that other users can make a connection when you reach the maximum number of connections.

• You want to shut down a server.

Note: Disconnecting users from open files can result in data loss. To prevent data loss you should notify users that are connected to shared folders or files that there will be a disruption to the computer or resource availability.