What's New in File Server Resource Manager in Windows Server
Applies To: Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012
This topic describes the File Server Resource Manager functionality that is new or changed in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012.
File Server Resource Manager provides a set of features that enable you to manage and classify data that is stored on file servers. You can configure the features that are included with File Server Resource Manager by using the File Server Resource Manager snap-in or by using Windows PowerShell.
In this topic:
What’s new in File Server Resource Manager in Windows Server 2012 R2
What’s new in File Server Resource Manager in Windows Server 2012
What’s new in File Server Resource Manager in Windows Server 2012 R2
The following table summarizes the File Server Resource Manager functionality in Windows Server 2012 R2 that is new or changed since Windows Server 2012.
Functionality |
New or Improved |
Description |
|---|---|---|
Clear classification property values that no longer apply to an updated file |
New |
Provides the ability to clear property values that no longer apply to an updated file during reevaluation of existing classification property values. |
New |
Enables you to configure the maximum number of files per storage report, and to configure maximum values in the default parameters for specific storage reports. |
Clear classification property values that no longer apply to an updated file
The Evaluation Type tab in the properties of a classification rule now includes options to clear automatically-classified and user-classified property values during reevaluation of existing property values if the property value no longer applies to the updated file.
What value does this change add?
This change enables File Server Resource Manager to dynamically remove classification values that no longer apply to a file. For example, you may have a file that was classified as sensitive because it contained a specific string such as "Private." If the string is removed, the file is no longer considered sensitive after reevaluation occurs.
What works differently?
In Windows Server 2012, if there is a conflict during the reevaluation of property values, you can overwrite the existing value or aggregate the values. Although these options are still available in Windows Server 2012 R2, if you choose to overwrite the existing value, you can also specify whether you want to clear a property value that no longer applies.
Set maximum values for storage reports
On the Storage Reports tab when you configure File Server Resource Manager options, you can now specify the maximum number of files per report. When you configure default parameters for a report, you can also configure the following maximum values:
For the Duplicate Files report, you can specify the maximum number of files in a duplicate group per report, and the maximum number of groups of duplicate files per report.
For the Files by File Group report, you can specify the maximum number of duplicate file groups per report, and the maximum number of files in any file group per report.
For the Files by Owner report, you can specify the maximum number of owners per report, and the maximum number of files per owner per report.
For the Files by Property and the Folders by Property reports, you can specify the maximum number of property values per report, and the maximum number of files for each property value. Realize that if you set the values for one of these report types, it affects both report types.
What value does this change add?
If you have more files or groups than the report default limits, you can increase the maximum values so that you can see all files and groups in the report.
What works differently?
In Windows Server 2012, the default limit for the number of files per storage report was 1000, and the default limit for the number of groups was 10. You could not change these values through the user interface or through Windows PowerShell. Options to configure maximum values in the default parameters of a report type were not available in Windows Server 2012.
What’s new in File Server Resource Manager in Windows Server 2012
In Windows Server 2012, File Server Resource Manager offers enhanced support in the following areas.
Feature/functionality |
New or updated? |
Description |
|---|---|---|
New |
Dynamic Access Control uses File Classification Infrastructure to help you centrally control access and audit access to files on your file servers. |
|
Updated |
The updates to automatic classification enable you to get more precise control on how data is classified on your file servers, including continuous classification, using Windows PowerShell for custom classification, updates to the existing content classifier, and dynamic name space for classification rules. |
|
New |
Manual classification enables users to classify files and folders manually without the need to create automatic classification rules. |
|
Updated |
The updates to file management tasks include an Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) file management task, continuous file management tasks, and dynamic name space for file management tasks. |
|
New |
Access-denied assistance allows you to customize the access denied error message in Windows 8 that users see when they do not have access to a file or folder. |
See also Removed or deprecated functionality.
Dynamic Access Control
In Windows Server 2012, you can apply data governance across your file servers to control who can access information and to audit who has accessed information. Dynamic Access Control lets you:
Identify data by automatically or manually classifying files.
Control access to files by applying central access policies.
Audit access to files by using central audit policies for compliance reporting and forensic analysis.
What value does this change add?
Organizations can define central access and audit policies in Active Directory and use them to control who can access information and to track who accessed information in file servers.
Automatic classification
Automatic classification by using File Classification Infrastructure has been enhanced in Windows Server 2012 in the following ways:
Continuous classification Configure File Classification Infrastructure to classify files a few seconds after they are created or modified on the file server, without having to wait for the next scheduled time for the classification to occur.
Windows PowerShell classifier Classify a file automatically by running a Windows PowerShell script that determines the file classification. The Windows PowerShell classifier makes it easier to implement custom classification logic that is specific to your organization. For example, you can classify a file based on who last created or modified the file.
Enhanced content classifier Specify minimum and maximum occurrences of a string or regular expression. For example, you could classify a file that contains more than ten social security numbers as having personally identifiable information.
Dynamic name space for classification rules Specify the type of information that a folder contains, such as application data, group data, or user data, and then configure classification rules based on the type of information in which you want these to operate.
Manual classification
On the Classification tab of the file properties in Windows Server 2012, File Classification Infrastructure adds the ability to manually classify files. You can also classify folders so that any file added to the classified folder will inherit the classifications of the parent folder.
What value does this change add?
Manual classification gives users and content owners the ability to classify their files and folders by using the properties sheet of that file or folder.
File management tasks
In Windows Server 2012, file management tasks have been updated in the following ways:
Active Directory Rights Management Services file management task Encrypt automatically any file that has an AD RMS protector when a specified condition is met. You can select an existing AD RMS rights policy template or specify the policy manually.
Continuous file management tasks Configure file management tasks to run a few seconds after files are created or modified on a file server when classification properties are defined as a condition in the file management task.
Note
You cannot configure the file management tasks to be continuous if you have configured a notification or if a fixed schedule is assigned.
Dynamic name space for file management tasks Specify the type of information that a folder contains, such as application data, group data, or user data, and then configure file management tasks based on the type of information in which you want these to operate.
Access-denied assistance
Access-denied assistance enables you to customize the access-denied error message that is displayed when a user running Windows 8 does not have access to a file or folder on a file server. You can configure the error message so that the user can request access to the file directly from the dialog box. You can also specify the user group that is sent the access request by using File Server Resource Manager.
Access-denied assistance can be configured by using Group Policy or by using the File Server Resource Manager console on each file server. You can also customize the error message per file server or you can have a separate error message for each file share on the file server. For more information about configuring access-denied assistance see Scenario: Access-Denied Assistance.
What value does this change add?
Access-denied assistance makes it easier for users to troubleshoot access issues for users so they can get access to the file and folders they need in a more efficient way.
Removed or deprecated functionality
In Windows Server 2012, the File Server Resource Manager command-line tools (dirquota.exe, filescrn.exe, and storrept.exe) are deprecated and all functionality has been replicated in Windows PowerShell cmdlets. The command-line tools still exist in the product, but all management tasks can be accomplished by using Windows PowerShell cmdlets.
Note
Any tasks that require a schedule cannot be configured by using the command line. You must use the Windows PowerShell cmdlets in File Server Resource Manager.