With Share and Storage Management, you can configure if and how files and programs in a shared folder or volume will be available offline. Users can use the Offline Files feature on their client computers to work with shared folders stored on a server, even when they are not connected to the network. To make shared network folders available offline, Offline Files stores a version of those shared folders in a reserved portion of the disk on the user's computer (a local cache).
You can also use Share and Storage Management to enable BranchCache on shared folders. The BranchCache feature in Windows® 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 enables computers in a branch office to cache files downloaded from this shared folder, and then securely serve the files to other computers in the branch.
|
Important |
|
When you create a shared folder, offline availability is allowed by default, which means that secure folders can be stored offline on potentially non secure computers. For best security, do not allow users to store files offline. If you do, consider encrypting the operating system volume using Windows® BitLocker™ Drive Encryption. For more information, see the BitLocker Drive Encryption page of the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=141534). |
Configuring offline settings
Membership in Administrators, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477.
|
To configure offline settings for a shared folder |
-
On the Shares tab, under Protocol: SMB, right-click the shared folder for which you want to configure offline settings, and then click Properties.
-
On the Sharing tab, click Advanced.
-
On the Caching tab, configure offline availability options as appropriate, and then click OK.
Offline availability options
You can choose one of the following offline availability options for each shared folder:
- Only the files and programs that users
specify are available offline. This is the default option when
you set up a shared folder. With this option, no files or programs
are available offline by default, and users control which files and
programs they want to access when they are not connected to the
network.
- Enable BranchCache Enables computers
in a branch office to cache files downloaded from this shared
folder and then securely serve the files to other computers in the
branch office.
- Enable BranchCache Enables computers
in a branch office to cache files downloaded from this shared
folder and then securely serve the files to other computers in the
branch office.
- No files or programs from the share are
available offline. This option blocks Offline Files on the
client computers from making copies of the files and programs on
the shared folder.
- All files and programs that users open
from the share are automatically available offline. Whenever a
user accesses the shared folder or volume and opens a file or
program in it, that file or program will be automatically made
available offline to that user. Files and programs that are
automatically made available offline will remain in the Offline
Files cache and synchronize with the version on the server until
the cache gets full or the user deletes the files. Files and
programs that are not opened are not available offline.
If you select the Optimized for performance check box, executable files (EXE, DLL) that are run from the shared folder by a client computer are automatically cached on that client computer. The next time the client computer needs to run those same executable files, it will access its local cache instead of the shared folder on the server. This option is especially useful for file servers that host applications, because it reduces network traffic and improves server scalability.
Note The Offline Files feature must be enabled on the client computer for files and programs to be automatically cached. Additionally, the Optimized for performance option does not have any effect on client computers using Windows Vista or newer.
Additional considerations
- To open Share and Storage Management, click
Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click
Share and Storage Management.