Which to use - User Home directories or Redirected My Documents ?

Hi. I am currently looking at the configuration of a small network with a
private area for users to store their data. At the moment the users connect
to a small 2003 domain with Windows 2000 and XP workstations. They
currently have roaming profiles with their documents redirected to a private
folder as well as a home folders pointing at a seperate location.

Ideally this data would be stored in one location for each user as it is
currently being randomly placed in one of these two areas. I have read in
the MS documentation that redirected My Documents and Home Folders should
not be located in the same share as Windows cannot keep tabs on correct
folder permissions, and possibly for other reasons.

If possible can anyone advice whether it is possible for these features too
share one location without problems and if there are any disadvantages to
this ?
I am also slightly confused as to the different uses of the redirected My
Docs compared to User Home Folders. Should we only be using one and how do
we decide ? If anyone is able to advise me on whether one is better to use
and why two seperate methods are provided that would be great.

Thanks.

You may check it here,

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...anage_faq.mspx

--
Ray

MCSE+Internet, MCDBA, MCP

"Stuart" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi. I am currently looking at the configuration of a small network with a
> private area for users to store their data. At the moment the users
> connect to a small 2003 domain with Windows 2000 and XP workstations.
> They currently have roaming profiles with their documents redirected to a
> private folder as well as a home folders pointing at a seperate location.
>
> Ideally this data would be stored in one location for each user as it is
> currently being randomly placed in one of these two areas. I have read
> in the MS documentation that redirected My Documents and Home Folders
> should not be located in the same share as Windows cannot keep tabs on
> correct folder permissions, and possibly for other reasons.
>
> If possible can anyone advice whether it is possible for these features
> too share one location without problems and if there are any disadvantages
> to this ?
> I am also slightly confused as to the different uses of the redirected My
> Docs compared to User Home Folders. Should we only be using one and how
> do we decide ? If anyone is able to advise me on whether one is better to
> use and why two seperate methods are provided that would be great.
>
> Thanks.
>

I typically redirect the users' home folders to a subfolder inside
their home directory. i.e. \\server\share\UserName\MyDocuments

Jack Doyle, Systems Engineer
ScriptLogic Corporation
http://www.scriptlogic.com

Hi Jack. Thanks for the suggestion. Am I right in thinking from your
example you use \\server\share\UserName for the user Home Folders and
\\server\share\UserName\MyDocuments for their redirects Docs ?

Have you come accross any disadvantages of doing this ? Based on the MS
does this method still incur the issue (which isn't particularly a major
issue) where the server is unable to validate that the correct permissions
are on the folder since both the home folders and docs are sharing the same
location ?

Out of interest do you know how your users make use of the two locations ?
The issue I have seen so far is some users making use of their My Docs,
others use their Home Folder with no consistency. I'm just trying to get my
head round whether to send both to the same location
\\server\share\UserName\ so that users are only storing data in one area. I
have read through the Redirected Folder FAQ link posted by Ray which has
been helpful, but I still can't find any clarification as to what the use of
a Home Folder should be relative to the My Documents. So far it seems as
though Home Folders was an older technology with continued support through
2000 and XP. Whereas My Docs was going to be the replacement but didn't
quite take on as expected.

Thanks again.


"Jack Doyle" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>I typically redirect the users' home folders to a subfolder inside
> their home directory. i.e. \\server\share\UserName\MyDocuments
>
> Jack Doyle, Systems Engineer
> ScriptLogic Corporation
> http://www.scriptlogic.com
>

Stuart <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Hi Jack. Thanks for the suggestion. Am I right in thinking from your
> example you use \\server\share\UserName for the user Home Folders and
> \\server\share\UserName\MyDocuments for their redirects Docs ?

I'm not Jack, but the suggested config works just fine for me....whether
using a straight 'redirect to home directory' or 'redirect to a subfolder'
of the home directory (I do the latter if I'm also redirecting other stuff
like Desktop, etc)
>
> Have you come accross any disadvantages of doing this ?

As opposed to.... ?
What's the home directory for, if not for storage of user data - whether
that's redirected My Docs in the home directory, or redirected MyDocs
elsewhere?

> Based on the
> MS does this method still incur the issue (which isn't particularly a
> major issue) where the server is unable to validate that the correct
> permissions are on the folder since both the home folders and docs
> are sharing the same location ?

I have never run into issues such asthis.
>
> Out of interest do you know how your users make use of the two
> locations ?

I wouldn't have two.

> The issue I have seen so far is some users making use of
> their My Docs, others use their Home Folder with no consistency.

Make sure that can't happen, then - by only having one

> I'm
> just trying to get my head round whether to send both to the same
> location \\server\share\UserName\ so that users are only storing data
> in one area. I have read through the Redirected Folder FAQ link
> posted by Ray which has been helpful, but I still can't find any
> clarification as to what the use of a Home Folder should be relative
> to the My Documents. So far it seems as though Home Folders was an
> older technology with continued support through 2000 and XP. Whereas
> My Docs was going to be the replacement but didn't quite take on as
> expected.

You can use folder redirection wherever you like, whether you have a home
directory or not. The only thing I use it for is for folder redirection (as
per above) and I tend to keep 'em - but you don't have to.

>
> Thanks again.
>
>
> "Jack Doyle" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>> I typically redirect the users' home folders to a subfolder inside
>> their home directory. i.e. \\server\share\UserName\MyDocuments
>>
>> Jack Doyle, Systems Engineer
>> ScriptLogic Corporation
>> http://www.scriptlogic.com

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:17:32 -0400, Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:
>
> As opposed to.... ?
> What's the home directory for, if not for storage of user data - whether
> that's redirected My Docs in the home directory, or redirected MyDocs
> elsewhere?

The My Documents folder will by part of the sync if you have a laptop, the
Home drive will not.

I map both, home is where you put things that you don't care to take with
you, and where you put things that you might be working on before you put
them on the server mapped drives for projects, departments, etc..

My Documents is a total PITA - if they put their archived email there is
won't sync, it's the default location for MS Office apps to save their
data, etc....


--
Leythos
(E-Mail Removed) (remove 999 for proper email address)

Leythos <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:17:32 -0400, Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] wrote:
>>
>> As opposed to.... ?
>> What's the home directory for, if not for storage of user data -
>> whether that's redirected My Docs in the home directory, or
>> redirected MyDocs elsewhere?
>
> The My Documents folder will by part of the sync if you have a
> laptop, the Home drive will not.

.....but I don't use offline files

>
> I map both, home is where you put things that you don't care to take
> with you, and where you put things that you might be working on
> before you put them on the server mapped drives for projects,
> departments, etc..

>
> My Documents is a total PITA - if they put their archived email there
> is won't sync, it's the default location for MS Office apps to save
> their data, etc....

Friends don't let friends use PST files. ;-)