Managing local volumes
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Managing local volumes
Remote Storage manages physical disk volumes on the local computer by copying selected files on those volumes to a tape or disk library according to the schedule and rules that you specify. The original files are left cached on your local volumes. You can use Remote Storage to automatically copy files, following a schedule that you specify, or you can immediately copy files to tape or disk.
Volumes managed by Remote Storage must be nonremovable (fixed) media. You initially select which volumes Remote Storage manages when you complete the Remote Storage Setup wizard. For information on how to add an additional volume for Remote Storage management, see Add a volume for management.
Setting the desired free space
You can specify the amount of free space that you want to maintain on each local volume. This setting establishes a threshold value.
Remote Storage continuously monitors the actual amount of free space on your local volumes. If the amount of actual free space falls below the Desired Free Space setting, Remote Storage removes the cached data from files on your local volumes that have been copied to tape or disk. The disk space used by files on your local volumes becomes zero.
You set the free space initially when you complete the Remote Storage Setup wizard. This value is used for each volume that Remote Storage manages. For information on how to change the Desired Free Space setting, or to set a different value for each volume, see Set the desired free space for a volume.
You can also free up disk space manually. Doing this immediately removes the cached data from files on your local volumes. For information on how to immediately free up disk space, see Create free space immediately.
Specifying file-selection criteria and rules
You can specify the criteria governing which files you want Remote Storage to copy to remote storage. All files that meet the criteria are eligible to be copied to tape or disk. You specify criteria based on minimum file size and time elapsed since the files were last accessed.
You initially specify file criteria when you complete the Remote Storage Setup wizard. These criteria are used for each volume that Remote Storage manages. For information on how to change the criteria, or to specify separate criteria for each volume, see Specify basic file-selection criteria.
You can also specify file inclusion and exclusion rules that affect file selection for copying to remote storage. These rules can include or exclude matching files based on:
A specified folder, including all subfolders within it.
A specified folder, excluding subfolders.
File name extension.
File name, including wildcard characters.
Remote Storage provides a predefined list of file inclusion and exclusion rules that you can use. You cannot edit or change the order of some of these predefined rules. You can, however, move and edit all rules that you create.
Remote Storage uses the first rule in the rule list that matches a file in a given folder. Changing the order of a rule in the list changes the priority of that rule.
For information on how to perform specific tasks, click:
Note
- By default, all hidden, system, extended attribute, encrypted, and sparse files are excluded from the file rule list. These files cannot be copied to remote storage.
Changing the file-copy schedule
Remote Storage provides a default schedule used for file copying when you complete the Remote Storage Setup wizard. For information about how to change the file-copy schedule and about advanced schedule options, see Change the file-copy schedule.
You can also copy files to remote storage at any time, regardless of the schedule. For information on how to immediately copy eligible files, see Copy files to remote storage.
Note
- Scheduled recalling of data in remote storage is not supported.
Setting the maximum number of drives to access simultaneously
You can specify how many drives in your multiple-drive device Remote Storage can access at the same time for file copy and file recall operations. The number you should specify depends on your individual needs. Increasing the limit can improve performance when you are managing multiple hard disks, and when several users at once try to access files that have been copied to different remote media. On the other hand, if you have another application (like Backup) that accesses removable storage, you may want to set the limit to less than the total number of drives in your device, so that Remote Storage cannot prevent the other application from running by using all of the available drives concurrently.
Setting the limit to a number greater than the total number of drives in your device has the same effect as setting it to the total number of drives.
Setting the runaway recall limit
Remote Storage provides a default value to the maximum number (called the runaway recall limit) of successive file-recalls that a user, or an application, can make on any managed volume in the same session. Once a file recall is completed, if the user or application requests another recall within 10 seconds, the count is increased. File-recalls copy the data back to local volumes, thereby decreasing the available free disk space on your computer. Virus checking, data backup, indexing, and search applications typically read all files on your computer and can also cause a large number of file-recalls. For information on how to change the runaway recall limit, see Set the runaway recall limit.
Validating files
Validation ensures that all the files on your managed volumes point to valid and correct data in remote storage. It also recalculates volume statistics. Validation is automatically performed two hours after a backup program is used to restore a remote storage file. Validation also detects files that have been moved from one local volume to another or that have been modified.
Validation should be performed on a regular basis to validate all files on a given volume and to correct any inconsistencies. Validation should also be performed after restoring files on a local volume or after disk errors have occurred on a volume. For information on how to validate the files on a managed volume, see Validate files.
The validation operation is integrated with and can be monitored using Scheduled Tasks. For more information on how to monitor Remote Storage tasks, see Monitor tasks for Remote Storage.
Discontinuing volume management
You can select one of the two following ways in which Remote Storage discontinues managing a volume:
Remote Storage discontinues managing the local volume but leaves data in remote storage. Data that is already in remote storage can be recalled as before. No automatic freeing of disk space takes place.
Remote Storage recalls data from remote storage and then discontinues managing the local volume. You should only select this option if your local volume has adequate disk space for the recalled data.
If you have adequate disk space to recall data from remote storage, but the option of recalling all data is disabled, click the Refresh button in order to update volume statistics. After you have updated the volume statistics, the option should be enabled.
For information on how to discontinue managing a volume using the Remove Volume Management wizard, see Discontinue managing a volume.
These operations are integrated with and can be monitored using Scheduled Tasks. For more information on how to monitor Remote Storage tasks, see Monitor tasks for Remote Storage.
Important
- Before you uninstall Remote Storage, you should discontinue managing all volumes by clicking Recall copied files from remote storage in the Remove Volume Management wizard. Otherwise, you may lose your file data.
Note
- When a managed volume is formatted, the volume will still be displayed in the Remote Storage snap-in, but the only operation you can perform on it is to discontinue managing it. This occurs because Remote Storage cannot locate the volume anymore, and does not know if the volume is temporarily unavailable or was permanently removed (which is the case when a volume is formatted).
Modifying files on managed volumes
There are a number of considerations that must be taken into account before you modify or move a file on a managed volume. This section addresses those issues.
If a file on a managed volume is deleted, lost, or destroyed, you must retrieve a copy of the file from a backup tape or disk to gain access to the file. If you delete a file from a managed volume, the associated data can no longer be recalled from remote storage. Be careful not to delete such files if you might want to recall the data at a later time. You can protect such files using Backup. For information on Backup, see Backup overview.
Copying or moving a file between managed volumes causes the associated data in remote storage to be recalled. You must use a backup program to back up and then restore a file before you move the file between managed volumes to avoid causing a recall. All applicable volumes must be formatted using the version of NTFS used in Windows 2000 and the Windows Server 2003 family. The local volume on which the moved file now resides must be managed by Remote Storage for disk space to be automatically freed, and you should also validate the volume afterward.
Note
- Renaming a file on a managed volume does not recall the associated data from remote storage.