.snapshot folder & windows client side caching

[miststech]

I am implementing a pair of filers that will host users home direcotries. These driectories will be used via Windows Folder Redirection, so that they appear as windows my documents folders. all invisible to the users.

I also plan to have snapshots enabled to allow the users to do their own file recovery. However As an additional feature we will implement clisen side caching or Offline files in windows. whcih caches the redirected folder locally. However this will also cache the ~snapshot folder thus increasing the used storage on the local client as will will include all of the snapshots that are available. How do I stop the caching of the ~snapshot folder ????

[amiller_1]

Just hide the ~snapshot folder and directly them exclusively to the "Previous Versions" tab in the Properties dialog (much easier for most people to understand than the regular snapshot naming as well).

[aborzenkov]

Downside of "Previous versions" is that user has to be in Administrators group (at least this was the case with WinXP).

By default .snapshot directory is not visible. It means when user initially requests share be available offline, it won't include snapshots. But now I wonder what happens when user explicitly enters into ...\~snapshot ... have to test.

[jayadratha]

It's strange because our users use Previous versions without administrative rights.

Tested at least with Windows XP SP3.

[miststech]

I can have snapshots without admin access, but that means the .snapshot folder is visible to the users. As it is visible to the users, it is also cached when we use offline files.

I want the .snapshot folder hidden, but stil retain the access rto the previous versions tab, but then to not have the .snapshot folder cached with the rest of the offline files.

In order to NOT have the .snapshot folder cached, I need to hide the .snapshot folder, which stops the users from accessing previous versions.

[jayadratha]

Ok. Maybe this workaround help.

You can hide ~snapshot folder from users using options cifs.show_snapshot off command. But it's work globally for filer.

And leave vol options vol1 nosnapdir off.

At the end ~snapshot folder will be hidden but snapshot's on previous version tab is displayed.

[aborzenkov]

You are right, at least for CIFS shares this works fine for normal user (tested under W2k8R2). Per kb45680 user needs at least Read share level permission, but she will likely need it anyway to access share. I do not know where I got this idea; may be it was true in the past or may be it applies to FCP/iSCSI only.

[miststech]

If I hide the snapshot folder the user cant use previous versions. If i enable the folder is is copied in the client side cache process. I cannot giver all users admin access to allow them to see the snapshot folder. there must be a better way, or at least a NetApp / Microsoft reccomended way. Every issue I have had so far with my neew NetApp filers I seem to be the first person to have it.

[aborzenkov]

I tested this using DOT 7.3.2, W2k8R2 with SMB2 enabled as non-admin user (member of Domain Users).

If cifs.show_snapshot is disabled (off) - which is default:

• no ~snapshot directory is visible, so it is never copied into offline files
  
• user is able to use Previous versions tab in Explorer to access snapshots
  
• users are still able to access snapshots by using explicit path names (they must know snapshot names for that)
  

If cifs.show_snapshot is enabled (on), ~snapshot directory is indeed visible in share root. It is not visible under any subfolder, so - assuming you absolutely need this configuration - workaround is to mark individual subfolder(s) available offline instead of whole share.

So I'd say default filer configuration perfectly fits your requirements. If not, please show exact CIFS options settings, volume options and describe your offline folder configuration.

Get a look at kb45680 as well, it describes various combinations of options to control snapshot visibility.

[miststech]

options cifs.snow_snapshot =  off

options cifs.home_dir_namestyle ntname

vol options homedrivesvolume1 nosnapdir = off

folder redirection is set to: \\netapp-2-a\~

all home drive are on qtree's on the homedrivesvolume1

offline files is set to ensure that all \\netapp-2-a\~ files are available offline.

now I cannot use Previous Versions.

[aborzenkov]

I have no problem using Previous Versions tab when connecting to home folder via this path. What client are you using (XP, Vista, Windows 7)? What is DOT version? Are you sure you do not try to open Previous Versions for local directory instead of mapped one? It could be confusing with redirections active.