what are those things called? (links on a file server)

[latrosicarius]

Hello, what is it called when you have a folder on a network share like this:

\\server\folder1\folder2\folder3\apples\

And you can create an "alias" (not sure if this is the correct technical term) that looks like this:

\\server\apples\

It's not a shortcut. Each folder appears to a client PC to be a real folder.



I am asking this b/c we had one of these aliases in place for years, but yesterday it suddenly ceased to exist. I am trying to explain to the HelpDesk what I am talking about.


It might have something to do with DFS (Distributed File System) ?? <-- not sure

[Moby-Dick]

well it could be part of a DFS unless its AD integrated , which would use \\domain\share

[badass]

well it could be part of a DFS unless its AD integrated , which would use \\domain\share

Yep.

If it shows a server name, it could either be an AD integrated DFS root or a standalone DFS root.
If you have AD integrated DFS roots, insatead of using \\domain\dfsroot, you can use \\server\dfsroot provided that server hosts the domain dfs root.

It's more likely to be a standalone dfs root if it is \\server\dfsroot as the only reasons for using \\server\dfsroot for a domain dfs root are bodges.

[Jay]

that could also be called a share

What you have there is a shared folder inside a shared folder.

[Singh400]

Mapped network drive?

[latrosicarius]

By "AD integrated", do you guys mean that the NTFS permissions for the folders are set for the Domain's Active Directory users and groups?

If so, yes that's what we have.

[ash_rm]

UNC path?

[latrosicarius]

Jay, I don't think it could be a share within a share b/c:

If I go to just \\domain
I get a list of shared folders. There are only 5 shares total. For sake of argument say, the shares that are listed are as follows:

• share1
• share2
• share3
• share4
• share5

Now say that inside share1 is a folder called fruit and inside fruit, there is a folder called apples.

Well, the "alias" I am describing is that apples also appears directly in share1.

But it can't be it's own "share" because, again, apples appears inside share1, not inside \\domain with all the other shares.

To summarize, the real path is like this:
\\domain\share1\fruit\apples\
And the alias is like this:
\\domain\share1\apples\

^ they both represent the same location. It's not a "shortcut" either because it doesn't "redirect" you to the real path. The Alias looks and acts just like a real path.

[mikerr]

You can share a directory and then also share some subdirectory,
and they will appear seperately as you describe (and even have different permissions for the same directory)

E.g right click, share c:\documents\shared => \\domain\shared
now navigate down,
right click share c:\documents\shared\sub\directory\one => \\domain\one

the contents of the "one" folder will be accessible to users of both shares...



It's not a "share within a share", but a "share based/rooted further down the directory tree than the other share"...

[latrosicarius]

mikerr, what I was trying to describe is that if it was a share within a share, both shares would appear in \\domain. That's not the case though. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[badass]

Jay, I don't think it could be a share within a share b/c:

If I go to just \\domain
I get a list of shared folders. There are only 5 shares total. For sake of argument say, the shares that are listed are as follows:

• share1
• share2
• share3
• share4
• share5

Now say that inside share1 is a folder called fruit and inside fruit, there is a folder called apples.

Well, the "alias" I am describing is that apples also appears directly in share1.

But it can't be it's own "share" because, again, apples appears inside share1, not inside \\domain with all the other shares.

To summarize, the real path is like this:
\\domain\share1\fruit\apples\
And the alias is like this:
\\domain\share1\apples\

^ they both represent the same location. It's not a "shortcut" either because it doesn't "redirect" you to the real path. The Alias looks and acts just like a real path.

\\domain\share1 is a domain dfs root
\\domain\share1\fruit is a dfs link - it will point to a share on one or more servers somewhere.
\\domain\share1\fruit\apples is a subfolder of the share that is referenced by \\domain\share1\fruit, however the apples subfolder is also shared on that same server/those same servers
the dfs link \\domain\share1\apples is a dfs link that points to that share.

Due to the flexibility of dfs, the apples share will not have to be shared on all or indeed any of the servers that have the share referenced by \\domain\share1\fruit


Does that make sense?

[Output]

Is the word you're looking for, symlink?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link

[latrosicarius]

badass, I believe you are describing my exact situation. So it is a feature of DFS then?

Mattitude, no sir, that Wiki article is mostly just describing a traditional "shortcut" or .lnk file.

[aidanjt]

that could also be called a share

What you have there is a shared folder inside a shared folder.

This. You can easily create any share at any folder point, even folders which are contained inside a pre-existing share.

[latrosicarius]

No its cant be a share within a share, unless I am sorely mistaken about how shares work. This is why I have a hard time trying to explain to the helpdesk what I am talking about. Apparently this type of configuration is not a common thing.

I took some screenshots to illustrate. These two folders are the same folder.


If it was a share within a share, the links would not look like this-- They would not both be within \\domain\Projects\.

Also, the domain server root folder would show all the shares. It only shows 5 shares. The 4 others are totally different shares and have nothing to do with the Projects share.

[Jay]

I see what you mean now.

DFS is a possibility here, still looks wrong to me though.