Q: What is the measure of success/ completion? Is it reduced need for EZ-Backups?
The Physics department gets free file storage on A&S's file server, which PhysIT has set up. How can this file share server represent utility to Physics Admin staff?
- Departments can use file storage servers (file servers) to more efficiently store, and optionally share, folders and files. As compared to emailing files around, for example.
Notes
- But as with any change in workflow, conventions may need to be discussed and agreed on, and new skills and habits developed.
- PhysIT can make this server "drive" appear automatically on Windows computers so it becomes easily available on staff computers. This is almost immediate, once committed, via Active Directory (AD) policy.
- This "R:\" drive will appear on Windows computer which get the appropriate AD policy applied. The policy is scoped to groups of people, not computers. Initially, the people scoped are all Physics Admin staff and some technical staff (Vince, Mark, and Jenny).
- Note 1: The technical staff group as scoped in PhysIT's AD group includes Nick but he doesn't log into a PhysIT AD computer. Thus, he won't see the "R:" drive on his work computer since that computer is not on CU AD.
- Note 2: Vince logs into a Mac so that won't get the file storage mounted automatically. PhysIT can get it mounted automatically by making a few changes at his computer directly, upon request.
- KEY: The "R:\" drive can safely be ignored by folks not using the service, but they may appreciate knowing why it has appeared on their computer.
- This "R:\" drive will appear on Windows computer which get the appropriate AD policy applied. The policy is scoped to groups of people, not computers. Initially, the people scoped are all Physics Admin staff and some technical staff (Vince, Mark, and Jenny).
See also
January 2015
Next step, as of Wed, 1/21/14:
Make additional changes to the folder names, structure, and permissions.
Actions taken so far
Deb scheduled a Physics staff mtg week of 1/12/2015 to demo share and have a Q&A. PhysIT's Oliver demo'd, consulted, and answered questions.
- Invited all staff with current permissions, as well as Mark, Vince, and Jenny. (Per John, no need to have Dorothy or Nick attend.)
Oliver demo to John and Deb on 12/15/14 (Monday), a "next step" from Friday, 11/14/14.
- We looked over structure within John's account after (temporarily) mounting their drive, <//files.cornell.edu/as/phy/admin>.
- Oliver created demo account <as-phy-it-user> and added it to the "Instruction" group so we can see what limited permissions look like logged on with that account.
- Confirm inaccessible folders are visible, but that they prevented access if access not permitted, prompting a dialog box stating as such.
11/15/14: Roger has worked with Greg at A&S to set up the space, in anticipation that this service will prove of value to Physics. This could have easily been reversed if there had been a "no go" decision, of course.
Phase one: Shared folders
Synonyms: Folders == directories.
Conventions used among staff will limit actions not necessarily enforced by the permissions.
Objective: Reduce complexity to reduce mistakes and facilitate debugging, balanced with ensuring security and adequate access.
Graphic: Who can access specific folders
Matrix: Who can access specific folders
| Folders: | |||||
Staff Person: | Office | Instruction | Grad | Chair support | Business |
| Sue | X | X | |||
| Brad | X | X | |||
| Rosemary | X | X | |||
| Kacey | X | X | X | ||
| Deb | X | X | X | X | X |
| Nancy | X | X | |||
| John | X | X | X | X | X |
Implementing the above summaries:
Groups
| Primary Dept Group | Secondary group | Sub-group name | NetIDs | Members | Sorting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Physics Staff AS-PHY-Staff | Physics Office Staff AS-PHY-OfficeStaff | Management AS-PHY-Management | jcm8 dah6 | John Miner Deb Hatfield | 1 |
| AS-PHY-Staff | AS-PHY-OfficeStaff | Business AS-PHY-Business | nbs4 | Nancy Searles | 2 |
| AS-PHY-Staff | AS-PHY-OfficeStaff | Grad AS-PHY-Grad | klb79 | Kacey Acquilano | 3 |
| AS-PHY-Staff | AS-PHY-OfficeStaff | Instruction AS-PHY-Instruction | rjf2 sfc1 bgr33 | Rosemary Barber Sue Sullivan Brad Rayle (temp) | 4 |
Possible future groups:
| Primary Dept Group | Secondary group | Sub-group name | NetIDs | Members | Sorting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS-PHY-Staff | Technical AS-PHY-Technical | jew16 ml622 ns53 vwk1 | Jenny Wurster Mark Lory-Moran Nick Szabo Vince Kotmel | 1 | |
| AS-PHY-Lecturers | Lecturers | Use at all? | 2 |
Folders, sub-folders, and their custodian
| Folder name | Within folder | Primary folder owner (NetID) | Notes | Sort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Undergrad and events | Instruction | Sue Sullivan (sfc1) | Access by all office staff To contain, from John's originally proposed folder names, "Colloquia/events" and "Gen. Information". | 1 |
Duplicating | Instruction | Brad Rayle (bgr33, temp) | Access by all office staff | 2 |
Courses | Instruction | Rosemary Barber (rjf2) | Access by all office staff John's originally proposed folder name was "Course mgmt". | 3 |
Office | (top level) | Sue Sullivan (sfc1) | Access by all office staff Just office staff. Thus, not for Nor for all Physics staff (including Tech). This was not one of John's originally proposed folders. PhysIT's proposed folder name was "Department". | 4 |
Grad | (top level) | Kacey Acquilano (klb79) | 5 | |
HR and Staffing | Business | Deb Hatfield (dah6) | John's originally proposed folder name was "HR/Staffing". | 6 |
Budget and Finance | Business | Nancy Searles (nbs4), John Miner (jcm8) | John's originally proposed folder name was "Budget/Finance". | 7 |
Chair support | (top level) | Deb Hatfield (dah6) | John's originally proposed folder name was "Chair". To contain, from John's originally proposed folder names, "Faculty", which he had noted that Kacey needed occasional access. | 8 |
Possible future folders and their custodian
| Folder name | Within folder (if any) | Primary folder owner (NetID) | Notes | Sort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tech | Mark Lory-Moran (ml622)? | Add if it represents any value to Vince, Mark, and/or Jenny. | 1 | |
| Instruct | Who? | Must first present idea to instructors. Add if it represents any value to them. | 2 |
Folders hierarchy and permissions
Physics Dept Group's Share | Top Level Folder (Permissions here) | 2nd Level Folders | Folder Access | Notes | Sort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| \\files.cornell.edu\as\PHY\Admin | Instruction => AS-PHY-OfficeStaff | Undergrad and events Duplicating Courses | All office staff | 1 | |
Office AS-PHY-OfficeStaff | | All office staff | Not all staff | 2 | |
Grad AS-PHY-Grad AS-PHY-Management | | Grad, and Management | 3 | ||
| Business => AS-PHY-Business AS-PHY-Management | HR and Staffing Budget and Finance | Business, and Management | 4 | ||
| Chair support AS-PHY-Management | | Management | 5 |
Possible future folders hierarchy and permissions
Physics Dept Group's Share | Top Level Folder (Permissions here) | 2nd Level Folder | Folder Access | Notes | Sort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| \\files.cornell.edu\as\PHY\Admin | Tech AS-PHY-Tech | Technical, and Management | Placeholder: Any value to them? | 1 | |
Instruct AS-PHY-Instruct | Lecturers, and Management | Create at all? | 2 |
SysAdmin Note:
- Permissions on shared dept folders will be applied only by groups, not ID's (Due in part to the complexity of tracking /adding / removing individual permissions applied to folders, as well as possible file inheritance & permissions settings.)
- Individual ID permissions should only be granted to folders in "Users" folder trees, if used. (Scripting / variables may be preferred)
- Groups should have a functional name (please) "Business office", "Instruction", etc.
- All Phy dept sub-groups will be put in a primary Physics Admin / dept group - which is used to apply policies, map drives, apply networked printer queues, allow access to the share, etc.
- A special
- All staff must be in at least one sub-group, and preferably only one - even if the group only contains one person. (To allow access to share, policy’s, etc.)
- Folders which everyone can access do not need finer grained permissions. (Use primary group @ root only)
- Groups may either be nested (HR in Business Office), or multiple groups may be given permission to a folder (Safety, Facilities), as appropriate.
- Where group nesting/ combining is not sufficient, a user may be placed in more than one group.
- Caution is advised with any nesting or combined group access, unintended future rights may result.
- It is desirable to use these same groups for all services, such as Group Policies, FileMaker, Printing, File Sharing, etc.
- Policies can only be applied to accounts which are in the AD Tree cornell.edu\CUinv\NetIDs\Staff\AS\, or are created by AS/ChemIT/Physit (Special admins, guestID's, etc.)
Phase two: Individual's folders
- TBD
Info from John Miner, to inform this:
| Folder name | Primary directory (folder) owner (NetID) | Full folder access, by group or individual (NetID) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Management | JOHN | Q: Is this more a personal folder, not a "shared" folder? A: Sounds that way. "Users\jcm8" John's originally proposed folder name was "Manager". To contain, from John's originally proposed folder names, "Facilities". |