Overview

Storage Manager introduces management and structure to unmanaged, unstructured network storage systems, and automates the full lifecycle management of user and group storage.

By leveraging directory services (commonly referred to as “the directory”), Storage Manager also automates a comprehensive set of storage management tasks based on events, identity, and policies.

The Directory
eDirectory stores the identity information about the users and groups that Storage Manager manages. When Storage Manager is installed, it adds or modifies user and group attributes to enable them to be managed.

Events
When a user or group is created, moved, renamed, or deleted, it is known as a directory “event.”

Policies
Storage Manager's policies indicate which storage-specific actions to enact when an event in eDirectory takes place. These actions include:

  • Creating user storage when a new user is added to eDirectory.

  • Moving storage when a user is moved from one organizational unit or group to another.

  • Archiving or deleting storage when a user is removed.

Storage Manager enables you to create the following types of policies:

  • User Home Folder Policies manage home folders for users who access their storage from an assigned workstation.

  • Container Policies manage the users located within an organizational unit.

  • Group Policies manage the users who are members of a group.

  • Auxiliary Policies manage additional storage that you can create automatically in association with a User Home Folder policy.

Engine
This Storage Manager component performs actions in the file system based on events in eDirectory and the defined policies, including:

  • Provisioning

  • Moving

  • Grooming

  • Deleting

  • Vaulting

There is only one Engine per directory tree.

Event Monitor
This Storage Manager component monitors changes to eDirectory based on Create, Move, Rename, and Delete events.

Event monitors should be configured to monitor at least one server per eDirectory partition ring that contains objects you want to receive event data about, and for which Storage Manager will consequently manage storage.

NOTE: As a best practice, install two Event Monitors per replica ring.

Agent
This Storage Manager component performs copying, moving, grooming, deleting, and vaulting actions through directives from the Engine.

For optimal performance, a separate Agent should be installed on every server with storage managed by Storage Manager.