Pooled folders that aren't shared | mounting pooled storage to drive letter?

rsmith8614

Is there any option to have folders in the pool that aren't shared?  Basically, I have a few staging folders for some of my data that I would like to use the pooled storage, but not be shared over the network (or be in any kind of server folder).  However, it looks like adding any folder in the dashboard interface makes it shared across the network. 

Here is an example (this is all done via automation and scripts.  I don't want a questions/comments about why/what I can do differently because it works for me):
1) I download a video into a staging folder called "Unprocessed Media".
2) I transcode/edit that video and dump it into another folder called "Unsorted Media"
3) Video is renamed to a more readable format based off rules, and then sorted into a more meaningful directory structure in the "Videos" shared (and pooled) storage

I would like to use pooled storage for Unprocessed Media and Unsorted Media folders, but I don't want them to show up as shared folders on the network.  Is there an easy way to do this that I have not come across? 

On a somewhat unrelated note, is there a way to mount the pooled storage (as a whole) to a drive letter?  All I seem to be able to do is mount a specific shared folder.

lee1978

HI,

 

I have the same problem since moveing the client backups to the pool,  i now have the folder on view i have tried hideing it under folder properties but this does'nt seem to work funny thing is tho the folder is was in view when it is off the pool.

 

but in short i have the same problem i have a few folder's set up on the pool which dont really need to be on view on all the network computers but i cant seem to find a way to hide them.

maybe an idea if possible would be if a particular computer does not permission to view/access a folder then they are removed from its view.

hopester

You can hide shares with advanced sharing but I dont know if drivepool would have problems as you could only access the share via the mountpoint method and it would totally vanish from the dashboard. Remember only play about with things like this on a test server with dummy data.

Alex

Here's a trick you can try to force a folder to be hidden from the network:

• Open a command prompt on the server.
• Navigate to C:\ServerPool\ServerFolders.Mount
• Find the folder that you want to hide, say it's called "My Hidden Folder.1"
• Type:
  notepad "My Hidden Folder.1:DrivePool.Tag.DoNotShare"
• Click yes when notepad asks to create the file and close notepad.
• Now find the same folder in C:\ServerPool\ServerFolders\
• Right click on it, go to sharing and unshare it.

The folder will now disappear from the Dashboard and will not be re-shared the next time DrivePool starts up.

The reason why this works is because DrivePool uses alternate stream names as a type of special tags over folders.

Alex

To make the pool appear as a drive letter you can:

• From the command line type:
  subst P: C:\ServerPool\ServerFolders.Mount
• You will now notice a P: drive appear in My Computer which would be your pool.

Suffice it to say this is unsupported.

As you may know DrivePool is already a drive, just without a drive letter. It's mounted automatically @ C:\ServerPool\ServerFolders.Mount when the service starts.

rsmith8614

Thanks for the responses Alex.  I will try this tonight when I get home. 

If I go directly to C:\ServerPool\ServerFolders.Mount and create a folder (in windows explorer), will that use the storage pool, and not be shared?  Or will it just create the folder (and subsequent files in that folder) on the C:?

I guess the root issue is that I would like to have direct access to the pooled storage outside of shared folders.  Is that a feature that could be added in a future version?  Or maybe an option in the dashboard to create a folder on the pool that isn't shared on the network, but still shows up in the dashboard?  You've given me some workarounds, but it would be nice for it to be integrated into the software.

lee1978

Nice 1 Alex my folder is now hiden by the way what would be the command to use if we ever needed to share the folder in the future. i can guess but just want to make sure in case i delete all my folders lol

 

Lee