Client Redirections in Share Properties

When I view the shares in the Computer Management snap-in, listed against a share is 19 Client Redirections. What does this mean?

I thought it would mean that 19 users are accessing the share, but when I look in Open Files, only 2 users are listed that are accessing the file within that share.

The reason I am asking is that I want to restrict the number of users that can access the share - due to licencing reasons - but want to check the average number of users that access the share for a few days.

Thanks

 

Well, Here is what Microsoft has to say about folder redirection.

 

Thanks for your reply, but I am not sure it answered my question. I dont think that client redirections listed in share properties is the same as Folder redirections defined in Group Policy.

Having studied the screen a bit more, knowing how many users my network has, and what shares they generally access, I have come to the conclusion that the number of client redirections refers to mapped drives that have been reconnected that session.

This means that even if only 2 people are actually accessing a share at one time, if another 10 have connected to it through a mapped drive during the day, client redirections will indicate 12 users connected. - I think!!

I may be completely wrong about this and am perfectly willing to be told differently, but when I tried to limit user access to 5 people, and there were only 2 presently using the share, access was denied to anyone else because client redirections listed 19.

I hope all that makes sense, I am not sure it does to me

 

Sorry - I may have (probably did) totally miss your point. But I'm not sure exactly what you refer to with "client redirections listed in share properties ".

 

Sorry, I probably wasn't being very clear. I am refering to our file and print server running win2k server. In computer management/shared folders snap-in, there are details of all shares on the server.

There are 3 headings there - Shares, sessions and Open files. It is in the Shares bit that the CLient redirections are listed.

 

The "client redirection" part still has me guessing. I'm not sure exactly what it refers to. No luck with searches either.

And I just took a look on our print server but nothing. It's living on an NT4 domain though so if yours is an AD thing I wouldn't see it.

But nothing similar on a 2K AV server on an AD domain that I can see.

I'll be happy to try to track this thing down but will need a picture I guess. If you can alt-print screen the window where this shows up and email it to me, I'll dig around some more. nvail@ctc.net or newt.vail@pmusa.com either one will be fine. I'm at the work one from 4pm to 11pm M-F EST and the home one before work + weekends.

 

Sorry for the delay in replying. I have been off work all week and won't be back till next, so I am unable to get a screenshot.

I have asked around and found that I guessed correctly about the mapped drives thing. The term "Client Redirections" is a bit misleading, it should be called "Mapped drives connected to this share this session" or somesuch.

In short, when a drive mapped to a share is used for the first time since logon, AD checks permissions and redirects the client to the source of that share, and increases the count by one, hence "Client Redirections ". The count isn't reset until logoff even if the client isn't currently connected to the share.

All our users have an application installed locally which reads a data file stored in a share on our file and print server. Each user has Q: drive mapped at logon by a script and the desktop shortcuts "Start in" parameters point to Q:\datafile. The reason for setting it up like this is that the datafile is updated every 12 months and I can just swap it for the new version without updating 70 workstations.

This is a throwback from our previous NT server and Win95 Client network. We are now entirely Win2k.

If I can use a URL in the desktop shortcuts (which I am not sure if I can do, and won't be able to test until I return to work), I will have no need for the Q: drive mapping and can then easily restrict access to the datafile to as many users as I like, ( we really are overstretching our licensing for this product and I ought to get it sorted out).

Many Thanks for your help

 

QUOTE]If I can use a URL in the desktop shortcuts (which I am not sure if I can do, and won't be able to test until I return to work),[/QUOTE]

I meant UNC of course, not URL

 

Hope you can use the UNC path. Avoids all sorts of annoyances. Most newer apps and some oldies are fine with it. But some absolutely refuse. No way to find out except to try it.

 

Seems to work fine with the UNC. The UNC bit is actually mixed in with the C:\program files..... reference in the Target section of the shortcut properties, but it works without the drive mapping anyway.

When a machine connects to the share, the Client Redirection count still goes up by one, but it seems to match with the number of users accessing the share, and when a user diconnects, the count updates within a minute or two.

It may work for me after all

Thanks for your help

 

Excellent. Glad it's working properly.