U4 Research Project Example

U4 Research Project Example U4 Research Project – Coursework Example Shared Folder vs. NTFS Permissions & Distributed File System Sharing permissions in windows computers are available for both drivers and folders depending on the degree of access allowed by the user. NT File System (NTFS) permissions are used in drives that are formatted with NTFS. The permission is granted at the Windows logon and applies to all users irrespective of the location. Shared permission and NTFS permission have one thing in common: preventing unauthorized access.Shared Folder vs. NTFS PermissionsShaded folder permissions become effective when folders are being accessed across multiple user accounts or over a network. They are used in managing computers having FAT32 file system or those that are not using NTFS file system. Shared folders helps network users to access file resources. Share permission settings have the following options: Full Control, Read & Change. However, NTFS permission provides security in a wide range because they can be assigned to individual files a nd folders. NTFS permission controls access to both network and on local computers. The available account options include Individual users, specific or group users. For instance, in the application folder, shared permissions allow Read permission to users group. However, NTFS permission allows Read, Read and Execute to the user’s group.NTFS can hold up to 255 characters long in files and folder names. Names are not case-sensitive in NTFS but are case-preserving. However, when a POSIX application is used in the file name, it will be case-sensitive. It can support partitions greater than 400MB due to the overhead involved. NTFS supports compression of files where it can reduce the text file size by 50%. NTFS partition permits access of files by Macintosh users.NTFS provides various merits pertaining to security as well as functionality with the help of reparse points. NTFS provides security as its primary merits. NTFS requires a smaller default cluster size, therefore, by reduc ing cluster size it will improve the efficiency of storage as it will reduce sector slack. However, NTFS partition can increase fragmentation of files that will affect the output (Shapiro & Jeffrey, 2008, p. 460). NTFS provides support to disk quotas which helps in management of the storage space.Notes1. Reparse points as used in this paper means NTFS objects that are responsible for carrying special attribute tagsReferencesKenneth Gregg, B. S. (1999). Microsoft Windows NT Server Administrators Bible. Wiley.Lee Hadfield, D. H. (1997). Windows NT Server 4 Security Handbook. Pearson P T R.Shapiro, J. R. (2008). Windows Server 2008 Bible. John Wiley & Sons.Sommerville, I. (2001). Software Engineering. England: Pearson Education Limited.Distributed File System (DFS)It refers to a client/server based application system that authorizes clients to have access of the data stored on the server over several computers and to process it as though it is confined in a single computer (Sommerville , 2001, p. 240). It applies to Window Server: 2003, 2003 R2 with SP1 and that with SP2. Users are not confined to a particular actual physical location of files to allow them to have access of them but distribute file system help them in consolidating them as though they resides on a single server. When modifying file locations or when users need authenticity to access multiple targets, you should use DFS.There are two major ways of implementing DFS, namely:1. Stand-alone root DFS2. Domain DFSDFS helps users in accessing files easily. Users can access several files spread across multiple servers with ease as they will not rely on multiple drive mappings to have access to the files. Services that may require the server to be taken offline for maintenance purposes are being accomplished without Web servers being disrupted. The DFS mapping is being published by the Windows Server 2003 system to Active Directory. This ensures that Domain DFS retain access to users’ files. DFS als o helps in providing security for the files and folders with the help of standard NTFS as well as file sharing permissions.ReferencesKenneth Gregg, B. S. (1999). Microsoft Windows NT Server Administrators Bible. Wiley.Lee Hadfield, D. H. (1997). Windows NT Server 4 Security Handbook. Pearson P T R.Services, E. E. (2010). Information Storage and Management. Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc.Shapiro, J. R. (2008). Windows Server 2008 Bible. John Wiley & Sons.Sommerville, I. (2001). Software Engineering. England: Pearson Education Limited.