Mapped Network Drives? Why not Network Places?

[padraignotlad]

I have been thinking about changing our network structure from using Mapped Network Drives to using UNC paths through My Network Places. I can deploy Network Places shortcuts via login script. I think that this may be a more logical way of managing network shares instead of using Mapped Drives for everything. Especially in a big company where there are only so many letters in the alphabet.

I've noticed sometimes if you have 6 network drives mapped to a few different servers, that when you are in an application (whatever it may
be) and go to "File" then "Open" and go to "My Computer" to see your network drives, that many times you get the windows flashlight for a couple seconds before you can select a drive. I think this is because Windows wants to "touch" each drive and is treating it as if it were local. Like spinning up your CDROM, there is a delay. I think that by using Network Places, you don't get this hesitation. You get quicker access to your network share by going to My Network Places, and selecting your shortcut, "Projects on File Server" for instance. Also, on the server there will be less connections to that server which may speed things up overall. I've looked at "Sessions" in Computer Management on the file server, and found that 50% of the sessions have 0 files open. This seems like unnecessary overhead for the server, and the workstations.

It also just seems more logical. If you need to get to a Network resource, why do you go to "My Computer" to get there? It seems that My Network Places makes more sense.

I'm looking for input on this theory. Please help me sort this out.
Any information will be helpfull. Thanks.

 

[PScottC]

I've seen this type of thing done at a previous company I worked for. The upside is that you don't have to worry about mapping users to the correct places with logon scripts, etc... The downside is that when you want to replace a server with a new one, you will have to visit all the machines that have an Application pointing to that path to change all the shortcuts and .ini files to the new server.

Also, I have found that Network Places can hang up if one of the servers listed there goes offline. You will have to do maintenance on all of your systems when you decommission a server.

I'm currently planning a new DFS based structure in which all users will map the DFS root with one drive letter, then connect to all the shared data through folder names. This will give me the ability to move data from server to server and all I have to do is keep the share name. No workstation touch and no logon script changes.

I hope these thoughts help.

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[padraignotlad]

Thanks for your input. Anyone else? Please?