From: Alexander Gonta
Subject: Re: Disk Usage
Date: 1998/04/14
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To: Eric Crane
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Hi Eric,
Your solutions, besides HOG.exe is as follows:
You didn't mention if you're running Novell 4.x or 3.x, but, in
politically tense situations, I've found that instead of limiting disk space
on a user by user basis, since every "politically connected" user
wants more space, more than his fair share, is rather than limiting
disk space on a per user basis, since all you'll be asked to do is to
increase it anyhow if someone "complains", is to run DSPACE.EXE
a free utility on SYS:PUBLIC. Running this utility, you can limit space
on the volume as a whole, or not allow a particular directory from
exceeding a certain size, regardless of limitations on a per user basis.
In other words, you remove limitations on "shared" volumes or directories
on a per user basis completely, but only keep them on user's home directories.
Upon doing so, run DSPACE.EXE and limit the entire volume as not
being able to grow above 80% of its full size, i.e: 20% empty is good from
a performance point of view. Or simply limit the biggest "directories" to
a top max, and lower the limit on other directories within the same volume,
always keeping in check your total volume size as you do your math.
Sit down with a calculator and work out the math before hand prior to doing
this, but the utility is not well known, but is certainly for free!
Another thing I want to mention is the following:
Under Novell 3.12, the file ownership is not settable via the FLAG.exe,
but is set under 4.x. You can find out the owner of a file via typing NDIR.EXE
The reason this becomes important is because let's say Secretary A creates
a file for her Boss B, and then his second Secretary C then further adds
data to this document. Even though 3 people have worked on the same file,
the disk space is "charged" against the originator of the file, Secretary A,
even though she may have originally created a very small initial file. Thus,
in imposing disk space on a per user basis, it's done "unfairly" against the
originator, not equally across all people who have opened the file. This problem
I've observed to be gone under NW 4.x, but is still true for NW 3.x, and I'm
assuming that's what you're running. If you have a NW 4.x server around,
simply use the new flag.exe from that server, to correctly assign ownership
of files, and this way, you'll have charged disk useage correctly. This is tedious
work, but should be a step you consider in any "cleanup" project you'll
have to embark upon.
Ultimately, the file server is not infinite, and you have to clean up old files
and
store them to lower cost media, such as tape, and simply tell users that
miracles can not be done by magic, and that they have to clean up after
themselves,
or you'll clean up for them. Impose a strict policy to remove any files older
than 3 years old, and give users 2 weeks to comply. Removing disk limits
per user and replacing limiting the disk useage on a volume basis or a directory
basis via dspace.exe will buy you some time, but ultimately, you'll have to
eighter
clean up, or get more disk space.
Hope I've helped, and good luck!
Sincerely,
Alex G.
Eric Crane wrote:
> Please email the answer to me if possible.
>
> My email address is ecrane@anderson.ucla.edu
>
> Here's the problem:
>
> I have one particular server running into constant out of disk space problems.
> Due to political reasons, i cannot limit disk space. I would like to be able
> to identify the biggest space hogs and speak to them.
>
> The only program i can find that will do something like this is DISKHOG.EXE
> and its readings are verifiably incorrect.
>
> Does anyone know of a way or a third party (hopefully inexpensive) piece of
> software that could do this on a volume?
>
> My thanks,
>
> Eric Crane
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