IT Consulting & Professional Services
File servers, storage and user profiles
People expect their files and desktop settings to be there whichever device they use. We build file services that stay available, keep profiles small and fast, and can be restored when something goes wrong.
Your situation
Is this what you are looking for?
If any of these sound familiar, this service is for you.
- A single file server failure stops the whole office
- Virtual desktop sign-in is slow because of large profiles
- Nobody knows who has access to which shared folder
- You have never tested restoring from your backups
The work involved
What needs to be done
Whatever the size of the project, these are the steps that decide whether it succeeds.
- 1
Inventory your data and shares
List the shares, sizes, owners, permissions and the applications that depend on them. A move or redesign built on guesses breaks something nobody remembered.
- 2
Set availability and recovery targets
Agree how much downtime and data loss each share can tolerate, so we size the clustering, replication and backups to the real need.
- 3
Design and build the file and profile services
Create the cluster or DFS design, the group-based permission model and the FSLogix profile storage, then migrate data in stages.
- 4
Test failover, access and restores
Fail a server on purpose, check permissions with real accounts, measure sign-in times and restore files and a full share from backup.
- 5
Document, monitor and hand over
Write the runbooks, set up monitoring for capacity and backup jobs, and train your administrators to run and restore the service.
How we can help
How we can help
This is what we do for you, so your team can stay focused on running the business.
Highly available file servers
Windows Server failover clustering or Scale-Out File Server, DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication, so shares keep working when a server fails or needs patching.
Ask about thisShares, permissions and quotas
SMB shares and NTFS permissions built on Active Directory groups, with quotas, file screening and a permission model people can understand and audit.
Ask about thisStorage provisioning
iSCSI, NFS and SMB storage, LUN mapping and datastore mounting for VMware and Hyper-V, sized for capacity and performance.
Ask about thisVDI user profiles
FSLogix Profile Container setup, storage sizing and migration from roaming or local profiles, plus folder redirection and roaming profile cleanup.
Ask about thisBackup and restore verification
File-level restore, snapshots, retention and deduplication settings, and offsite copy monitoring, with test restores recorded as evidence.
Ask about thisFile server migration
Moving files, shares and permissions to new hardware, Azure Files or SharePoint Online, with a cutover plan and a rollback path.
Ask about thisWhat is included
The main areas covered inside this service.
File services
Storage and profiles
Protection and migration
End-to-end delivery
One team owns the whole path, and each stage ends with evidence you can review.
- 1
Design
- Data, shares and permissions inventory
- Availability and capacity targets
- Profile and storage sizing
- Written design for your approval
- 2
Build
- Cluster, DFS and storage setup
- Shares, permissions and quotas
- FSLogix and profile policies
- Backup jobs and monitoring
- 3
Test
- Failover of file services
- Permission and access checks
- Sign-in time with migrated profiles
- Restore of files and a full share
- 4
Verify
- Results against agreed targets
- Pilot with real users
- Permission and security review
- Sign-off recorded with you
- 5
Deliver
- As-built documentation
- Restore and failover runbooks
- Administrator training
- Defined support period
- File shares that stay available during failures and patching
- Permissions based on groups that your team can audit
- Faster, smaller profiles for virtual desktop users
- Restores that have been tested and written down
Common questions
Do we still need a file server if we use SharePoint Online?
Often yes. SharePoint and OneDrive suit collaboration documents, while large files, legacy applications and some departments still need file shares. We help you decide what moves and what stays.
How do you make a file server highly available?
We use Windows Server failover clustering or Scale-Out File Server with shared storage, and DFS Namespaces so users always connect to one stable path. The right design depends on your storage and recovery targets.
Can you migrate users from roaming profiles to FSLogix?
Yes. We size the profile storage, convert existing profiles where practical, test with a pilot group and keep the old profiles until you are satisfied.
How do we know our backups will work?
We run test restores of single files, folders and a full share, record the results and repeat them on a schedule, because an untested backup is only a hope.
Related: Architecture and strategy, Cloud strategy and migration, Virtualization and VDI, Identity and single sign-on, Active Directory services. All it consulting & professional services
Have a project in mind?
Tell us what you are trying to achieve. We reply within one business day with next steps.