Is the Shared File Server Dead? (Part 2)

In the dim and distant past of 2006 I wrote an article on the death of the shared file server, Steve responded.

It seems I was ahead of my time and I’ve seen a few articles on the subject recently.

Yesterday the Microsoft SharePoint Team pitched in. They seem quite upbeat about the level of penetration that they are going to be able to achieve. As with all of our posts they are realistic about the places where file storage is going to carry on being used. Their list:

• Product Distribution (Product packages like Office)
• SMS distribution point (desktop patches and hot fixes)
• NT Backups, Backup Servers and Desktop Backups (backups)
• Database Storage (.mdb, .ldf, ndf, .pst, .ost)
• Large Audio/Video and Streaming Media and other large archive read only media such as DVDs, CDs storage (.iso, .wmv, .ram, .vhd)
• Developer Source Control 
• Batch, Command Scripts, Executables (.exe, .vbs, .cmd, .bat)
• Application Server… Client Application Storage Linked Files and File Dependencies –  (.lnk, .lck)
• Archives and Dumps (.arj, .rar, .zip, .dmp, .bak)

The challenge here is highlighted in their summary:

Collaborative file shares can be replaced with SharePoint deployments.  Product distribution and database storage will continue to persist as valid scenarios.  End users will need training to understand where to save their files.  With most file sharing scenarios for the most common file sizes SharePoint lists will be the Microsoft recommended way of sending files inside the corporation and with collaborative SharePoint site extranet deployments, it’s the way to share with partners.  Most non technical end users scenarios such as the most common HR, Sales, and Marketing teams can say goodbye to using file shares for file sharing.  Some groups and divisions like IT SMS/Product Distribution, Data Warehousing (SQL), Media, and Development groups won’t be saying good bye to file servers in Windows 2003 and in code name “Longhorn” with key scenarios leveraging cheap NTFS file storage.

Analyzing your current file servers by server or share or folder may allow you to group them by purpose.  Here are some examples of common classifications: Collaborative File Sharing, Historical Archive, Media Server, Dump/Desktop Backup, Source Control Servers/Databases, Personal Storage, Product Distribution, and Application Servers.

(Highlighting mine)

The challenge for most enterprises is this:

• It’s incredibly difficult to change end-users working process.
• It’s incredibly expensive to get a good understanding of the data that already exists.

While replacement of shared file storage with SharePoint requires these things it will happen very slowly.

Technorati tags: File Server, File Storage, SharePoint, Microsoft