12.6 NetStorage Integration and Storage Location Objects

Novell NetStorage introduces the concept of a Storage Location Object in eDirectory for assigning one or more storage locations to one or more objects in the tree and defining, among other things, a display name to use in referencing the storage.

Figure 12-24 Storage Location Object

In the figure above, a Storage Location Object has been created in eDirectory. The Storage Location Object is pointing to the Sales subdirectory of the New York directory on a server. The Storage Location Object has been assigned to the Sales group.

When users who are members of the Sales group logs in to NetStorage, they are automatically shown a link to this storage. The display name is defined in the Storage Location Object. The figure below is an example:

Figure 12-25 Linked Storage in NetStorage

A Storage Location Object can be assigned to users, groups, containers, or profile objects in eDirectory. Multiple Storage Location Objects can be assigned to the same object simultaneously.

Storage Location Objects can be used with or without NetStorage. However, NetStorage must be installed on at least one server in the tree in order for the Storage Location Object schema extensions to be added to the tree.

The Kanaka Engine automatically locates any Storage Location Objects that are either directly or indirectly assigned to the user during login. Indirect assignments include any groups that the user is a member of or any parent containers above the user in the tree hierarchy.

The Storage Location Object storage is returned to the client as collaborative storage in exactly the same way that group home directories are returned.