How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?
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We want to migrate some of our user files to Microsoft 365 and leave some of them on the in-house file server.
What might be the best way to configure this so home users can have an experience similar to their current mapped drive experience while at home, and the same experience while at work?
And for backup reasons, we think we want all the Microsoft 365 files synced to our main server.
Has anyone done this and have advice? Is there a guide anywhere?
I'll provide more use case answers if you ask me the questions.
Thanks.
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Remote access to the files in O365 are easy to access.
How do you plan to provide access to the file server when they are remote?
VPN would be the typical way, another way would be to install a NextCloud server and move the files there, then directly access them from remote, similar to accessing O365.as for syncing to your local server - you could install OD on the server and have it sync a folder to the server.
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@jasgot You mean sharepoint or onedrive?
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I'm with Dashrender and use nextcloud it's brilliant.
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@dashrender said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
Remote access to the files in O365 are easy to access.
How do you plan to provide access to the file server when they are remote?
VPN would be the typical way, another way would be to install a NextCloud server and move the files there, then directly access them from remote, similar to accessing O365.as for syncing to your local server - you could install OD on the server and have it sync a folder to the server.
The files that will not be at MS365 are not needed when remote, this is how/why it was decided to split the files.
If OD is installed on the server and the OD folder is shared to the lan, will on-site changes be reliably synced to MS365 and will versioning and simultaneous use be handled properly? That's my biggest worry, it's not that it is a requirement, but I am thinking about the "What If" scenarios.
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@stuartjordan Which ever is best. I'll take any advice you have.
I used Teams to build a group today. Then when I started OD, the group's new general folder was there. I don't know if it was ultimately OD or Sharepoint, I understand they can booth be managed by the Teams admin portal, which makes it hard for a new person to figure out where it landed!
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@jasgot I believe using sharepoint would be better for groups of people rather than onedrive. you can also use the sharepoint migration tool which will help upload all your files.
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@stuartjordan Can it be accessed through File Explorer like a mapped drive or a UNC path?
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@jasgot you can but it will use webdav which is slow. you are better using the client.
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@stuartjordan Is there a Sharepoint client? I thought the client was OD?
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@stuartjordan I just setup a new Folder using Sharepoint.
This looks like it will give me the closest "old school server" feel of the options.
Thanks for mentioning that. I'll keep playing with it, but right now, it looks very promising.
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@jasgot said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
@dashrender said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
Remote access to the files in O365 are easy to access.
How do you plan to provide access to the file server when they are remote?
VPN would be the typical way, another way would be to install a NextCloud server and move the files there, then directly access them from remote, similar to accessing O365.as for syncing to your local server - you could install OD on the server and have it sync a folder to the server.
The files that will not be at MS365 are not needed when remote, this is how/why it was decided to split the files.
If OD is installed on the server and the OD folder is shared to the lan, will on-site changes be reliably synced to MS365 and will versioning and simultaneous use be handled properly? That's my biggest worry, it's not that it is a requirement, but I am thinking about the "What If" scenarios.
you said sync back for backup purposes... I would not try to use those files in a file server sense... I'd just sync them and backup them.. nothing more.
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@jasgot said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
@stuartjordan Is there a Sharepoint client? I thought the client was OD?
the client is OD, you share the Sharepoint folder to the user, then it shows up in OD. it's to late right now for me to lookup how I did for a client a month ago.
OD does show up in file explorer, ... instead of looking at drive X, you look at OD, and surf around...
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@dashrender said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
@jasgot said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
@dashrender said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
Remote access to the files in O365 are easy to access.
How do you plan to provide access to the file server when they are remote?
VPN would be the typical way, another way would be to install a NextCloud server and move the files there, then directly access them from remote, similar to accessing O365.as for syncing to your local server - you could install OD on the server and have it sync a folder to the server.
The files that will not be at MS365 are not needed when remote, this is how/why it was decided to split the files.
If OD is installed on the server and the OD folder is shared to the lan, will on-site changes be reliably synced to MS365 and will versioning and simultaneous use be handled properly? That's my biggest worry, it's not that it is a requirement, but I am thinking about the "What If" scenarios.
you said sync back for backup purposes... I would not try to use those files in a file server sense... I'd just sync them and backup them.. nothing more.
So let each user use the OD Client to access? Do not even tell them there is a local copy on the file server in the telco room?
I see that might be way better with respect to not losing synchronicity across devices. Why do a double share when a direct share will work!
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@jasgot If using the client use the onedrive icon in file explorer and don't map a drive at all. The only way the users will be able to access the files would then be with the client which will be a lot better then using webdev anyway or like I say setup nextcloud.
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@stuartjordan said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
or like I say setup nextcloud.
I am a huge user of Nextcloud. but pushign it like this is silly.
He already has O365 plans with OD access in his current subscriptions. For the basic functionality he is looking at, there are zero reasons not to use it.
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@stuartjordan said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
onedrive icon in file explorer
This is exactly how you should use it. It is also how you should use Nextcloud if installed as it does the same thing.
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OD has settings that you can enable to only sync things on demand. They may even be default anymore, been a year+ since I dealt with it.
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@jaredbusch said in How to best utilize Microsoft 365 File Sharing?:
OD has settings that you can enable to only sync things on demand. They may even be default anymore, been a year+ since I dealt with it.
I believe it is now. It wasn't in my local folder until I manually Sync'd it. Pretty cool feature. Nothing syncs until you tell it to.
