• Basic Software Requirements 

For a successful Work Folders deployment, you need to have a server running at least Windows Server 2012 R2 or ideally Windows Server 2016. Your clients will access that and have shared pools over the server. . This way your clients can share synced documents with the Work Folders. The file system needs to be NTFS for file storage. It is also beneficial if there is a strong password policy on the work folders client.

• Choose Your Deployment

There are a few deployment scenarios for Work Folders to be implemented. The deployment scenarios are based on how much scaling is required based on the client needs. There are three basic scenarios:

• Single site Deployment:

If your client is an SME or a startup, This is an ideal deployment. The basic file server is hosted in a central location within the customer infrastructure. IT is easier to administer by the IT staff. With a single Site deployment, there is no need to have a local file server, since the basic file server can be accessed via WAN connection.

• Multiple Site Deployments:

Since multiple data centers exist, File servers are hosted in multiple locations in a multiple site deployment. You need to have your servers setup efficiently. This is, thus, ideal for larger customer environments and organizations having branches set up geographically apart.

• Hosted Deployments:

In this type of deployment, IAAS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) solution is implemented like Windows Azure VM. This makes file server availability regardless of the WAN connectivity. 

• Number of Sync Servers

Each Work Folders  client has a different requirement. Each deployment is based on three: The Geographic distribution of users, Data storage requirements and Load balancing.

ALSO READ: HOW REMOTE DESKTOP SERVICES CAN BOOST YOUR BUSINESS?

Data security requirements in Work Folders

To ensure data security to beef up the overall security, it is important to identify the groups that will be provided access to sync share. It is also important to enable Multi-factor authentication.

MachPanel Automation module for Work Folders

MachPanel offers Hosters and Service Providers to easily manage clients working on Work Folders. The all-in-one platform provides easy billing and subscription options along with a friendly user interface to carry out all your Management tasks. With MachPanel, you can sell Work Folders services easily and efficiently.

Get on board with MachPanel for a successful Provisioning of Work Folders.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Important considerations to setup a Work Folders client appeared first on MachSol Blog.

What are Work Folders used for?

Work Folders is a solution that fosters “sync share “ i.e. users can get access to synchronized folders via a central server. The original server may be located at a far-off location from the systems accessing the folders. Many times, companies who have remote working employees, or are working under a work-from-home policy, rely on Work Folders to keep the business flow going smoothly.

Security is crucial to business

No one can deny the fact that in today’s cloud-centric environment, security has become a top-notch issue to tackle. While Work Folders make user data available to remote locations, at the same time there is an increasing threat of data breach while the information is being shared between Client and server. This is business data and is considered sensitive. There is a need to implement the latest security methods to protect the business data from any malicious attack within a work folder setup.

How to Increase Productivity and Information Security Using Work Folders?

• Invest in a secured Storage

A data breach is very common and requires top-notch security methods in place. It’s high time that officials adopt a security-first approach and protect their data from falling into wrong hands. A data breach can not only leak the company secrets but also makes the company deal with non-compliance consequences.

• Secure your Access controls

It is best to implement granular access control for each folder being shared. Thus, it minimizes the risk of data leaks and unnecessary data access by those who are not concerned with it. It is always difficult to manage access controls manually. So, a solution is needed for it. 

With the Right Access Control mechanism in place, you can manage who can access, download, edit and upload files. It is best to implant secure remote working solutions that are best for the business. 

• Improved project managed

Better security practices lead to efficient management. With the right tools in place, the project managers do not have to worry about security vulnerabilities and malicious activities. They can focus on the project’s progress with detailed reporting.

ALSO READ: HOW REMOTE DESKTOP SERVICES FOSTER REMOTE WORKING?

MachPanel Automation module for Work Folders

MachPanel is a diverse platform that provides you all the many reasons to stay ahead of the curve in today’s competitive cloud-centric environment. Its automation module for Work Folders lets you do more with less. The all-in-one data synchronization and accessibility solution let you expand your customer base with Hosted Microsoft Work Folders. It offers detailed reporting, showcasing, selling and billing capabilities, Quota management, and many business-oriented features to foster your business.

Enjoy smooth and secure remote working with MachPanel. Get your subscription today.

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The post Discover Secure Remote working with Work Folders appeared first on MachSol Blog.

How does hosted Work Folders facilitate business?

In the online business space, Work folders setup is such a game-changer. With Work Folders, the customers can easily access their data over the internet, thereby reducing the need of being present in the office at all times. The data can also be accessed on devices like Android, iPad and iPhone. Thus, the compulsion of windows devices is lifted under Work Folders technology. There are no more hidden caches and file syncing is created for next-level user experience.

Work Folders and Data Security 

Security has always been a top priority of Microsoft under all its technologies. It is without a doubt that once the data is accessible via the internet and not just VPN, the data can be intercepted and security breaches may occur. 

However, Microsoft has stated that very precisely and various techniques have been enforced for data protection like Encryption and Wipe, Encryption on the wire (via https) and Device password enforcement. All these features attract customers so that their data is accessible as well as safe:

• Device password enforcement

A group policy is essential to enforce passwords. It can however, not reach the unmanaged devices. A basic privacy policy is provided under Work folders setup to make admins sure about the protection of devices.

• Folder Redirection (FR) or not?

Another feature is Folder Redirection that helps in Accessing sensitive information/content under special folders. This feature is used in combination with Offline Files to allow access to applications and files that exist offline.

• Data protection (encryption and wipe)

To avoid data leakage, Work Folders offers the admin’s data encryption facility for better management of unmanaged devices.

• Encryption on the wire with HTTPS

SSL is the latest technology to be used alongside HTTP for better protection. Work Folders is based on those standards for better security.

A happy customer is a repeat customer

Indeed, each business is looking for ways to increase its customer base. By making use of Work Folders in a hosted environment, your customers will be happy to pull off all of their work-related data onto their devices – remotely.

ALSO READ: CLOUD AUTOMATION: USE CASES AND BENEFITS FOR CLOUD BUSINESSES

MachPanel Automation Module for Microsoft Work Folders

MachPanel is a platform that provides Multi-Cloud Service Delivery. Its Automation module for Microsoft Work Folders provides Data synchronization and accessibility solutions. It provides you the feature of file access based on individual user roles. The all-in-one syncing platform is the solution for enterprise file storage and syncing. The whole integrated environment can be managed in a central manner with multiple end-to-end user devices.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Work Folders Clients Benefits to Customers | An Overview appeared first on MachSol Blog.

Common issues with Work Folders on Windows

There are many issues that users face while Work Folders integration, accessing data, or working with Work Folders native application. Today, we present solutions to a few common issues that most of our clients face after coming on Work Folders:

• The Issue: Users can’t access a Sync Share on the Work Folders server

Description:

The error message appears as follows:

You’re not set up on the server. Email your organization’s tech support and ask them if they can give you access to Work Folders. (0x80c80037)

Client: Windows Server.

Proposed Solution:

The users require access to a Sync Share. To give user or group the access, it is essential to perform the following steps on Work Folders Server:

1. Go to Server Manager > File and Storage Service > Work Folders
2. On Sync Share right-click to access Properties
3. Click Sync Access and the Add.
4. Enter the username or group that needs access and click OK.
5. Verify that the newly added user is listed under Users

MachPanel offers an easy way to handle this issue.  With the MachPanel Work Folders module, User Permissions and Sync share management can be set from the control panel itself. In addition to this, you can add Server Groups or Add Server under Server Group in either stand-alone or clustered mode with the MachPanel control panel.

• The Issue: Users can’t access a Sync Share on the Work Folders server

Description:

The error appears as:

Unspecified error (0x80004005)

Client:

Windows

Proposed Solution:

1. Click Azure Active Directory in Azure Portal and make sure that the same directory is used to create Work Folders proxy application. That must be selected.
2. Select Application proxy
3. Under Connector groups and connectors Verify connector is Active
4. If it is active, verify if the Application Proxy Connector server is online and make sure Microsoft AAD Application Proxy Connector (WAPCSvc) service is running.
5. Also verify, Work Folders server is online and the Windows Sync Share (SyncShareSvc) service is running.

ALSO READ: WORK FOLDERS AND ONEDRIVE: WHICH TO OPT IN YOUR CLOUD BUSINESS?

MachPanel Automation Solution for Work Folders

MachPanel is a diverse Cloud Automation Platform facilitating thousands of CSPs and businesses in their business automation journey. Its automation solution for Work Folders provides the data collaboration solution that is needed for modern business collaboration.

The Data Sync facility makes all your Work files and folders synced in the cloud so you do not have to go looking for the latest file version. It’s a complete Data sync and accessibility solution to let you expand your customer base. Make use of Detail storage locations manipulation, Segregation among multiple customers Work Folders, Detailed usage reporting feature, a Unified Portal, and many more.

Get aligned with the latest Work Folder offerings from MachPanel and enjoy the best data collaboration solution for your business.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Troubleshooting Work Folders setup and access issues appeared first on MachSol Blog.

MachPanel is a robust platform that favors cloud providers and makes them do more with less. With MachPanel, Resellers can boost up their business profit and increase their revenue stream like they wish. Following are three ways how MachPanel can boost business profits and reduce overall business costs.

Utilize tailored approach

MachPanel experts make sure that each reseller is dealt in a unique and special manner. That is why, MachPanel offer services according to your business type. Nevertheless, the road to success doesn’t only require implementing cutting edge technology to your business environment, but also to implement that in the most efficient manner to stay ahead of the curve. MachPanel provides that efficiency and so you can utilize MachPanel’s offerings according to your business niche to increase business profits.

Powerful integrated tools

MachPanel is equipped with best in line integrated tools for cloud computing that foster cloud provider’s business ideas and turn them into reality. With a wide variety of integrated tools like invoicing and billing, Power BI, hybrid marketplace, MachPanel makes it easier for cloud providers and resellers to resell their offerings. There are multiple Automation modules offered at MachPanel like Automation module for Microsoft SharePoint, Automation module for Microsoft Exchange, Automation module for Mycroft Skype for Business, Automation module for Microsoft Hyper V, Automation module for Microsoft Dynamics,  Automation for Work Folders,  Multi-Tenant Remote Desktop Services and many others that help Cloud provider with the tools and modules they need for better productivity of their cloud business.

24/7 technical support

MachPanel experts are there to provide you 24/7 technical support. With a huge number of Customer Representatives on board, you can always rely on your customer’s technical problems being solved from MachPanel experts. This way, your customer base increases and so does your revenue stream.

ALSO READ: Improve Business Productivity with Remote Desktop Service

MachPanel Automation module for Microsoft CSP

With MachPanel Automation module for Microsoft CSP, you get all the tools needed to fully automate your cloud business. With this module, you can easily manage the entire lifecycle of your Direct and Indirect CSP Business. You can showcase, bundle and sell integrated offers and services under the white-lablelled customized storefront. There is complete business automation of Microsoft O365 & Azure.  Recurring subscriptions and easy billing make MachPanel the favorite cloud business automation platform of Cloud Providers.

Get on board with MachPanel and discover the full potential of your cloud business.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post 3 ways MachPanel can boost your business profits appeared first on MachSol Blog.

What are offline files?

Offline files were introduced to facilitate mobile users with accessing files for which online connections or connection to the corporate network is not always possible. It allows for accessing files via the API call to file server and get the data delivered in the local cache.

What are Work Folders?

Work folders were introduced to reduce anomalies with cache while working with Offline Files.  It provides a single point of access from a user’s multiple devices. With this approach, users can access the files while they are offline and sync them back to the centralized storage once they are connected to the corporate network again. Microsoft Work Folders provides the flexibility to deploy the solution with existing deployments like Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and home folders. Administrator can manage user data via the features like file classification and folder quotas.

Work Folders vs offline files: Which to opt?

Microsoft Work Folders provide Administrators and users with a lot of flexibility to the administrator and the users of the Work Folders as compared to offline files. It provides a consistent user experience across multiple user devices, so that the user doesn’t have to update the same file on each device every time he logs in.  Here are five advantages of Work Folders over Offline Files:

• • Access data via the Internet: With Work Folders setup, you do not need to connect to a VPN or the company’s corporate network, you can get access to the required data via just an internet connection.
  • Data access from non-Windows devices: Microsoft Work Folders is also enabled in Android, iPad and iPhone. So, you are no longer tied to a Windows PC to work with your files.
  • Simple user experience: The overall structure of the Work Folder is less complex. There are no hidden caches to sort and the file paths are genuine. The updated sync engine can keep files synced with the file server.
  • Better data protections: with Microsoft Work Folders, there is an option of policy configuration on the server for encryption of data on user device. The Enterprise ID and encryption key are tied together. The admins can therefore, wipe the data of a user’s device when needed, without wiping off the personal and non-corporate data on the same device.
  • Password policy: Password policies are enforced via Group Policy. Admins are given the control to implement password policy for all managed devices that need to be used for data access.

ALSO READ: Work Folders and OneDrive: Which to opt in your Cloud Business?

MachPanel Automation module for Work Folders

MachPanel is a full-fledge business automation platform that cater for the cloud business automation needs of companies ranging from SMEs to large enterprises. The MachPanel Automation Platform for Work Folders enables a state of the art File syncing and collaboration solution. With this platform you can expand your customer base by offering Hosted Microsoft Work Folders. With a centralized management system, admins are given the flexibility to manage and secure centralized data.  The documents, the devices and the organizational knowledge base are all secured with top notch security standards.

Get your hands on MachPanel for a single Support of single server and clustered work folders deployment for better business productivity.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Microsoft Work Folders or Offline Files: Which to Opt? appeared first on MachSol Blog.

File Classification Infrastructure (FCI)

This makes classification of files easier and once the files are classified, Windows mechanisms and partner solutions can be applied on those files. There’s a classification engine that detects any changes in the files and classifies them according to rules defined.

RMS Encryption

This encryption is used to protect sensitive data in the cloud business. This is deployed on FCI (mentioned above). Once the file is being classified, if it meets appropriate policy, it gets RMS encrypted. At server, it is considered a change, so whenever a client of Work Folders polls for a change, the latest RMS encrypted file is downloaded. In this way, RMS gives admins to have control over the security of their data.

Quotas and File Screen

At the server, admins have the authority to configure quotas and file screens for Sync shares. For instance, a user uploads a file to a server which doesn’t meet admins’ specifies file screen policy, the upload will fail. In the same way, if the number of uploads of a user exceeds a limit, the quota defined, the upload will fail.

DFS Replication

DFS replication is used when files have to be replicated to different file server locations. It is important to know the data and its direction of replication. The data can be either the user data, Work Folders sync database and Staging folder. It is important to note that the staging Folder, i.e. the SyncShareState folder, shall never be replicated. With Microsoft Work Folders syncing files solution, only one way replication is allowed: Read-only replication in the cloud business.

Dynamic Access Control (DAC)

Typically, two areas are related to DAC interoperability with Work Folders which are: discovery and data access. The first area, discovery, happens while the devices of Work Folders is being set up. It won’t use Dynamic Access Control, rather, each sync share is linked with a security group in the cloud business.

Once configured, the data on device goes through sync phase. The server accesses the data after each authentication in a sync session and then all NTFS File permissions are assigned (including DAC).

ALSO READ: Work Folders and OneDrive: Which to opt in your Cloud Business?

MachPanel and Automation module for Work Folders

MachPanel is a globally trusted Multi-Cloud Service Orchestration & Delivery Platform (MSOP). Its Work Folders module is just the solution you need for your business File syncing and Collaboration needs. It is a Centralized Management System equipped with the right security standards needed in a File Syncing solution across multiple devices. With MachPanel Work Folders, you can perform segregation amongst multiple customers work folders for a better collaboration, get all the necessary showcasing, selling, packaging, and billing capabilities that streamline your business ops and get the experts at MachPanel deploy and manage file server for storing, syncing and accessing files.

Work folders with MachPanel is all you need for a streamlined Work Folders experience with high-end security for all in your cloud business.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post How Work Folders syncing files solution interoperates with other file server technologies appeared first on MachSol Blog.

Before we compare the features let’s get this straight: Work Folders was introduced as a sync client for file server whereas OneDrive is the sync client for SharePoint. So, Work Folders accesses data on multiple devices from file server whereas OneDrive for business will provide access to data from multiple devices from SharePoint.

Work Folders

Work Folders module was introduced for storing and accessing work files on PCs, laptops and other devices. The concept emerged with the growing trend of bring your-own-device (BYOD) in cloud business space. Work Folders module help organizations manage and control their data on centrally managed file servers. There is also the option of setting up user device policies and lock screen passwords for multiple employees who bring their own devices.

Deployment of Work Folders

The deployment of Work Folders can be done on any number of file servers within your environment. Hence, Work Folders implementation can be scaled according to need and growth within the environment. There are three options for enterprises: single-site deployment; in which file server is hosted inside a site within customer infrastructure, multiple-site deployment; in which file servers are hosted in multiple locations and hosted deployment; in which sync servers are to be deployed over an IaaS solution.

Business Applications

It provides a decent way of accessing user’s work by providing a single point of access. It also allows for accessing files and work documents while the user is offline and performs sync whenever the system is next connected to Internet. File classification and folder quotas are the existing file server management techniques in order to manage user data. For the provision of a high availability solution, Failover Clustering with Work Folders is used.

OneDrive benefits for Business

As mentioned earlier, One Drive for business is the sync client for SharePoint. It makes sharing and collaboration easier for SharePoint users.

Deployment of OneDrive for Business

There are many OneDrive benefits for business. OneDrive apps can be deployed using System Center Configuration Manager for OneDrive sync client. The latest sync client can be used with SharePoint 2019 but not the earlier versions. Deployment can also be done using Intune. There is a separate option of Network Utilization planning which can be set in order to use the sync client efficiently.

Business Applications

OneDrive is used for file sharing and handling. It connects files, lets you store the important work, and makes collaboration and sharing of files on multiple devices easier within the office space. All of the files are private by default. Sharing is even allowed to client outside of the company, depending on cloud business’s policy off course, through Office 365 while using OneDrive for Business.

To sum it all up, both the products are getting better with new releases. When making a choice between the two, it is important to know the back-end infrastructure of the two. It is necessary to understand both Work Folders and OneDrive for Business and go for the one which adds more value to your business.

MachPanel and Work Folders Module

The good news is: MachPanel now offers support for Work Folders and is it just exactly what your cloud business needs for better productivity and collaboration. MachPanel’s Work Folders module offers single server and clustered Work Folders deployments, Segregation among multiple customers’ work folders, showcasing, selling, packaging, and billing capabilities, all offerings for resellers, best-in-line automated provisioning, detailed management platform and easier Quota management. It also offers all the technical support like Config Sync from backend, detailed reports on usage and a unified portal for easier management.

Here’s your chance to avail the opportunity that comes with MachPanel Work Folders and discover what your cloud business can deliver with increasing revenue.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Work Folders and OneDrive: Which to opt in your Cloud Business? appeared first on MachSol Blog.