SharePoint File Share – Manage & Access File Shares in SharePoint

Provide users with access to files living on network file shares directly from SharePoint Document Libraries with the
Bamboo File Share Library.

Why bring all the files stored on your network file shares to SharePoint when you can bring SharePoint to them?

Today, many companies have files they want to manage in SharePoint - some files being quite large (exceeding 200MB). To do this, however, raises some important concerns:

These files are usually stored on the file system in one folder instead of having a directory structure.
Since SharePoint stores these files in the SharePoint database, the database can become too large, too quickly.
Need to have the option to maintain some files in the file system and some in the SharePoint Document Library directly.
Want to have the meta data that SharePoint Libraries offer in order to maintain the directories for files that are in the file system.
Want to get users up and running on SharePoint as quickly as possible without having to wait on Administrative resources to upload large quantities of documents per user or department.

If you have even ONE of these concerns, then Bamboo's File Share Library for SharePoint is the solution. It is a customized SharePoint Document Library that retains much of the characteristics and functions of a Document Library. However, its additional features include automatically mapping the library to a network drive and displaying the files and folder structure on the network file share as if they are in the library. This way you have the benefit of the meta data offered in the SharePoint Library as well as access to your file share files. You can also upload files directly to the File Share Library and have files that are mapped to the file share all in the same library.

A wholesale import of documents, images, and other file types into SharePoint isn't always practical. By removing the chore of undertaking a mass import of files, the File Share Library enables users to become productive immediately, while administrators are free to focus on other aspects of the SharePoint implementation. With the help of the File Share Library, files can be moved to SharePoint gradually or all at once at your convenience.

SharePoint File Share Library

Key Feature	Description	SharePoint 2007	SharePoint 2010
Multimedia Support	Store video and audio files on an existing network file share-saving valuable content database space-and play and manage the media files in SharePoint by connecting File Share Library to a Bamboo Video Library (sold separately).
Remote Storage	Files stored in existing network file share, saving valuable content database space.
Move Files	Show or hide the Mark File For Import option that allows users to move files from the external file share drive into the SharePoint Document Library.
Import Large Files	Allows users to upload a file from the File Share Library that is larger than the SharePoint maximum file size setting and stores it on the external file share drive only.
Check In/Check Out	View, edit, and check out/in both file share files and files imported or directly uploaded to the library.
Familiar User Interface	Built on standard SharePoint Document Library making it familiar to end users.
Sync Options	Option to automatically sync file share with File Share Library or manually sync.
Handles "Lost" Items	Checks for deleted, moved files from the file share due to importing the file into the File Share Library or moving or deleting the file directly from the file share, and updates them accordingly in the File Share Library upon sync.
Clean Up	Automatically leaves the file on the file share, deletes or moves a deleted or imported file share file to a specified archive location.
Time Management	Imports all items inside a file share folder when you import a file share folder into the library.
Security	Maintains SharePoint Document Library security and standard settings.
Administration	The File Share Library is automatically synced using timer jobs that are monitored by SharePoint Central Administration.

Since we created the File Share Library based on a standard SharePoint Document Library, the base functionality (security and settings) is the same for end users who are used to dealing with the standard SharePoint Document Library. The most important functionality enhancements that we added are:

Syncing the content of the network drive with the list.
Handling security for mapped items.

The File Share Library lets you automatically or manually sync a file share on your network using timer jobs which can be monitored from the SharePoint Central Administration. Automatic (i.e. Continuous) sync can be scheduled through the File Share Library Settings to run hourly, daily, weekly or monthly. You can also include a check for files that have been moved or deleted from the file share.

If you choose to sync manually, you can do so from the File Share Library toolbar as well as a one-time sync from the File Share Library Settings. Both the automatic sync and the one-time sync are scheduled jobs that run according to your job queue priority. The automatic sync job settings are saved in the web application properties, but the one-time sync is not saved.

A timer job is installed with the File Share Library. This job runs every 2 minutes and looks for jobs scheduled through File Share Libraries within web applications specified during install. For more information see About the Bamboo File Share Master Job in Bamboo Product Documentation Online.

Once the File Share Library has been synced with your file share, you can check out/in files, import file share files into the library permanently, upload files outside the file share directly to your File Share Library, view deleted or moved file share files, and automatically delete or move deleted library items or imported file share items to a specified archive location.