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Temporary Files

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by the young one

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This one's more of a "what if" one than anything.

Thru regedit I know you can manually set the path of different user shell folders such as application data, temporary internet files etc.

What do you think if instead of every user having theirown temp internet files, they have one shared folder on the server that everyone can access where temporary internet files are stored. Basically working the same as a cache but easier to manage.

Any thoughts on what pitfalls or advantages this could have...security has been one that came to mind immediately as far as cookies etc go for online banking...

Love to hear your opinions.

15 replies

by areets

In the world of MS Windows, yes but only applicable if roaming profiles are used.

Novell tried to instil that multi-client single server environment but it was killed and all "positive drive" in that direction.

Once again if you recall the NETPC drive was slaughtered and we have not achieved a stable environment that would focus server-end processing for all networking resources, hence reducing the client-end processing power that would diminish the cost to sustaining business stability.

That financial cost surely could hold on to an extra employee.

With greater attention from the many and not only MS would dominate the markets.

Home and entertainment PCs could be retained by MS, amongst others. But top level management in IT departments world-wide need to grasp onto a better understanding of today's technology and its implications to framework the convergence of all these elements into a governance.

TSP

by funinalaska

As we know the Temporary Internet Folder leaves a trail of actions by the user. This is a good area for business and personal users to see where someone was on the Web.
How about a way to send all the Temp Internet files to one source to be reviewed by the Administrator? This was you can see for yourself where this person was on the Web, and leave the cleaning up the Admins job.
Microsoft doesn't allow you to mess with the application, however you can Macro to send the folder to another area. This seams like a cheaper solution than getting another hard drive.
If everyone in the company can access the temp web file would it give power to the users to become snitches based on the information revealed?
More research is needed before you make that change.
Good luck! Kim

by areets

Companies must truly re-examine their IT policies and strategies. For their continuity will be based on their flexibility to do so. As it stands, the IT industry has already dug itself a whole. Be champions and stay out of that whole or begin climbing. The negativity that you describe as human nature is not but of our society. But I wish to remain technical and sound as these facts can be verified.

Many IT and business operational tasks require greater centralization but balance at retaining a distributed environment for both business and its technical support.

Do no mislead yourself, research material is there, but since we prefer not to challenge, as it is perceived so incorrectly, and words no longer carry its true power, moneydictates.

Read my writings and remain objective with a critical eye. I did not mean an actual 'hard drive'.

TSP

by curlergirl

What are you talking about, areets? As I understood it, the original question was merely a matter of convenience, perhaps to improve the speed of web page refreshing for all users, perhaps also to allow centralized purging of expired or outdated cached files. What does this have to do with Microsoft's dominance of the networking environment?? Please - don't try to turn a simple discussion into some kind of philosophical agenda. I have as high an IQ as any of you out there, I'm sure, and an undergraduate major in English with 99% of an MBA, and I'm having trouble even understanding your "biz speak". What do you mean by "its [today's technology, I presume] implications to framework the convergence of all these elements into a governance." What are we trying to govern here? And since when did "framework" become a verb? I'm sorry - but these things greatly annoy me and IMHO serve only to make clear communications between colleagues more difficult.

To answer the original question - it might be possible in a smaller environment (100 or less network users) and might even slightly increase access time for users if they were in the habit of using the same web pages. For example, in a professional firm (law, accounting, etc.) where all users tend to use the same web sites for research and information gathering. After all, proxy server software like ISA generally does this as a speed-improvement technique as part of the action of proxying web access. I'm just not sure whether the network traffic of caching files back from users to a central server location in a larger network would cancel out the speed improvements of users sharing cached web info.

by curlergirl

Your point about security and cookies is certainly a concern. Also, we are running into more web sites (particularly for some reason in the insurance industry) that require downloading an applet (like a Citrix client perhaps) that I think also usescached info on the client. Some of these things would definitely cause problems and security concerns. I don't know if there would be a way to cache web pages centrally and locate cookies locally. There is also the question of privacy, but in reality any network admin could track users' Internet activity in other ways if he/she wanted to do so, and there are good arguments on both sides, pro and con, about this.

by jackofalltech

Thanks, Synergy! After I posted my question, I started feeling a little guilty for the way I phrased it and was going to issue a public apology to areets. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has trouble understanding him.

Areets (?), I do apologize for putting you down. In the future, I will try to refrain from displaying a condesending attitude and simply ignore posts I don't understand.

Ralph

by thechas

It is fortunate for you that you are in a position where you can hold to your idealist principles.

In the real world (at least here in the US) there are myriad problems with unrestricted internet access on corporate networks.

Lost productivityfrom users who spend over 1/2 of their work day on-line on non-work related issues.

Lawsuits from having content on your network from users who visit and save files from adult content web sites.

Risk to your network and files from users who use peer to peer file sharing networks.

In a corporate setting, the IT department needs to be able to monitor and track the internet habits of the employees.

Chas

by areets

I can hold 'idealist' principles!

As for some time we have categorized the behaviour in this manor. WHY? Would you dare to say that true peace is unachievable, TheChas?

Pin point for all, this large indefinite number of problems related to unrestricted internet access on corporate networks. One at a time, I will resolve them for you so that we can move on.

Has work remained related to productivity? I am out of a job?

Well, when these companies have leaders, then by pen and paper, policies and strategies will be harmonized.

What hardware and software are missing, TheChas?

TSP

by jackofalltech

Chas,
I'm really not trying to be funny or cause problems, this is a serious question. How are you able to figure out what areets is saying? I am fluent in two languages and can read a third and consider myself fairly intelligent but I confess I can't understand a thing he(?) says. To me it sounds like someone with a very small vocabulary looking up big words to use.

Ralph

by areets

I speak English, French; understand Dutch and Flemish; and I can whip a few Spanish words together.

Like a forum member explained. "We are at work so the brain power needed to understand what you write becomes all too much." Stick with the issueat hand.

TR members known date, tend to create another post so as to comment and hold on to humour. You should also try it. Leave this post for replies relevant.

If you do not understand, fine say so. But do not continue to wear that coat thatreflects your lack of knowledge in my "domain".

TSP

by jfrench

Why would you want the temporary files going over the network every time people access the internet? You not only download the files, you then store them over the network. For example, right now I have 20MB of temporary internet files. Do I really want 20MB of extra traffic on the network? Yes, a network could handle it. But technically I can run everything accross my network and if it's built right it can handle it.

Just a thought

by curlergirl

I usually do ignore those kind of posts, too, RD, but I had the same reaction that you did. And I thought his response was out of line.

by funinalaska

Oh, boy after responding to your simple what if, and returning to the discussion today I see the post have run-a-muck. I try to answer the original problem and keep my personal comments off these sites. However, I must agree with the general discussion. You have posted a "what If," and your idea was a good one. I have high hopes in humanity to answer the question with a possible solution in mind, otherwise why put the question out there?
I think it is great that all of us can possibly help each other out through experience. I thank all of you who have also helped me with my computer problems. It is a good forum for that.
Kim

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