Contents

Office network

• Overview
• Accessing the server
• File Structure

Overview

The office runs on a local area network (LAN) with a main server and workstations for the users. The workstations are hard wired using cat5 cable, not Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi has been added for the convenience of guests and operates through a separate router. All company documents are stored on the server, nothing is ever stored locally on a workstation.

Apart from the company folders and sub folders, each staff member has a staff folder which they can store files they are currently working on. This folder is accessed from the “My documents” link in a windows explorer pane. When setting up a user these links need to be manually set as the default is to store them locally on the workstation.

All staff have access to everyone’s staff folder however, management have a sub-folder called [name] – PRIVATE which only they have permission to view.

Access to the company folder structure is controlled by the server management software (we run Microsoft Server 2016) and permissions are granted to users using policies. Each user is granted membership to relevant groups and that membership determines what they have access to. A user can be a member of multiple groups. For example, a user who was a member of just the “staff group” might have access to folder A & B, whereas a user who was a member of the “staff group” and the “accounts group” might have access to folder A, B & C. All folders are visible, but a user can only view the contents if they have permission to do so.

Users can login to any workstation and their desktop will sync so they can hot desk or move around the office and all their “stuff” will be there. Unless they’ve managed to store anything on the local workstation.

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Accessing the server

The server can be accessed by two methods;

1. By directly connecting a mouse, keyboard and monitor to the server.
2. By remoting in from a workstation using the ‘Remote desktop’ application.

Direct Access.

Simply plug in a mouse, keyboard and monitor and you will see the login screen, enter the username and password and you will be logged in.

Using Remote Desktop.

1. While logged in to you workstation select the search box next to the Windows icon, bottom left of the screen.
2. Start typing ‘remote desktop’. as you type programs will start to filter. When you see the Remote Desktop program appear, click on it.
3. A window will appear, Enter the admin user name. and proceed
4. Enter the admin password and proceed.
5. You will see the server login screen.
6. Enter the admin username and password as before and you will be logged in.

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File structure.

The main folders that contain work files are

• Document Library
• Staff Folders
• Stateside APM
• Stateside Application
• Scans

Document Library

This folder contains the master copy of for our PDF and other documents. There should only be 1 copy of any document, users should never save copies to their staff folder because “it’s quicker to find it” or for any other reason. If there are multiple copies, when updating is required it will be impossible to find and update them all. making it very likely that out of date information will be sent to clients. This folder is used less and less as more documents are placed on line and in the cloud.

Staff folders

These contain the working folders for the users. By default there is one sub-folder called ‘Downloads’, all browser downloads are directed there. Each user can store what ever they’re working on, before completion and saving to the permanent network or cloud folders. Managers have a PRIVATE folder which is only accessible by the user where they can store personal or sensitive documents.

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