Configure Storage Reports in Windows Server 2016

We can configure storage reports with File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) in Windows Server 2016 to generate various useful reports. These reports allow us to get a high level overview of the file shares on the file server.

In this example we’ll show you how to configure storage reports in Windows Server 2016, however the steps are very similar to older versions of the Windows operating system.

To use this feature you must first install the FSRM role.


This post is part of our Microsoft 70-744 Securing Windows Server 2016 exam study guide series. For more related posts and information check out our full 70-744 study guide.


Configure Storage Reports

Storage reports can be created on a regular schedule, or as required once off on the fly.

From Server Manager, select Tools > File Server Resource Manager and then select Storage Reports Management as shown below.

Storage Reports Management

Scheduled Reports

To create a scheduled report, select Schedule a New Report. The Storage Reports Task Properties window will open on the settings tab, as shown below. We can give our report a name and then select the reports that we wish to generate. By default most of the available reports are ticked and will be generated. You can highlight any of the reports and edit the parameters of the report. Towards the bottom we can select the formats that the report should generate from DHTML, HTML, XML, CSV, or Text.

Scheduled Storage Report Settings

Next on the scope tab we can define the folders that we want to report on. We can select some built in options toward the top, and specify our own custom folders to be in scope toward the bottom.

Storage Report Scope

The delivery tab allows us to send the reports out via email to a specified address or semicolon separated addresses list. Reports are also saved in the C:\StorageReports\Scheduled folder on the FSRM system.

Storage Reports Email

Finally the schedule tab is used to specify when you want the selected reports to generate. In this example we are creating a daily report that will run every day of the week at 8am.

Storage Reports Schedule

You can now click the Ok button to create the scheduled report. We can now see it listed under Storage Reports Management.

Storage Reports Management with Scheduled Report

One Off Report

Creating a once off report is essentially the same as a scheduled report, the only difference is that you select Generate Reports Now. The window that this opens is mostly the same as creating a schedule report, with the exception that there is no tab for defining a schedule as this is a once off report.

Manual One Off Storage Report

Scheduled reports can be selected and run any time outside of their schedule, so if you already have a scheduled report that you want to generate you can generate it at any time and don’t need to manually recreate it by using generate reports now.

Summary

We can configure storage reports with File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) in Windows Server 2016 to email and store various reports related to the status of content present in the file shares on the file server. We can schedule reports to be automatically generated at specific times, or create one off reports as needed on a case by case basis.


This post is part of our Microsoft 70-744 Securing Windows Server 2016 exam study guide series. For more related posts and information check out our full 70-744 study guide.

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