I've been looking at the File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 a lot lately. One very nice part of FSRM is the ability to schedule typical file management tasks. One of the examples from the Microsoft storage team is to create a custom task to move old files to another server and leave a shortcut in place. The files are moved to a more appropriate server and the users can still find their files with practically no fuss. However, this requires Windows Server 2008 R2. If you aren't there yet, you can use my PowerShell function, New-FileShortCut in your archiving process.<\/p>\n
This will require PowerShell 2.0. But you should be able to run it from your Windows 7 desktop and manage a Windows Server 2003 file server.<\/p>\n
1:<\/span> Function New-FileShortcut {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
2:<\/span> #requires -version 2.0<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
3:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
4:<\/span> <#<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
5:<\/span> .Synopsis<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
6:<\/span> Create a file link shortcut.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
7:<\/span> .Description<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
8:<\/span> This function<\/span> will create a file shortcut link, a .lnk file. This can be useful when<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
9:<\/span> moving files to another location and you want to leave a shortcut behind in<\/span> place<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
10:<\/span> of the orginal file. You must specify a shortcut name ending in<\/span> .lnk and the target<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
11:<\/span> file must already be in<\/span> place.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
12:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
13:<\/span> This function<\/span> fully supports -verbose, -confirm and -whatif.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
14:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
15:<\/span> .Parameter Name<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
16:<\/span> The full filename and path of the shortcut file. It must end<\/span> in<\/span> .lnk. You<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
17:<\/span> should specify the complete path.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
18:<\/span> .Parameter Target<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
19:<\/span> The full filename and path of the target file. It must exist as it will be<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
20:<\/span> verified during the validation process<\/span>.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
21:<\/span> .Parameter Passthru<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
22:<\/span> By default<\/span> nothing is written to the pipeline. Use -Passthru to write the shortcut<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
23:<\/span> file object to the pipeline.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
24:<\/span> .Example<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
25:<\/span> PS C:\\> New-FileShortcut \\\\file01\\files\\MyData.lnk \\\\file02\\Archive\\MyData.doc<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
26:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
27:<\/span> This will create a shortcut file for<\/span> MyData on FILE01 that points to the actual<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
28:<\/span> file on FILE02.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
29:<\/span> .Example<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
30:<\/span> PS C:\\> dir H:\\Files\\*.csv | foreach<\/span> {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
31:<\/span> $dest=\"\\\\File02\\Archive\\files\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
32:<\/span> Move-Item $_ -destination $dest<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
33:<\/span> New-FileShortcut -name (Join-Path $_.Directory \"$($_.basename).lnk\"<\/span> -target (Join-path $dest $_.name) -Passthru<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
34:<\/span> }<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
35:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
36:<\/span> This example will move all CSV files from H:\\Files to the Archive folder on FILE02. After each file is moved<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
37:<\/span> a new shortcut link is left in<\/span> its place. Join-Path is used to construct valid file paths and names.<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
38:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
39:<\/span> .Inputs<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
40:<\/span> None<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
41:<\/span> .Outputs<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
42:<\/span> File object if<\/span> you use -Passthru<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
43:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
44:<\/span> .Link<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
45:<\/span> Get-Item<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
46:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
47:<\/span> .Notes<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
48:<\/span> NAME: New-FileShortcut<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
49:<\/span> VERSION: 1.1<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
50:<\/span> AUTHOR: Jeffery Hicks<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
51:<\/span> LASTEDIT: 3\/17\/2010<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
52:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
53:<\/span> #><\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
54:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
55:<\/span> [cmdletBinding(SupportsShouldProcess=$True,ConfirmImpact=\"Low\"<\/span>)]<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
56:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
57:<\/span> Param (<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
58:<\/span> [Parameter(Mandatory=$True, ValueFromPipeline=$False,Position=0,<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
59:<\/span> HelpMessage=\"Enter the name of the file shortcut. It must end in .lnk\"<\/span>)]<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
60:<\/span> [ValidateScript({$_.EndsWith(\".lnk\"<\/span>)})]<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
61:<\/span> [string]$Name,<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
62:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
63:<\/span> [Parameter(Mandatory=$True, ValueFromPipeline=$False,Position=1,<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
64:<\/span> HelpMessage=\"Enter the full path to the target file shortcut. The file must already exist.\"<\/span>)]<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
65:<\/span> [ValidateScript({Test-Path $_})]<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
66:<\/span> [string]$Target,<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
67:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
68:<\/span> [Switch]$PassThru<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
69:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
70:<\/span> ) #end Parameter definition<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
71:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
72:<\/span> Begin {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
73:<\/span> write-verbose \"Starting function\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
74:<\/span> write-verbose \"Creating the shell COM Object\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
75:<\/span> $wshell=New-Object -ComObject \"Wscript.Shell\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
76:<\/span> } #end Begin scriptblock<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
77:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
78:<\/span> Process {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
79:<\/span> write-verbose \"Creating a shortcut for $target as $name\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
80:<\/span> #shortcut will be saved in System32 folder unless a full path<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
81:<\/span> #is specified. If the user just puts in a filename, assume<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
82:<\/span> #they want the file in the current directory.<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
83:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
84:<\/span> if<\/span> (split-path $name -Parent) {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
85:<\/span> $linkpath=$name<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
86:<\/span> }<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
87:<\/span> else<\/span> {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
88:<\/span> $linkpath=Join-path (get-location) $name<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
89:<\/span> write-verbose \"Adjusting link file to $linkpath\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
90:<\/span> }<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
91:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
92:<\/span> $shortcut=$wshell.CreateShortcut($linkpath)<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
93:<\/span> $shortcut.TargetPath=$target<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
94:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
95:<\/span> if<\/span> ($pscmdlet.ShouldProcess($Target)) {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
96:<\/span> write-verbose \"Saving shortcut\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
97:<\/span> $shortcut.Save()<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
98:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
99:<\/span> if<\/span> ($passthru) {<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
100:<\/span> write-verbose \"Passing shortcut file object to the pipeline\"<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
101:<\/span> #write the new shortcut file object to the pipeline if -Passthru<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
102:<\/span> Get-item $shortcut.fullname<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
103:<\/span> }<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
104:<\/span> }<\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
105:<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/p>\n
106:<\/span> } #end Process scriptblock<\/span><\/pre>\n