Never delete user accounts. Just disable them. For precisely the reason mentioned - after a user account is deleted, whether Windows or Linux fileshare, the system says "I don't know who owns those files..."
> -----Original Message----- > From: discuss-boun...@lopsa.org [mailto:discuss-boun...@lopsa.org] On > Behalf Of Junhao > Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 12:17 PM > To: discuss@lopsa.org > Subject: [lopsa-discuss] Handling files on a fileserver left by users > who have resigned > > Hi! > > At my workplace, I am in charge of data storage for my research group. > These files are placed in a *NIX file server, and users authentication > is through my corporate AD. Files are owned by individual users; other > users from the same group can only read the files. As primary research > data files, we basically expect these to be available forever. > > This system has worked well till several of my colleagues left. Their > user accounts were promptly deleted from the corporate AD, creating a > situation where their files are owned by invalid/unknown users. > > My workplace does not have a policy to handle this situation, so I am > wondering how everyone handles this age-old problem. Any advice? > > I can only think of these 2 methods: > 1) create local users to replace the AD user. > There no confusion about the person who generated the data long time > past, and institutional knowledge can be preserved. However, this > becomes a management headache. > > 2) create a general user to own all these files. Simple solution, at > the > expense of institutional knowledge. > > 3) request for the accounts to be locked, not deleted. I think Security > will scream... > > Any advice? > > Thanks! > Regards, > Junhao > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > Discuss@lopsa.org > http://lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss > This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators > http://lopsa.org/ _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lopsa.org http://lopsa.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discuss This list provided by the League of Professional System Administrators http://lopsa.org/
