Using Your US Signal File Storage

This document will outline how to use your new File Storage appliance from US Signal. Learn how to manage the volume, map a network drive, and work with US Signal to integrate with your existing Active Directory environment. 

Accessing the MMC for Your File Storage Appliance

The US Signal File Storage appliance is integrated with the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). If the File Storage appliance is not setup to use Active Directory this is the required method for modifying file and user access to your File Storage volume. 

Managing your File Storage appliance using the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 

1. Using a windows-based machine, you must first create a user that matches the credentials of the File Storage Appliance. 
   1. Create a user on your local machine that matches the File Storage appliance. 
      1. Login: administrator 
      2. Pw: 2aEx7aplr (This password will be provided by US Signal) 
2. Log in to your workstation with the local account you just created. 
   1. If you’re in a domain, you may need to change the “Location” of your login to the local workstation you’re using. 
3. Find ‘My Computer’, right-click it, and go to ‘Manage’. 
4. At the top, right-click Computer Management (Local), then select Connect to another Computer… 
5. Input the IP address of the File Storage appliance, and click OK. 
   1. IP Addressing provided by US Signal unless designated by the customer. 
6. Manage your appliance Users and passwords using the built-in features under Local Users and Groups. a. You can create new folders on your Storage Appliance and edit the access via the management console. 

Managing your File Storage appliance using your existing Microsoft Active Directory Domain

If you would like to integrate your File Storage with your Active Directory environment, please contact the US Signal TOC. US Signal will need all of the information below to complete integration: 

+ Active Directory domain name 

+ NetBIOS domain 

+ FQDN & IP of the domain controller 

+ A role account and credentials for the appliance that has permissions to add a computer to the domain. THIS SHOULD NOT BE A USER’S NAME, BUT A ROLE ACCOUNT SUCH AS “USSIGNAL.” 

- The role account above requires Domain Admin rights FOR INITIAL INTEGRATION ONLY. Once integration completes, the role account must be relegated to the Domain Users group or another group with similar permissions for ongoing access control and management. 

Mapping a Drive to Your File Storage Appliance

File Storage in Windows Workgroup Mode (No Active-Directory enabled)

1. Open My Computer, then Map Network Drive. 
2. If you’re logged in as the Administrator user created earlier, you should have the credentials required to map the drive. You will merely need to put in the IP address of the File Storage appliance. If you’ve created a DNS entry for the appliance, you can use that as well. 
3. If you’re logged into a workstation with a user other than the Administrator user, you will need to map the drive using different credentials. 
   1. Input the IP or DNS address of the File Storage appliance in the folder blank. 
   2. Check the box to reconnect at log on if you want this mapping to be persistent (retained between reboots). 
   3. Check the box to map using different credentials (if your workstation login does not have access or doesn’t match the credentials required to access the File Storage appliance). 
4. Input the credentials required, then click OK. 

File Storage in Active Directory Enabled Mode

1. Follow Step 1 from the previous method. 
2. If you’re logged in with a domain machine and the File Storage Appliance has been set up properly, you should not have to enter different credentials for the drive.

 Auto Mapping File Storage via Domain Policy 

1.  If you’ve completed the setup with US Signal to enable Active Directory Integration with your File Storage appliance, you can use Microsoft Domain Group Policy to push drive mappings automatically to your workstations and clients. 
   1. Requires Domain Administrator Access.
   2. Requires Group Policy Management.
   3. Set up a new one or edit your Default Domain Policy within your Active Directory Domain. 
   4. For more information, click here to read Microsoft’s blog article. 

Editing Export File for NFS File Mounts

By default, US Signal creates a single CIFS/NFS share. If you’d like to make alterations to the share, please contact the TOC.

For support, contact our TOC anytime at 888.663.1700 or toc@ussignal.com