Windows File Path Agent
The Windows File Path Agent allows Discover to connect to files on Windows File Servers.
Scalability
Gimmal recommends engaging their service team in order to properly scale the Windows File Path agent. While our support team is always available to answer questions about the software, they will not be able to assist you in building and maintaining an index.
The performance of the Windows File Path Agent is dependent on many factors including disk I/O, network speed/latency, and processing power. It is difficult to assess exactly how the agent will perform on your systems. However, there are some general rules that can be followed to maximize the performance of the agent.
Install on Storage Volume
This is not always possible due to some storage volumes being on a NAS/SAN or similar device, however when possible, this will produce the best performance from the agent. When this is not possible, the faster the bandwidth is between the agent and data, the better the agent will perform.
Using an Index
To scale the Windows File Path agent, the first step is to configure the agent to use an index. The index will force crawled data to reside in a (built-in) database on the Windows Server. To create and configure the index, browse to the topic Creating a Search Index for Network File Servers.
When to Use an Index
This will vary per implementation, however, the following are reasons you should use an index.
Integrating Discover with Records Management
The length of time it takes to crawl your file paths are longer than you are willing to wait
Maximum Index Size
The maximum size of the index is 18TB, and in our experience, the index is approximately one-third the size of the source data. This will vary depending on the type of files you have in your file paths. You will need to use multiple agents and indexes in order to keep the index size under 18TB.
Index Location
While the index can technically reside on any windows file path on your network, it is recommended to store the index on the same volume where the agent is deployed.
Integrating Files with SharePoint Online
The Gimmal Discover Data Governance module may be configured to copy or move files directly from a network share into SharePoint Online. For more information about this feature please refer to this article