Disk Users Quota Test

Disk quotas track and control disk space usage for NTFS volumes, allowing administrators to control the amount of data that each user can store on a specific NTFS volume. By using disk quotas, you can configure Microsoft Windows Server to do the following:

  • Log an event when a user exceeds a specified disk space warning level. The warning level specifies the point at which a user is nearing the quota limit.
  • Prevent further use of disk space or log an event when a user exceeds a specified disk space limit.

If the specified disk quota is violated by a user, it indicates that that user’s files are occupying a huge chunk of space on the disk partition, leaving very little disk space free for the files of other users. To prevent disk space contentions, administrators need to track disk space usage on a continuous basis and figure out which user on which partition is unnecessarily eroding the space on the partition. The Disk Users Quota test helps in this regard.

This test monitors how each user to a server is utilizing every disk partition on the server, promptly detects a quota violation, and instantly alerts administrators to the violation. This way, administrators can understand:

  • Which disk is being utilized excessively?
  • Which user is using that disk over the prescribed quota?
  • Which limit has been exceeded – warning? or the hard limit?

Based on these findings, administrators can then investigate the reasons for excessive space usage by a particular user and employ measures to resolve the space crunch.

Note:

This test executes only on Windows 2008 servers and Microsoft File Servers (i.e., the MS File server component in eG) operating on Windows 2008 platform.

Target of the test : A Windows host

Agent deploying the test : An internal agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for each physical disk partition that is being used by each user to the target server

Configurable parameters for the test
  1. Test period - How often should the test be executed
  2. Host - The host for which the test is to be configured.
Measurements made by the test
Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

Status:

Indicates whether/not the disk quota set for this user on this disk partition has been violated, and if so, which limit has been violated.

 

The values that this measure can report and their corresponding numeric values have been detailed below:

Measure Value Description Numeric Value

OK

The disk quota has not been exceeded

 0

Warning

The warning limit of the disk quota has been exceeded

 1

Exceeded

The hard limit of the disk quota has been exceeded

 2

If the measure reports Warning or Exceeded, it is a cause for concern, as it indicates excessive utilization of the space in the disk partition by a specific user. You may then have to figure out why that particular user is using so much space. If required, you may have to allocate more space to the partition, delete unnecessary files from the partition to create more space, or fine-tune the disk quota to suit the workload of your environment.  

Note:

By default, this measure reports one of the Measure Values listed in the table above. The graph of this measure however will represent the quota violation status using the numeric equivalents – 0 to 2.

Disk used:

Indicates the amount of disk space that is currently used by this user on this partition.

GB

By comparing the value of this measure across descriptors, you can figure out which user is making the most use of which disk partition.

 

Quota used:

Indicates the percentage of the quota set for this user on this partition that is currently in use.

Percent; but, if the value of this measure is No limit, then no unit of measurement will appear for this metric in the eG monitoring console.

This is calculated using the formula:

(Disk Used / Quota limit)*100

If the value of this measure is 100% or close to it, it indicates that a specific user is making abnormal use of the space on a particular disk partition. By comparing the value of this measure across descriptors, you can figure out which user is making the most use of which disk partition.

To make sure that there is always enough space on the ‘most-used’ partition for the files of other users, you may have to allocate more space to the partition, delete unnecessary files from the partition to create more space, or fine-tune the disk quota to suit the workload of your environment.

 

If the value of this measure is reported as -6, it indicates that no limit has been set. In such a situation therefore, this measure will display the value No limit.

Limit remaining:

Indicates the amount of disk quota that is yet o be used by this user on this disk partition.

GB; but, if the value of this measure is No limit, then no unit of measurement will appear for this metric in the eG monitoring console.

A high value is desired for this measure. If the value of this measure is reported as -6, it indicates that no limit has been set. In such a situation therefore, this measure will display the value No limit.

Quota Limit:

Indicates the disk quota specified for this user on this partition.

GB

 

Warning level:

Indicates the disk space usage limit set for this disk partition when used by this user, beyond which an event will be logged in the event log warning administrators of an impending disk space crunch.

GB

 

Is user over the warning limit?

Indicates whether/not the usage of this disk partition by this user has exceeded the specified ‘warning’ limit.

 

The values that this measure report and their corresponding numeric values have been listed in the table below:

Measure Value Numeric Value
Yes 1
No 0

If the measure reports the value Yes, it is a cause for concern, as it indicates that the disk quota is about to be used up. You may then have to figure out why that particular user is using so much space. If required, you may have to allocate more space to the partition, delete unnecessary files from the partition to create more space, or fine-tune the disk quota to suit the workload of your environment.  

Note:

By default, this measure reports one of the Measure Values listed in the table above to indicate whether the warning limit has been violated or not. The graph of this measure however will represent the same  using the numeric equivalents.

Is user over the hard limit?

Indicates whether/not the usage of this disk partition by this user has exceeded the specified ‘hard’ limit.

 

The values that this measure report and their corresponding numeric values have been listed in the table below:

Measure Value Numeric Value
Yes 1
No 0

If the measure reports the value Yes, it is a cause for concern, as it indicates that the disk quota is about to be used up. You may then have to figure out why that particular user is using so much space. If required, you may have to allocate more space to the partition, delete unnecessary files from the partition to create more space, or fine-tune the disk quota to suit the workload of your environment.  

Note:

By default, this measure reports one of the Measure Values listed in the table above to indicate whether the hard limit has been violated or not. The graph of this measure however will represent the same  using the numeric equivalents.