Overview

Folders are the backbone of user experience on the NAS. Plan the layout first, then apply quotas only where they prevent common issues like personal folders consuming shared space.

Design the folder structure

Organise by function so people guess paths correctly the first time.

• Top level shares: Teams, Projects, Archive, and Personal
• Keep sensitive data in its own share for clearer permissions
• Avoid deep nesting that hides files from search

Naming and standards

Predictable names reduce friction and support automation.

• Use short names with dashes, avoid spaces where possible
• Adopt a Year-Project naming scheme for time bound work
• Document the rules in a short readme at the top of each share

Apply quotas where they help

Quotas prevent one user from consuming shared capacity and provide guardrails for growth.

• Per user quotas on Home folders to stop runaway syncs
• Per shared folder quotas for volatile areas like Teams
• Review limits quarterly and adjust with real usage data

Special shares and project spaces

Create dedicated areas for work that does not fit general folders.

• High speed scratch or staging shares that are excluded from backups
• Client handover shares with read only permissions after delivery
• Short lived project spaces that you archive on close

Recovery features to enable

Protect against mistakes without adding daily overhead.

• Enable recycle bins on user facing shares
• Schedule snapshots where recovery time matters
• Use versioning in packages like Synology Drive for working files

Monitoring and growth

Track usage and expand capacity before you run tight.

• Watch share growth and set alerts at 80 and 90 percent
• Plan quarterly reviews for capacity and cleanup
• Keep a small buffer in arrays to maintain performance

Migration and clean up

Keep data tidy as teams change and projects complete.

• Archive or delete dormant shares after approval
• Use robocopy or rsync for structured moves with logs
• Update documentation and shortcuts after each migration

FAQs

Quick answers for planning and governance.

• Do quotas slow performance - negligible impact for most users
• Can users request more space - publish a simple process
• Should I limit project shares - set generous but finite caps then review