LANs to WANs: The Complete Management Guide

A file agent is a tool that is used to collect data about file access, such as which files are being accessed and by whom. Tracking file access is important during situations such as the following:

• Recording file access to a sensitive file or group of files;

• Diagnosing file access problems;

• Reviewing access times for application bottlenecks.

Staying aware of file access data also helps the LAN administrator maintain network security. The file agent monitors access to specified files and provides the following information:

• Who accessed the files;

• The complete path for the file;

• When the files were accessed and for how long;

• What operations were performed;

• The ID of the person accessing the files.

The LAN administrator sets up the file agent to automatically collect this kind of information, after which it can be viewed and analyzed at the console.