Symbolic links, also commonly known as symlinks or soft links, are the Windows equivalent of Unix’s symbolic links. They allow the user to link one file or folder to another, creating a shortcut to the target file or folder. This allows the user to access the target file or folder more quickly, as the user only needs to access the symbolic link to access the target file or folder.
Symbolic links are especially useful for IT administrators, as they can be used to quickly and easily redirect access to a file or folder. For example, an IT administrator may want to move a file from one server to another, or from one disk to another. By creating a symbolic link, the administrator can quickly and easily redirect access to the new location without having to manually change the location of the file or folder each time it is accessed.
To create a symbolic link, the IT administrator must use the command-line utility mklink. The command takes two arguments: the target file/folder and the symbolic link. To create a symbolic link, the IT administrator must enter the following command syntax: mklink
Once the symbolic link has been created, the administrator can easily redirect access to the target file or folder. To do this, the administrator must use the command-line utility move. The command takes two arguments: the existing path and the new path. To redirect access, the IT administrator must enter the following command syntax: move
When redirecting access to a file or folder using a symbolic link, the IT administrator must take care to ensure that the permissions of the target file or folder are not changed. The symbolic link itself does not have any permissions associated with it, so it is possible that the user may not have access to the target file or folder if the permissions of the target file or folder have been changed.
In summary, IT administrators can use symbolic links to quickly and easily redirect access to a file or folder. The IT administrator must use the command-line utility mklink to create the symbolic link, and the command-line utility move to redirect access to the target file or folder. When redirecting access to a file or folder using a symbolic link, the IT administrator must take care to ensure that the permissions of the target file or folder are not changed.