Module 11: Configuring

and Managing
Distributed File System
Module Overview
• DFS Overview

• Configuring DFS Namespaces

• Configuring DFS Replication

Lesson 1: DFS Overview
• What Is the Distributed File System?

• How DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication Work

• DFS Scenarios

• Types of DFS Namespaces

• What Are Folders and Folder Targets?

• Namespace Server Requirements

• Demonstration: Installing DFS

What Is the Distributed File System?

The Distributed File System incorporates technologies that provide fault-

tolerant access to geographically dispersed files

DFS technologies include:

• DFS Namespaces - provide a virtual view of shared folders

located on different servers
• DFS Replication - provides high-availability(HA) and
fault-tolerance to files and folders
• Remote Differential Compression - provides a compression
technology that is optimized for data transfers over
limited-bandwidth networks
How DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication Work
User in New Server in New
York York
2

1
\\Contoso.com\Marketing

DFS
1 \\NYC-SRV-01\ProjectDocs Replication

Folder
Targets \\LON-SRV-01\ProjectDocs

Namespac
e
2
User in Server in
London London

User types: \\contoso.com\marketing

1 Client computers contact a namespace server and receive a referral

Client computers cache the referral and then contact the first server in the
2 referral
DFS Scenarios
 Types of DFS Namespaces

Characteristic Domain-based Stand-alone

Path \\Domainname\Namespace \\Servername\Namespace
Location Active Directory and memory Server registry and memory
cache cache
Size • Up to 5,000 folders with Up to 50,000 folders with
targets in Windows°2000 targets
Server mode
• Up to 50,000 folders with
targets in Windows°Server
2008 mode
Availability Namespace hosted on Server cluster
multiple servers
DFS Replication Supported Supported
 What Are Folders and Folder Targets?
Folders:
• Are the primary elements of
a namespace
• Have at least one folder target
Folder targets include:
• Shared folders
(\\server\share)
• Folders in a shared folder
(\\server\share\folder)
• A path to another namespace
(\\domainname\rootname)

Namespac Folder
Namespace e Targets
Server
\\LDN-SRV-01\Tools
London
Namespace
\\Contoso\Public
Root

\\NYC-SRV-01\Tools
Folder Software New York

Folders with Tools

Targets
\\NYC-SRV-02\Training
Training Guides
New York
Namespace Server Requirements

A namespace server is:

• A domain controller or member server

• Windows Server™2003 or Windows Server°2008

Namespace server considerations:

• Must contain an NTFS volume to host

the namespace
• Must be in the same domain if the namespace
is domain-based
• Cannot be a clustered resource if the
namespace is domain-based
Demonstration: Installing DFS

In this demonstration, you will see how to install the DFS

services role
Lesson 2: Configuring DFS Namespaces
• Deploying Namespaces for Publishing Content

• Security Requirements for Creating and Managing a

Namespace
• Demonstration: How to Create Namespaces

• Increasing Availability of a Namespace

• Options for Optimizing a Namespace

• Demonstration: Configuring Folder Targets

Deploying Namespaces for Publishing Content

To configure a namespace for publishing content:

1 Create a namespace

2 Create a folder in the namespace

3 Add folder targets

4 Set the ordering method for targets in referrals

Optional tasks:
5 Set target priority to override referral ordering

6 Enable client failback

7 Replicate folder targets using DFS-R

You may also need to delegate the ability to create and manage
namespaces
Security Requirements for Creating and Managing
a Namespace

Task
Create a domain-based
namespace
Add a namespace server to a
domain-based namespace
Manage a domain-based
namespace
Create a stand-alone namespace Local Administrators group on
Manage a stand-alone
namespace
Implement DFS replication
Group
Domain Admins
Domain Admins
Local Administrators on each
namespace server
the namespace server
Local Administrators group on
the namespace server
Domain Admins
Demonstration: How to Create Namespaces
In this demonstration, you will see how to:
• Create new namespaces

• Create a folder and folder target

• Delegate permissions
Increasing Availability of a Namespace

Domain-based namespace:

• Specify additional namespace servers

Stand-alone namespace:

• Create a stand-alone namespace as a cluster resource

Folders:

• Specify additional folder targets

• Replicate folders using DFS Replication
Options for Optimizing a Namespace

Methods for optimizing a namespace include:

• Rename or move a folder

• Disable referrals to a folder
• Referral cache duration
• Namespace polling
Demonstration: Configuring Folder Targets
In this demonstration, you will see how to:
• Configure additional folder targets to provide availability

• Optimize a namespace
Lesson 3: Configuring DFS Replication
• What Is DFS Replication?

• What Are Replication Groups and Replicated Folders?

• DFS Replication Requirements

• Scalability Considerations for DFS Replication

• Process for Deploying a Multipurpose Replication Group

• Understanding the Initial Replication Process

• Generating Diagnostic Reports and Propagation Tests

• Demonstration: Deploying DFS Replication

What Is DFS Replication?

DFS-R is a multimaster replication engine that supports replication

scheduling and bandwidth throttling

• Uses remote differential compression to efficiently

update files over a limited-bandwidth network
• Detects changes on the volume by monitoring
the USN journal
• Uses a staging folder to stage a file before sending and
receiving it
• Uses a version vector exchange protocol to determine what
files need to be synchronized
• Uses a conflict resolution heuristic of “last writer wins” for
files contents that are in conflict and
• “earliest creator wins” for name conflicts
• Is self-healing and can automatically recover from failure
What Are Replication Groups and Replicated Folders?

• Replication Group
• A set of servers, known as members, that participate in replicating
one or more replicated folders
• Can be configured for multipurpose or data collection purposes
• Replicated Folder
• A folder that is kept synchronized on each member

Replication
Group
Connection
Projects\Spec.doc
Member

Proposals\Budget.xls

Projects Projects

Replicated
Folders
Proposals Proposals
DFS Replication Requirements

DFS-R Requirements include:

• Domain should be 08
• The Active Directory schema must include the
DFS replication objects
• Servers must be Windows Server°2003 R2 or
Windows Server °2008, and must have the
DFS replication service installed
• Servers in a replication group must be in the same forest
• Replicated folders must be stored on NTFS volumes
• On server clusters, replicated folders must be located
in the node’s local storage
• Antivirus software must be compatible with
DFS Replication
Scalability Considerations for DFS Replication

Scalability considerations include:

• Each server can be a member of up to 256 replication groups

• Each replication group can contain up to 256 replicated folders
• Each server can have up to 256 connections
• The number of replication groups multiplied by
the number of replicated folders multiplied by the number of
simultaneously active connections must be kept to 1024 or fewer
• A replication group can contain up to 256 members
• A volume can contain up to 8 million replicated files, and a server
can contain up to 1 terabyte of replicated files
• The maximum tested file size is 64 gigabytes
Process for Deploying a Multipurpose
Replication Group

1 Select the type of replication group to create

2 Specify the name and domain

3 Add the replication group members

4 Specify a topology

5 Specify the replication group schedule and bandwidth

6 Specify the primary member

7 Specify the folders to replicate and the

local path on member servers
Understanding the Initial Replication Process

1 Replication of DFS Replication settings

2 The primary member starts replication

3 Files are moved to DfsrPrivate\PreExisting

4 Files are compared and replicated

5 Primary member designation is removed

Generating Diagnostic Reports and
Propagation Tests

Use the Diagnostic Report

Wizard to:

• Create a health report

• Start a propagation test
• Create a propagation report
Demonstration: Deploying DFS Replication
In this demonstration, you will see how to:
• Create a new replication group

• Add members to the group

• Determine the topology

• Set the replication schedule

• Configure folders to replicate

• Create a diagnostic report for DFS replication

Lab: Configuring DFS
• Exercise 1: Installing the Distributed File System Role
Service
• Exercise 2: Creating a DFS Namespace

• Exercise 3: Configuring Folder Targets and Folder

Replication
• Exercise 4: Viewing Diagnostic Reports for Replicated
Folders
Logon information
Virtual machines NYC-DC1, NYC-SVR1

User name Administrator

Password Pa$$w0rd

Estimated time: 60 minutes

Lab Review
• You need to install DFS. Where is the Distributed File
System installation performed?
• What are the requirements for deploying a namespace in
Windows Server 2008 mode?
• What are the benefits of hosting a namespace on several
namespace servers?
• You have just configured a replication group, but it does
not seem to be replicating any files. What could be wrong?
Module Review and Takeaways
• Review Questions

• Network Ports Used by DFS

• Tools
Notes Page Over-flow Slide. Do Not Print Slide.
See Notes pane.