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?

DFS technologies include:

• DFS Namespaces - provide a virtual view of shared folders located on different servers

• DFS Replication - provides high-availability and fault-tolerance to files and folders

• Remote Differential Compression - provides a compression technology that is optimized for data transfers over limited-bandwidth networks

The Distributed File System incorporates technologies that provide fault-tolerant access to geographically dispersed files

How DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication Work

User types: \\contoso.com\marketing Client computers contact a namespace server and receive a referral1

Client computers cache the referral and then contact the first server in the referral2

Server in London

User in New York

DFS Replication

1

1

2

2Namespace

\\Contoso.com\Marketing

\\LON-SRV-01\ProjectDocs

\\NYC-SRV-01\ProjectDocs

User in London

Server in New York

FolderTargets

DFS Scenarios

Data distribution

ExampleScenario

Data collection

Sharing files across branch offices

Data distribution

ExampleScenario

Data collection

Sharing files across branch offices

Hub siteHub site Branch officeBranch office

Hub siteHub site Site 1Site 1

Hub siteHub site Branch officeBranch office

Site 2Site 2

Types of DFS Namespaces

Characteristic Domain-based Stand-alone

Path \\Domainname\Namespace

\\Servername\Namespace

Location Active Directory and memory cache

Server registry and memory cache

Size

• Up to 5,000 folders with targets in Windows°2000 Server mode

• Up to 50,000 folders with targets in Windows°Server 2008 mode

Up to 50,000 folders with targets

Availability Namespace hosted on multiple servers Server cluster

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)

NamespaceNamespaceServer

Folder Targets

NamespaceRoot

Folder

Folders withTargets

\\LDN-SRV-01\ToolsLondon

\\NYC-SRV-01\ToolsNew York

\\NYC-SRV-02\TrainingNew York

\\Contoso\Public

Software

Tools

Training Guides

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:

Optional tasks:

Create a namespace 1

Add folder targets 3

Create a folder in the namespace 2

Set target priority to override referral ordering 5

Set the ordering method for targets in referrals 4

Enable client failback 6

Replicate folder targets using DFS-R 7

You may also need to delegate the ability to create and manage namespaces

Security Requirements for Creating and Managing a Namespace

Task Group Create a domain-based namespace Domain Admins

Add a namespace server to a domain-based namespace

Domain Admins

Manage a domain-based namespace

Local Administrators on each namespace server

Create a stand-alone namespace

Local Administrators group on the namespace server

Manage a stand-alone namespace

Local Administrators group on the namespace server

Implement DFS replication Domain Admins

Demonstration: How to Create NamespacesIn 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 TargetsIn 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?

• 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 that are in conflict and “earliest creator wins” for name conflicts

• Is self-healing and can automatically recover from failure

DFS-R is a multimaster replication engine that supports replication scheduling and bandwidth throttling

What Are Replication Groups and Replicated Folders?

Member

Projects

Proposals

Projects

Proposals

ReplicatedFolders

Projects\Spec.doc

Proposals\Budget.xls

Connection

Replication Group

• 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

DFS Replication Requirements

DFS-R Requirements include:

• 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

Select the type of replication group to create1

Add the replication group members3

Specify the name and domain 2

Specify the replication group schedule and bandwidth5

Specify a topology4

Specify the primary member6

Specify the folders to replicate and the local path on member servers7

Understanding the Initial Replication Process

Replication of DFS Replication settings1

Files are moved to DfsrPrivate\PreExisting3

The primary member starts replication 2

Primary member designation is removed5

Files are compared and replicated4

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 ReplicationIn 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

FoldersLogon informationVirtual machines NYC-DC1, NYC-SVR1User name AdministratorPassword 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