The Distributed File System on Windows Server 2012 R2 consists of two components. Distributed File System Namespaces and Distributed File System Replication. In this blog post we will review Distributed File System Namespaces, and then look at how to install and configure DFS-N on Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2. Show Navigation 1.
Distributed File System Namespaces (DFS-N) .
With DFS-N, you can create namespaces. Namespaces are shares under which you can group shared folders from different servers on your network. A namespace functions as a “links” page that points the clients to the particular server or servers where the different shares reside. So instead of creating drive maps for multiple servers and their shares, you can simply create a drive map to the namespace, under which users will find the different shares.
A DFS namespace consists of the following 4 elements,
♦ Folder – Empty folders, ie those without a folder target, can be used to structurize the namespace. There are two types of DFS namespaces that you can create on Windows Server 2012 R2, Domain-based namespaces The metadata for this type of namespaces is stored in Active Directory Domain Services, and they are deployed when there is a need to ensure that the namespace remains available, even if one of the servers hosting the namespace is offline. In other words, multiple servers can host the same namespace. Domain-based namespaces can be hosted on a member server or a domain controller in the same domain in which the namespace is configured. Since the metadata is stored in AD DS, users can browse to the namespace by using the Netbios or FQDN of the domain, such as for example \\shabaztech.com\Public, and they don’t have to know the name of the namespace servers hosting the namespace. There are two different modes you can deploy domain-based namespaces in, • Windows 2008 mode
Stand-alone namespaces The metadata for this type of namespaces is not stored in Active Directory, and they can only be hosted by a single server. That server can be a stand-alone server, a member server or a domain controller. Stand-alone namespaces support up to 50 000 folder targets, and are generally deployed when you can not deploy a domain-based namespace in Windows 2008 mode, due to the domain not being at required functional level. Stand-alone namespaces can be hosted by a failover cluster to increase availability. . 1.1 Installing DFS-N You can install the DFS-N role by using the Add Roles And Features Wizard in Server Manager. 1.1.1 Select the Role-Based Or Feature-Based Installation option 1.1.3 Click Add Features to install management tools as
well 1.1.4 Click Next twice, and then click on Install . 1.2 Creating a DFS Namespace 1.2.1 Start DFS Management 1.2.3 Enter the name of the server that will host the
namespace 1.2.5 By clicking on Edit Settings on the Namespace Name and Settings page of the Wizard, you can change path and shared folder
permissions for the new namespace 1.2.6 Select the type of namespace to
create 1.2.7 Click
Create 1.2.8 Click
Close 1.2.9 A domain-based namespace automatically publishes its topology (the roots, links, and targets) in the domain partition of Active Directory Domain Services. You can view this information by using the ADSI-edit tool.
. 1.3 Adding Namespace Server to the Namespace 1.3.1 Right-click Namespaces → Add Namespace Server 1.3.2 Enter the name of the server that will also host the namespace, then click Ok. (Clicking on the Edit Settings button will bring up the same dialog box as step
1.2.5) 1.3.3 The namespace server will be
added . 1.4 Adding a DFS-N Folder with Folder Targets 1.4.1 Right-click Namespaces → New Folder 1.4.2 Give the new folder
a name, and then click on Add to add folder targets 1.4.3 Click on Browse to browse for folder
targets 1.4.4 You can add an existing shared folder, or create a new
one 1.4.5
You can also create several targets for the same DFS-N folder, and then use DFS-R to synchronize those shared folders on different servers. When you are done, click on
Ok. . 1.5 Configuring the properties of a DFS-N root To access the properties sheet of a namespace, Right-click the namespace → Properties General Tab only gives you information about the namespace, and you can add a description for the namespace if you
like Referrals Tab A referral is an ordered list of servers that a client computer receives from a domain controller or namespace server when the user accesses a namespace root or DFS folder with targets. Targets that are located in the same Active Directory site as the clients are listed first in the referral. On this tab, you can define three options,
⇒ The duration referrals will be cached on the client, before the client retrieves the list a new from a domain controller or namespace server.
⇒To maintain a consistent domain-based namespace across namespace servers, it is necessary for namespace servers to periodically poll Active Directory Domain Services to obtain
the most current namespace metadata. Microsoft recommends that you select Optimize for consistency if there are 16 or fewer servers hosting the namespace. Otherwise you should select Optimize for scalability. . 1.6 Additional Configuration options for DFS-N 1.6.1 To delegate permissions on DFS-N, you can right-click the Namespaces node and select Delegate Permissions. Permissions at the top most level will allow users to create domain-based namespaces. Permissions at the namespace level will allow users to add a namespace server to the domain-based namespace (also requires said user to be local admin on the namespace server to be added), and generally manage the namespace.
1.6.2 Properties sheet of a Namespace server General
Tab ⇒ Enable/disable referrals for this namespace server. If you disable referrals, users will be prevented from being directed to this namespace server.
This can be useful during maintenance of a server.
Specify referral ordering. This is self-explanatory.
General
Tab only gives you information about the folder, and you can add a description for the folder if you like Referrals Tab
⇒ The duration referrals will be cached on the client, before the client retrieves the list a new from a domain controller or
namespace server.
How do I create a DFS namespace server?To add a namespace server to a domain-based namespace. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DFS Management.. In the console tree, under the Namespaces node, right-click a domain-based namespace, and then click Add Namespace Server.. Enter the path to another server, or click Browse to locate a server.. What are the requirements for DFS?Distributed File System (DFS) Requirements. Windows Server 2019.. Windows Server 2016.. Windows Server 2012 R2.. Windows Server 2012.. Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter and Enterprise Editions.. Windows Server (Semi-Annual Channel). How should you make a domain based DFS namespace highly available?How should you make a stand-alone DFS Namespace highly available? Use the High Availability Wizard to make the DFS Namespace server highly available.
Does DFS need to be on a domain controller?DFS uses the "client awareness" feature of Active Directory to locate DFS servers closest to the user. Replication of DFS data is not required but is recommended for data redundancy. Without replication, DFS provides only a common namespace for the shares. Do not host DFS shares on domain controllers (DCs).
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